Both Charles Duhigg, author of “From Civil Rights to Megachurches,” and Bill McKibben, featured speaker and climate change activist in “Do the Math,” have very opposing views on how exactly to go about initiating social change. Duhigg observes social change occuring in a three-step process; the process begins with close friends speaking out, then acquaintances or members within a community, and finally people who are complete strangers. Bill McKibben approaches social change much more directly with his acts of civil disobedience and protests. In Duhigg’s article, he discusses the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the power that strong and weak ties within a community can contribute to social change. He writes “it began with Rosa Parks, because she had a large, diverse, connected set of friends…”(90) which effectively illustrates the importance in having connections, whether they be strong or weak, in order to create a more powerful social movement. Paradoxically, McKibben believes in a more violent approach such as civil disobedience. In his documentary series he mentions, ”…I’ve been kind of forced to go against my sense of who I’m most comfortable being. It seems like it’s the thing that’s required now… Be a little uncomfortable. Push other people to be a little uncomfortable”(1). This quote explores the idea of pushing our own and other peoples limits in order to create change. In other words, if you show that you’re okay with being uncomfortable, then other people will start to be okay with it, too. A combination of both Duhigg and Mckibben’s approaches may be the ultimate recipe for social change.
Autumn's Site
Just another UNEPortfolios site
