Analyzing individual behavior in commons dilemmas: A study of collective action in source separation of wastes

Social dilemmas or 'commons dilemmas' occur whenever individuals in interdependent situations face choices in which the maximization of short-term self-interest yields outcomes that leave all participants worse off than feasible alternatives. Social dilemmas are labeled by many names; including the public-good or collective-good problem, the free-rider problem, and the tragedy of the commons. Nearly all environmental issues have embedded aspects of the commons; thus this concept is central to studies in human ecology and the environment. Empirical evidence and theoretical developments in various disciplines have contributed to the understanding of how to encourage productive norms of individual behavior to overcome social dilemmas through collective action that produces public goods and avoids tragedies of the commons. The overall aim of the study is to explain individual behavior in the case of the commons by integrating social psychological theories of environmentalism with the parallel theories of behavior in collective action situations. Three fundamental questions guide this research. First, how do individuals make decisions in social-dilemma situations? Second, what factors are most important in determining individual behavior in a collective action situation? Third, can reciprocity and trust help explain behavior in the case of the commons? The problem of solid waste management (SWM) in Lebanon is used as a testbed to address these research questions. SWM is an important problem with implications for sustainable development in rapidly urbanizing developing nations. It has elements of risk and uncertainty and is a classic commons dilemma, thereby engaging key elements in environmentalism. The study identifies how individual and social factors combine to influence household decision-making for solid waste disposal options, which include source separation of organic wastes and willingness to pay additional municipal fees for solid waste services.; The study was conducted in two distinct phases. The first phase, stakeholder interviews, aimed to gain a broader perspective on issues related to the research questions. The second phase included community surveys and quantitative analysis of survey responses. A structured questionnaire was designed to survey selected local communities that have had different experiences with the waste problem. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...