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presentation-20190225-mobilising_churches.html

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 class: center, middle
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-"Mobilising the Churches Around the Environment": 
+.xxlargetext[Mobilising the Churches on the Environment:]  
+.xlargetext[A Summary of the Research]
 
-A Summary of the Research
+.mediumtext[002019 Feb 25]
 
-#### Jeremy Kidwell
+.largetext[Jeremy Kidwell]  
-##### University of Birmingham **School of Philosophy, Theology and Religion**
+.mediumtext[University of Birmingham]  
+.mediumtext[*School of Philosophy, Theology and Religion*]
 
-002019 Feb 25
+.smalltext[*Note: this presentation is a website, you can view it here: http://bit.ly/mobilising_churches19*]
 
 .footnote[Email: [j.kidwell@bham.ac.uk](mailto:j.kidwell@bham.ac.uk) • Twitter [@kidwellj](https://twitter.com/kidwellj)]
 
@@ -59,7 +74,7 @@ A Summary of the Research
 
 class: center, middle
 
-What does successful mobilisation look like?
+## What does successful mobilisation look like?
 
 ---
 
@@ -73,15 +88,19 @@ class: middle
 
 ---
 
-class: center, middle
+In practice: marches, demonstations, "buzz", large crowds, energy, surprises...
 
-But, what does successful mobilisation *look* like?
+![Person speaking to climate march crowd](images/climate_march.jpg)
-
-Marches, demonstations, "buzz", large crowds, energy, surprises...
 
 ---
 
-Caveat #1:
+class: center, middle
+
+## "Mobilisation" Caveat #1:
+
+---
+
+class: middle
 
 Not just *action* but **quality of** action
 
@@ -91,59 +110,247 @@ Not just *action* but **quality of** action
 
 ---
 
-Caveat #2:
+class: center, middle
+
+## "Mobilisation" Caveat #2:
+
+---
+
+class: middle
 
 We (Christians) have some specific barriers
-1. *Policymakers* do not understand how Christians are engaging with environmental issues
+1. **Policymakers** do not understand how Christians are engaging with environmental issues
 
---- 
+---
 
-Caveat #2:
+class: middle
 
 We (Christians) have some specific barriers
 1. Policymakers do not understand how Christians are engaging with environmental issues
-2. *Scholars* do not understand how Christians are engaging with environmental issues
+2. **Scholars** do not understand how Christians are engaging with environmental issues
 
---- 
 
-Caveat #2:
+---
+
+class: middle
 
 We (Christians) have some specific barriers
 1. Policymakers do not understand how Christians are engaging with environmental issues
 2. Scholars do not understand how Christians are engaging with environmental issues
-3. *Christians* do not understand how Christians are engaging with environmental issues
+3. **Christians** do not understand how Christians are engaging with environmental issues
+
 
 ---
 
-class: center, middle
+class: middle
 
-This is, in many ways, a completely new field.
+My solution: establish an **integrative scholarly field** in engagement with policymakers, scholars, and churches.
 
-Eco-theology has struggled to engage with mainstream Christian scholarly reflection
+- Eco-theology has struggled to engage with mainstream Christian scholarly reflection
-Social scientists have reinforced rather than questioned stereotypes about Christainity
+- Executives can tend to privilege social psychology and economics over anthropology (e.g. "bar charts" over "books"!)
-Political leadership lacks literacy about religion in Britain
+- Social scientists have reinforced rather than questioned stereotypes about Christainity
+- Political leadership lacks literacy about religion in Britain
+
+
+.footnote[.red[*] Note: secular policymakers and scholars are waking up to the significance of religion and spiritual values. For more on this, see my [Cambridge presentation](https://jeremykidwell.info/files/presentations/presentation_20180130_cambridge_energy.html) and read our paper on "Religion and social values for sustainability" in [Sustainability Science](https://jeremykidwell.info/publications/2019_religion_social_values/) just out this year.]
 
 ---
 
-My work:
+class: middle
 
-- Establish a new field of study that engages theological reflection, ethnography of religious environmentalism and data science. 
+## My work involves:
-- Theology leading a conversation with geographers, policical scientists, anthropologists, sociologists, economists.
+
+- Working with theological reflection, ethnography of religious environmentalism and data science. 
+- This is *theologically* informed study of Christian environmentalists flowing into a conversation with geographers, policical scientists, anthropologists, sociologists, economists.
 - Communicate this research to public policy audience, third sector, and Christian communities.
 
+Note: *readable executive summary of my research can be found here*:
+
+http://bit.ly/eco-research-summary
+
 ---
 
 class: center, middle
 
-So what have we learned so far?
+## So what have we learned so far?
-
 
 ---
 
+class: middle
+
+### There are **four different types** of *community environmental group* at the grassroots:
+
+- The **.red[lone voices]**: a single person working in the midst of either indifference or hostility in the wider community.
+- The **.red[local heroes]**: as above but with sanction and/or indirect support by the wider community. 
+- **.red[Small but active]**: a small and generally self-contained group of 3-12 persons.
+- Large with differential involvements (**.red[LDI]**): many people with varying levels of participation.
+
+---
+
+class: center, middle
+
+### We need to find ways to engage and support all four types.
+
+---
+
+class: middle
+
+# Up-scaling
+
+- Christian environmental groups may sometimes form ad-hoc regional/national networks.
+- On the level of these "leaner" networks, information can be disseminated more efficiently and experiments may be multipled.
+
+---
+
+# Denominations?
+
+We found that denominations are not always the most meaningful divisions.
+
+*At the level of .red[community and region], orientations towards environmental action may coalesce around local community concerns and/or .red[denominational structure].* 
+
+Put another way, we may find that Christian Eco-Groups cluster in two genres:
+
+- Cluster 1: churches which are hierarchical/bureaucratic  
+(CofE, CofS, RC, Methodist, etc.)
+
+- Cluster 2: churches which lack formal meta-organisationsal structure  
+(Quaker, evangelical, baptist, etc.)
+
+---
+
+class: center, middle
+
+## How do Christians mobilise? 
+
+---
+
+class: center, middle
+
+### Key context 1. 
+
+## Christians are modest about their achievements
+
+---
+
+class: middle
+
+### Possible consequences: 
+
+- Possibly lower ambition re: grants and projects
+- Hidden achievements
+- Self-description (and public opinion) is dampened
+- Comparison to other groups is often negative
+- Work by Christians working in other contexts (FOE, Green Peace, community agriculture, etc.) may be ascribed to other secular groups
+
+---
+
+class: center, middle
+
+### Key context 2. 
+
+## Christian eco-groups focus on local community
+
+e.g. Churches are good at forming and running committees, and sub-committees...
+
+---
+
+class: middle
+
+### Possible consequences: 
+
+- Default .red[focus on building fabric] as site for eco-interventions (solar panels, boiler replacement, windows, lighting, etc.) and .red[church-yard] (if not managed by council)
+- "Slow" pace of work (which can impact planning and funding horizons)
+
+#### *Note: these are not bad things!*
+
+---
+
+class: middle
+
+## Take-away 1: issues are not the driver
+
+Whereas for national networks and campaigning organisations, "action" and "issues" can often serve as the main driver.
+
+In contrast, with community groups, the opposite is often the case.
+
+Groups are driven by community formation and support, and issues come afterwards..red[*]
+
+.footnote[.red[*] For more on this, check out ["Christian climate care: Slow change, modesty, and eco-theo-citizenship"](https://jeremykidwell.info/publications/2018_geo/) - hot off the press in 2018.]
+
+---
+
+## Take-away 2. churches are a place for niche & Experimentation
+
+.right-column[Specific policy interventions can be helped by a "proof of concept"
+
+Smaller community groups can help to form a "niche" which can serve as laboratories for testing out new ideas.red[*]]
+
+.footnote[.red[*] For more on this, check out: René Kemp, Johan Schot & Remco Hoogma, 1998. "[Regime shifts to sustainability through processes of niche formation: the approach of strategic niche management](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09537329808524310)." Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, vol. 10, iss. 2, pp. 175–198. For an overview of research into sustainability transitions see: Jochen Markard, Rob Raven & Bernhard Truffer, 2012. ["Sustainability transitions: an emerging field of research and its prospects"](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004873331200056X). Res. Policy 41 (6), 955–967.]
+
+.left-column[<img style="width:70%;margin-top:-1em;"  src="https://www.artsfwd.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_2188-1-427x640.jpg">]
+
+---
+
+class: center, middle
+
 # Tactics and Tools for Mobilisation
 
 ---
 
+class: center, middle
+
+## Strategy 1: Target engagement
+
+---
+
+class: center, middle
+
+The majority of Eco-groups involve a small unfunded group of volunteers.
+
+They work really hard but **their work can be precarious**. Small resources / encouragement can provide an outsize effect. Similarly, for setbacks.
+
+---
+
+class: center, middle
+
+Community groups and churches can have tremendous **impact within a small space** and have **access to social networks** which are unknown and inaccessible to NGOs and National leadership.
+
+We're often used to the "direct" approach to the public, but might we find ways to treat community groups as intermediaries?
+
+---
+
+class: center, middle
+
+Practical suggestion 1: *Alongside mass campaigns, and broad denomination-level outreach, .red[consider sub-setting groups] for targetted outreach and engagement.
+
+Practical suggestion 2: Support community anchors as "beacon" projects; invest in established projects to leverage as support agents for new projects
+
+---
+
+## Strategy 2: Reach the spectrum
+
+An outsize amount of resource goes to London and the Central Belt in Scotland.
+
+Some areas are "sleeping" and others are "soldiering"
+
+We need to wake up the sleepers and support the soldiers.
+
+---
+
+class: center, middle
+
+I can help!
+
+[http://mapping.community](http://mapping.community)
+ 
+---
+
+Any questions?
+
+---
+
+
+