An all-quadrant approach to sustainability communication



Integral theory contends that all quadrants should be considered in any comprehensive approach. Otherwise, our explanations are partial and actions based on those explanations are likely to deliver unintended results or marginalize particular perspectives. Consequently, an Integral approach to sustainability communication would, as much as is practically possible, seek to consider and include each of the quadrants in the design and delivery of sustainability messages. The sections below outline some of the key considerations from the perspective of each quadrant.

Behavioral quadrant

A behavioral perspective reminds communicators to accurately represent scientific facts (Leonard, 2004). As the transition to sustainability often threatens established interests, factual errors in communication will be rapidly identified and exposed, to the detriment of the message.

A behavioral perspective also encourages communicators to focus on the actions they seek to encourage through the communicative act. Our current society is not sustainable, and is not on a trajectory towards sustainability. Consequently, sustainability is only possible through the combined actions of numerous individuals. Every communication about sustainability should seek to encourage a particular type of action or behavior that will hasten the transition to sustainability. These intended actions should be within the power of the audience. All too often, sustainability communicators emphasize environmental and social threats, without providing positive actions the audience can take to respond to these threats.

Finally, a behavioral perspective encourages the communicator to consider how verbal and visual behaviors can support effective communication. This draws attention to the mannerisms, body language, and attentiveness of verbal communicators, and the design and layout of visual communications. Attention to the ways that individuals actually view, read, or use communication materials is critical.

Systemic quadrant

A systemic perspective reminds the communicator to attend to the demographic characteristics of the audience – for example, their age and gender, language, access to technology (particularly for web-based communication), media use, socioeconomic profile, and educational attainment. Messages that do not take into account these demographic factors, for example by translating materials for different language groups, can easily miss their target audience.

In addition, systems theory provides a particularly rich source of content for sustainability communicators. From this perspective, sustainability problems are understood and presented as the result of a complex interplay between technological, ecological, economic, and social systems. Good sustainability communicators will usually have an intuitive grasp of systems theory, which they can draw on to explain problems, design solutions, and anticipate barriers to the implementation of those solutions.

Psychological quadrant
A psychological perspective reminds the communicator that individuals hold different values, adhere to a different sense of self and identity, and vary in their interests, experiences, and mindsets.

Consequently, a message that appeals to one individual will leave another unmoved. Communicators that recognize this subjective variation typically attempt to segment the audience in some way and to design separate messages to appeal to these different segments. However, approaches to audience segmentation tend to be eclectic and poorly coordinated with each other, resulting in a rash of conflicting messages that leave the audience confused.

Integral theory draws on developmental psychology to provide a more coherent basis for audience segmentation. In essence, Integral theory argues that human psychological development moves through distinct, recognizable stages, at which mindsets, values, interests, and ways of relating to the worlds are markedly different. We will return to these stages, and their implications for communication, later. Here, it is sufficient to note that sustainability communicators need to understand the psychographics of their audience and design multiple messages to appeal to varying values and interests.

Cultural quadrant
As people move through the stages of their own individual development they find points of commonality and mutual understanding that manifest as distinct cultural structures, expressed linguistically through discourse.

A discourse is a shared way of apprehending the world, characterized by particular language, assumptions, metaphors, and worldviews (Dryzek, 1997). Sustainability communicators can use an understanding of the characteristic elements of an identified discourse to design messages to appeal to that discourse. The Integral framework provides a credible, consistent basis for identifying discourses, linked to the developmental stages discussed in the next section. This consistency is critical to help globally coordinate the effort required to achieve mainstream commitment to sustainability.

A cultural perspective also reminds us that communication is most likely to be effective if the communicator can enter the cultural space of their audience and reach some degree of mutual understanding. This task can be assisted by becoming familiar with the symbols, metaphors, and narratives of the cultural group. A very effective approach is to engage respected members of the cultural group to deliver sustainability messages, as these leaders will already be immersed in the language of the group.

Example

How the NCCC (Australian National Conversation on Climate Change) seeks to address all quadrants and levels include:

• Behavioral quadrant:

o Offer citizen participants access to the empirical evidence for climate change and data on impacts of alternative responses through invited experts
o Provide a physical environment conducive to creative deliberation and a facilitator whose behaviors encourage participation and creativity

• Systemic quadrant:

o Use information and communication technologies to connect the forums with experts in other locations and with each other
o Provide analysis of barriers and opportunities for climate change response associated with technological, economic and social systems

• Psychological quadrant:

o Use a variety of engagement techniques, including rhetoric, argument, artistic approaches and storytelling, to reach individuals “where they are” and encourage individual participation
o Use of visioning exercises to make the impact of climate change more tangible for individuals and to link it to their phenomenological “sense of place”, e.g. explore how it would feel to have different birds, insects and plants appearing and familiar ones disappearing

• Cultural quadrant:

o Encourage discursive contestation through active facilitation and formation of small groups with shifting membership
o Develop images and narratives of the future to draw out the normative commitments of the discourses represented in each forum.

Reference: Use of the Integral Framework to Design Developmentally-Appropriate Sustainability Communications - Barrett C. Brown - Chris Riedy