A social change framework for addressing collective action: introducing collective inertia

We argue that dramatic social change arising from collective action does not represent the worst-case scenario for group members. Specifically, we introduce the concept of collective inertia: a societal state where group members face a macro system devoid of clearly articulated collective goals and values coupled with dysfunctional social and normative structures. Our analysis emphasizes the dynamic process of social change, involving a shift from one societal state to another. Collective inertia is the one societal state that may have devastating long-term consequences for groups.