Collective Editorial: Ten Guidelines for Strategic Social Action

Abstract

This collective editorial was developed by the Behavior and Social Issues senior editorial staff, the Board of Planners for Behaviorists for Social Responsibility, and several other leaders in behavior science due to our deep concern that the need for strategic activism over the next months and possibly years, in the United States and beyond, may be extensive. In particular, issues like Black Lives Matter; responses to the COVID-19 pandemic; acknowledgment of, much less the response to, climate change; election controversies, and fears of "civil unrest" are only some of the social and environmental issues that many divided societies are currently struggling to address. The challenges being faced often include profound differences in relational responding among groups, often integrated with obvious differences in socioeconomic resources and levels of privilege. Unfortunately, extensive, potentially helpful empirical and historical data regarding strategic options for addressing these issues and sustaining activist patterns are not widely known, even within behavior science. Given the lack of

Increasing Access and Quality of Behavior-Analytic Services for the Latinx Population

“…The field of behavior analysis has historically been characterized by both a commitment to social justice (Ardila Sánchez et al, 2020;Mattaini, 2005;Skinner, 1948Skinner, , 1971) and a contextualistic dedication to pragmatic truth criteria (i.e., a "what is true is what works" approach for evaluating scientific constructs and the treatment approaches derived from them; L. J. Hayes & Fryling, 2019;S.…”

Research and Training in Culturo-Behavior Science

“…Further defining knowledge as an understanding of the experimental processes and basic principles governing natural phenomena is collectively perhaps what is meant by scientific literacy. Knowledge may be transformed into power when the intertwined and dynamic demand for networks of transdisciplinary, collaborative relationships focused on change is further combined with participatory approaches and nonviolent strategic action (Ardila-Sánchez et al, 2020 ; Mattaini, 2013 ). Thus, the adage knowledge is power refers to the confluence of conditions and contingencies necessary for social change.…”

“…Yet despite the clear role of human behavior in constructing these systemic contingencies, the strategies and tactics to affect the behaviors and practices that lead to the inequities across communities are less clear (e.g., work in policy development and adoption; Mattaini et al, 2020 ). Work in CBS that also emphasizes cooperative and coordinated responding (e.g., Ardila-Sánchez et al, 2020 ; Cihon, Borba, et al, 2020; Schmitt, 1998 ) and systems’ interdependencies (cf. Mattaini, 2013 , 2019 ) can contribute to these efforts.…”

“…Nevertheless, the students are ready; they see the problems and they see that the problems are largely caused by human behavior. They want to better understand the recursive relations between human behavior and the networks of contingencies that make up our social and cultural environments, the sector interdependencies, and nonviolent strategic social action (Ardila-Sánchez et al, 2020 ; Cihon, Becker, et al, 2020 ; Mattaini, 2013 ). There is an explicit need for training in CBS, and recent efforts from ABAI, the Behaviorists for Social Responsibility Special Interest Group (BFSR SIG) of ABAI, and members of the think tanks on cultural analysis (Glenn et al, 2016 ; Mattaini & Cihon, 2019 ; Todorov & Malott, 2005 ) have begun to shape an infrastructure to support and expand opportunities for students to receive explicit training in CBS.…”

Editorial: The Path Forward

“…(p. 1) This article (titled "The Science of Behavior and Human Rights") then encouraged behavior science to participate in shifting such patterns of contingencies toward the construction of cultures, and a world, of justice. Twenty years later, during a period in which local and global justice are under tremendous pressures, Ardila Sánchez et al (2020a) offered a collective editorial titled "Ten Guidelines for Strategic Action," providing specific, data-based guidance for defending and supporting justice and human rights in challenging times.…”