This edited volume has been compiled to present the latest developments in the field of social dilemma research. Social dilemmas are situations when there is a conflict between self-interest and collective interest. Research in this area has gained interest in the last twenty years in disciplines such as sociology, psychology, and economics. It also has wide applications to numerous real-world issues such as environmental degradation, organizational management, and societal public good. The main aim of this work was to investigate under what circumstances people make decisions that are inline with the collective interest as well as investigating what can increase the likelihood of cooperation. There will be three man sections mirroring the different levels of analysis: individual, group, and societal.

International agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol, EU regulation and country-specific national climate policies offer some hope of addressing climate change. But all too often implementation of these high level objectives is derailed at the sub-national, local and - perhaps most important - individual level, by a variety of structural, policy and perceived barriers that result in a failure of effective action. Drawing on original research from Sweden, a world leader in effective environmental solutions, this volume examines the difficulties of aligning climate policy from international to national and sub-national levels. The authors address the full range of barriers and complexities, including governance structures, the relationship between 'experts' and the public, political feasibility, tax measures, perceptions of 'fairness' and self-interest, and the importance of environmental values. Also covered are the roles and perceptions of organizations and professions, the place of carbon-free technologies (such as wind power), the relationship between national and EU regulations, and the monumental challenge of governing the climate in a bordered and divided world. This volume is a vital source of information for all those seeking to create effective, coordinated responses to the challenge of climate change.

Contents:
Part I. Introduction to Cooperation
1. Perspectives on cooperation in modern society: helping the self, the community and society Mark Van Vugt, Mark Snyder, Tom Tyler and Anders Biel
2. Factors promoting cooperation in the laboratory, in common-pool resource dilemmas, and in large-scale dilemmas: similarities and differences Anders Biel
Part II. Individual and Collective Restraint in Common Resources
3. Choosing between personal comfort and our environment: solutions to the transportation dilemma Paul Van Lange, Mark Van Vugt and David De Cremer
4. Why do people cooperate in groups? Support for structural solutions to social dilemma problems Tom R. Tyler
5. An economic analysis of compliance with fishery regulations Aaron Hatcher, Olivier Thebaud and Shabbar Jaffry
6. Collective cooperation in common-pool resources Edella Schlager
Part III. Individual and Collective Action in Common Goods
7. Doing good for self and society: volunteerism and the psychology of citizen participation Mark Snyder and Allen M. Omoto
8. Workplace justice and the dilemma of organizational citizenship Russell Cropanzano and Zinta S. Byrne
9. Identity and protest: how group identification helps to overcome collective action dilemmas Bert Klandermans
10. But taxpayers do cooperate! Henk Elffers
11. Willingness to contribute to the finance of public social services Daniel Eek, Anders Biel and Tommy Gärling
12. The universal welfare state as a social dilemma Bo Rothstein
Part IV. Commentary
13. Context, norms and cooperation in modern society: a post-script David M. Messick

Why do so many people volunteer to help others in need in society today? What makes people give up the convenience of driving their car to benefit a better environment? And why are citizens, in general, quite prepared to pay taxes to ensure adequate health care, and support for the elderly and unemployed? These are examples of a more fundamental question addressed in this book: why do people cooperate for the welfare of their community, state, or organization?
Cooperation in Modern Society is a unique collection of contributions from internationally reputed scholars across the social sciences.

International agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol, EU regulation and country-specific national climate policies offer some hope of addressing climate change. But all too often implementation of these high level objectives is derailed at the sub-national, local and - perhaps most important - individual level, by a variety of structural, policy and perceived barriers that result in a failure of effective action. Drawing on original research from Sweden, a world leader in effective environmental solutions, this volume examines the difficulties of aligning climate policy from international to national and sub-national levels. The authors address the full range of barriers and complexities, including governance structures, the relationship between 'experts' and the public, political feasibility, tax measures, perceptions of 'fairness' and self-interest, and the importance of environmental values. Also covered are the roles and perceptions of organizations and professions, the place of carbon-free technologies (such as wind power), the relationship between national and EU regulations, and the monumental challenge of governing the climate in a bordered and divided world. This volume is a vital source of information for all those seeking to create effective, coordinated responses to the challenge of climate change.

Readers need look no further if they seeking an edited volume compiled to present the latest developments in the field of social dilemma research. Social dilemmas are situations when there is a conflict between self-interest and collective interest. This work examines under what circumstances people make decisions that are in line with the collective interest as well as investigating what can increase the likelihood of cooperation. Three man sections mirror the different levels of analysis: individual, group, and societal.

During recent years, there has been a growing awareness that a better understanding of human activities and the behavioural components of environmental problems is needed. This volume brings together psychologists, philosophers, sociologists, historians of technology and economics, and management experts to identify and examine the rules and motives that govern the environmental behaviour of individuals, households, organizations and society as a whole. Illustrated with case studies from Scandinavia, it shows how behaviours with negative or positive environmental effects are often performed without such consequences in mind. The book discusses how change towards positive environmental behaviour often conflicts with deep-rooted habits as well as exploring the importance for environmental practice of different everyday contexts. By presenting this multi-disciplinary analysis, the volume provides a comprehensive understanding of how behavioural change in relation to the environment can come about and how this can be integrated in the political framework.