Inaugural lecture by Professor Niki Harre, School of Psychology

Inspiring action for the common good

In democratic societies like Aotearoa NZ, it is not possible to solve major social and environmental problems in a wholly top-down manner. Change happens when a social mandate develops to do things differently. Such a mandate is greatly helped by a shared sense of ‘what matters most’. This is supported by both my own and others’ research into core human values and how, when people believe their values are shared, they become increasingly willing to take action for the common good. The current social environment however, encourages people and groups to find and adhere to ‘our’ values, with the underlying assumption that these are unlike those of other individuals, organisations, nations or cultures. In this talk I will discuss how we can create a shared vision for Aotearoa NZ that inspires people to imagine sustainable, inclusive and creative ways of living well together.