Understanding the Role of Social Norms in Natural Resource Co-Management

Abstract

This dissertation investigated how social norms have been conceptualized, integrated and applied to understand cooperation in natural resources co-management. While interest in social norms is growing across disciplines, they remain relatively underexplored within conservation social psychology, even as research expands in response to urgent social and environmental challenges. This research brought together theoretical and empirical insights from social and cultural psychology, behavioral economics, and institutional analysis to explore how social norms influence individual and collective behavior in institutional arrangements for co-managed natural resources. The first chapter presented a systematic review of 46 empirical studies that examine social norms in natural resource co-management. The analysis revealed that only a fifth of the studies provided explicit definitions of social norms, and those that do exhibit diverse conceptual orientations. The integration of key theoretical components of social norms—such as empirical and normative expectations, reference networks, social sanctions, and conditional preferences—is uneven. Many studies cited norms as important for fostering stewardship and compliance but fall short in specifying behavioral mechanisms. The chapter called for greater conceptual clarity and methodological rigor to advance the use of social norms in interdisciplinary research on environmental governance. The second chapter developed a conceptual framework to integrate social norms into the study of resource co-management. This chapter merged insights from social and cultural psychology, economic behavior, institutional analysis, and natural resources management studies. It started by differentiating social norms from formal rules, setting the stage for understanding their complex interactions. The framework defined social norms as social expectations to which individuals are expected to conform, which influence behavior in terms of care about others' approval or disapproval. It emphasized the interdependence of social norms at both individual and collective levels, and how they impact broader practices and cultural dynamics. It also explored the reciprocal relationship between personal behavior and group norms, facilitating collective decision-making and gradual change. The framework provided practical guidance for identifying leverage points where social norms can be harnessed to improve natural resources governance and collective action. The third chapter empirically tested the relationship between individual behavioral orientations, social norms, and rule adherence in the community-based management of Arapaima gigas in the Brazilian Amazon. Based on face-to-face interviews with nearly 500 fishers in 46 rural villages, the study analyzed rule adherence with three key rules: minimum size limits, closed season, and prohibited lakes. Using randomized response techniques and Bayesian regression models, the results showed that cooperative orientations and stronger social norms are associated with greater compliance in some domains, while competitive orientations and high empirical expectations of rule-breaking predict noncompliance. Findings demonstrated that the effects of social norms are heterogeneous and rule-specific, underscoring the need for context-sensitive approaches to co-management. Together, these chapters advanced a more nuanced understanding of how social norms operate in natural resource co-management systems. The dissertation emphasized that identification and mobilization of social norms—coupled with formal institutions and behavioral traits—can enable more adaptive, inclusive, and effective co-management strategies to social and environmental governance.