The making of commitments is often used as an intervention aimed at increasing pro-environmental behavior. Research shows that when people commit to changing their environmental behaviors, they... Show moreThe making of commitments is often used as an intervention aimed at increasing pro-environmental behavior. Research shows that when people commit to changing their environmental behaviors, they tend to adhere to their commitments. In this dissertation it is investigated whether commitment making is effective in improving agricultural nature conservation and with that, environmental quality of farm lands. Furthermore, a conceptual review is offered, as well as an experimental investigation of the conditions under which people are willing to make such commitments. Results show that commitment making combined with tailored information is indeed effective in improving farmers’ nature conservation. Several explanations of the effect of commitment making on behavior are offered. Also, it is shown that that the willingness to invest in commitment making is contingent on the interplay of dispositional trust and situational expectations. Taken together, this dissertation aims to provide the reader with a perspective on the entire process of commitment making: under which conditions people engage in it, if it is successful in altering behavior, and how it is successful. Show less
Pastoralists and the city: Fulani herders in Benin in an urbanising and globalising era At present, the pastoralists mode of production in Africa is under increased ecological, political and... Show morePastoralists and the city: Fulani herders in Benin in an urbanising and globalising era At present, the pastoralists mode of production in Africa is under increased ecological, political and economic pressure. In the past 30 years political marginalisation, economic integration into markets leading to increased competition, and ecological degradation of pastures have resulted in dramatic shifts in pastoralism. In West Africa, it has been noticed that since the 1970s pastoralism is increasingly dominated by cities. Firstly, increased market integration has resulted in dependence on and orientation towards urban markets. Secondly, urbanities now own considerably parts of pastoralists (also called Fulani or Peul) herds. Thirdly, Fulani have increasingly moved to cities and towns. However, evidence is scattered and hardly any coherent research has been done on the modern relationship between pastoralists and the city in the present era of urbanisation. Thus, the present research project on Pastoralists and the city in Benin will explore the urban livelihood of Fulani and the niches they have found to sustain and expand their livelihood. Moreover, it will look into the possibility how and where they could improve their access to livelihood opportunities, including those created by government interventions Show less
