|
Abstract:
|
"People are not autonomous individuals but connected beings. Curae
ergo sum – we care, therefore we are. Relationality – which refers to the
ethic and manner by which relational considerations govern decisions
and institutional arrangements can take advantage of the power of
connection
– uncovers how social connection, across divides, moves
people to act for the other. Drawing from research on empathy, social
networks, and determinants of pro-social behavior, Caring, Empathy,
and the Commons builds on Ostrom’s Governing the Commons. It
offers a different mechanism by which collective action is induced,
arguing that, sometimes, the individual thinks not in terms of individual
gain but in terms of the other. Developing this concept of relationality,
this book explores various strands of literature and examines how this
idea might be used to foster collective action around climate, species
protection, fair trade, and other dilemmas of the commons."
|