THE ACTIVATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL NORMS - EXTENDING SCHWARTZ MODEL

This article considers how Schwartz's norm-activation model has been a pplied in the context of individual contributions to public goods, and how it might be extended to better reflect the full gamut of behavior al determinants in such situations. A review of literature in politica l economy, psychology, and sociology suggests that the translation of Schwartz's model from situations of isolated individual helping to the public goods context requires the role of organizations, policy initi atives, and notions of justice to be more explicitly incorporated with in the model. Existing elements of the model also need to be broadened to encompass some of the unique characteristics of public good contri butions, such as shared (as opposed to diffused) responsibility, and l ower levels of individual decisiveness. A qualitative environmental ca se study illustrates some of the required extensions.