The main theme within Paul Steinberg’s Who Rules the Earth: How Social Rules Shape Our Planet and Our Lives is the difference of impact in relation to incremental individual change compared to change on an institutional level. He encourages individual day-to-day tasks however even though he believes they are good things, he doesn’t believe that individual action on its own can make the change that is needed.
Steinberg reflects on this further regarding the pressure put on individualization and individual action. It becomes difficult to push for change on an institutional level when the burden feels as though it lands on the individuals within society rather than society as a whole. “…let’s consider one more idea that will not change the world. This is the notion that we can save the planet if we all do our part through lifestyle changes and greener consumer choices.” (Steinberg. 219. 2015). Individual action is too small scale to truly make the impact needed. He reflects on the idea of each person believing they can make life changes and subsequently change the world and states that the reason that we have access to clean water and clean air to breath is because of individuals joining together and making collective, institutional change.
Social change is bigger than the I and therefore needs to be focused on in a larger scale.
“The result is political amnesia, forgetting that major improvements in environmental quality have come about through active engagement in politics and civic life… we ignore the root cause of the problem, make few demands on local politicians and others who make the rules, and environmental conditions deteriorate as a result.” (Steinberg. 220. 2015).
The difficulty with people believing that by changing their brand of cleaning products and type of transportation they can change the world, is exactly what Steinberg was referencing in the quote above. People believe that by making these small changes, they no longer need to focus on the bigger picture and the cooperation needed within their communities to make possible social changes a reality. The other issue with getting individuals to work as a cohesive collective is that individuals often prefer to act on their own. Although working together may be in the best interest for everyone, the individual works for the outcome that directly benefits them rather than the group itself. This can often create a barrier within the collective and lead to more individual action with less collective cooperation. (Steinberg. 47. 2015).
Steinberg does highlight that he doesn’t see individual action as a bad thing but he emphasizes that it is not enough. He argues that recycling on an individual scale shouldn’t just end because individual action isn’t adding up to make a big enough change but instead it needs to be coupled with institutional action and policy to make an impact.
This brings us to Steinberg’s point that institutional change is necessary but that it still has difficulties tied to it as well. Rules are put in place but they can be changed for better or for worse. Since super rules govern most areas of our lives and create a ripple effect throughout the government and have a strong influence on our lives. Although they have a large impact on society, they can also be changed for the better. “When you advocate for a reform in how rules are made–like increasing participation and transparency– this creates opportunities to forge alliances with powerful constituencies…” (Steinberg. 262. 2015).
Overall, Steinberg argues that change is possible but it takes more than individual action and requires institutional change. This means that the individuals and communities within society need a voice through politics in order to make this change happen. Although, it is more difficult for the individual than changing over their detergent to an eco-friendly brand, these institutional changes are ones that affect the coming generations and can create positive change for the future.
Works Cited
Steinberg, Paul F. 2015. Who Rules the Earth?: How Social Rules Shape Our Planet and Our Lives. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.