Approaching Collectivity Collectively: A Multi-Disciplinary Account of Collective Action.

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Sociology
• Philosophy of Social Science

Background:

• Collective action research has advanced significantly, yielding numerous diverse theoretical approaches.
• Each framework offers unique insights but also faces inherent limitations in explaining complex collective behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically evaluate prominent theoretical frameworks for collective action.
• To propose a novel synthesis integrating successful explanatory mechanisms from various disciplines.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of key collective action theories: collective intentionality, team reasoning, social identity theory, ecological social psychology, participatory sense-making, dynamical systems theory, and practice theory.
• Identification of strengths and weaknesses within each approach.

Main Results:

• No single theory adequately explains all facets of collective action.
• Diverse approaches highlight different, yet complementary, mechanisms crucial for understanding group behavior.

Conclusions:

• The next frontier in collective action research lies in fostering dialogue between disparate theoretical perspectives.
• A synthesized framework viewing collective action as a dynamical interaction within a self-organizing system, shaped by collective sense-making, offers a promising path forward.