Toward a more just world: What makes people participate in social action?

Abstract

Citizen willingness to participate in social action depends, in part, on certain beliefs about the world and one's power to initiate change. This study examines how belief in a just world (BJW) affects willingness to participate in social action. The model also incorporates antecedents to BJW, including personality factors (authoritarianism, self-esteem, powerlessness); political orientation (national identity, patriotism); social characteristics (religiosity, ethnicity, education, income); and the relationships among these factors. Data are from a representative sample of the Jewish Israeli population. Findings indicate that as BJW decreases, so to does the willingness to act, and that personality, political, and social characteristics influence both BJW and willingness to participate in social action.

Citation

Moore, D. (2008), "Toward a more just world: What makes people participate in social action?", Hegtvedt, K.A. and Clay-Warner, J. (Ed.) Justice (Advances in Group Processes, Vol. 25), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 213-239. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0882-6145(08)25013-7