Positive social behaviour and the environmental crisis

Summary

Since most of today's environmental problems deal with highly complex phenomena found at a global level, it is increasingly necessary to achieve global change in the processes of thinking and action. In order to develop and consolidate such a change, so that it has long-term effects, an interactive analysis of the relationship between the individual, society and the environment is required. Originating from the recognition that the human as a social being is capable of learning and forming relationships and is, in principle, prepared to cooperate and shoulder responsibility, an environmentally sound action is defined as a particular expression of positive social behaviour. Action of this kind that is led by human cooperation and social justice is, however, opposed to the values enshrined in society today and learned during the socialisation process. In order to achieve sound environmental behaviour which is effective in the long term, attention must be paid to the following aspects:

• —People must learn to turn to a system of values which place prime importance on the welfare of humanity as a whole.

• —In order to enable people to achieve such a consideration for one another, they must be guided towards responsible, positive social behaviour which has vision beyond that of the individual person. The essential requisite for this ability is created in primary socialisation and must be improved in the further stages of the socialisation process.