2PM-3:45PM UTC +2 (7AM EST)
Maria Ojala is Associate Professor (docent) in psychology at Örebro University. Her research interest mainly concerns how young people think, feel, act, cope, learn and communicate about climate change. She is particularly interested in exploring the importance of meaning-focused coping, hope and trust in these processes.
About: Many people, not least young people, worry about climate change and many also feel powerless. At the same time there is a call for all societal actors to get involved in the process of transforming our society in a more sustainable direction. The aim of this presentation is to discuss what role climate change hope can play in this transformation.
In the general debate about climate change, hope has become a contested concept that is embraced by some, while seen as wishful thinking by others. But what does research, in for example psychology but also other disciplines, have to say about climate change hope? Both empirical and theoretical research regarding different kinds of hope and climate change will be presented and discussed.