Resources

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Resources

In the time that Common Cause has existed, we have worked with some of the world’s leading social psychologists and conducted and collaborated on several research projects. As a result, we’ve created a growing library of useful resources, toolkits and guides for organisations and individuals wanting to know more about values and how and why to embed this knowledge in their lives and work.

Dive in and explore: 

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What human values are and why they’re so important to creating durable social and environmental change.
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How engaging intrinsic values is a highly effective way of promoting action on social and environmental challenges.
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How most of us underestimate the importance that a typical fellow citizen places on intrinsic values and why this matters.

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The ways in which advocating for shared values can propel lots of social and environmental causes at once.

Getting to grips with values

If you’re new to values, wanting a refresher or to further develop your understanding of the basics, these are the resources we’d recommend you start with:
Toolkit Charities resource
The Case of Working resource
The CC Handbook resource

Values and building public demand for change

You understand the importance of values and their impact in the world, in our lives and workplaces, and you want to know more about how to embed them in your organisation and its work. These are the resources for you: 

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30 mins
Reflecting on conversations with Indigenous people about human values
Common Cause Foundation
August 2024
The social psychology of human values and Indigenous perspectives on social and environmental justice
1.5 hrs
A toolkit for crafting common cause communication in practice
Common Cause Foundation Report
January 2015
Common Cause Foundation: A Toolkit for Charities
30 mins
An overview of some of the key ideas and social science behind the work of Common Cause
Handbook produced by the Public Interest Research Centre
January 2012
The Common Cause Handbook
15 mins
What leads to broad swings in the public acceptability of different political programmes?
Briefing paper by Eivind Hoff-Elimari
January 2014
Governments Can Change People's Values: A Briefing on Policy Feedback
1 hr
What is the relationship between advertising and our cultural values?
Report produced by the Public Interest Research Centre and WWF-UK
January 2011
Think of Me as Evil? Opening the Ethical Debates in Advertising
15 mins
Briefing paper by Professor Greg Maio, Head of Department of Psychology, University of Bath
January 2011
Don’t Mind the Gap Between Values and Action
1 hr
Exploring expressions of social and environmental concern by people who prioritise extrinsic values
Common Cause Research
January 2012
Communicating bigger-than-self problems to extrinsically-orientated audiences
1 hr
The seminal report which launched the work of the Common Cause Foundation
COIN, CPRE, Friends of the Earth, Oxfam, WWF
September 2010
Common Cause: The Case for Working with our Cultural Values
1 hr
What are the chances that small environmental behaviours can turn into big ones?
WWF-UK
January 2009
Simple and Painless: the limitations of spillover in environmental campaigning
20 mins
Building on shared values to establish new and exciting sources of solidarity across different causes
Common Cause Foundation Report
December 2014
No cause is an island: How People are Influenced by Values Regardless of the Cause
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Group 9

With a special focus on values and environmental change:

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1.5 hrs
How can we strengthen the values that motivate people to project and enjoy nature?
Public Interest Research Centre
January 2013
Common Cause for nature report + practitioners guide
45 mins
Is environmental campaigning currently winning the battle but losing the war?
Tom Crompton and Tim Kasser for WWF-UK
January 2009
Meeting environmental challenges: the role of human identity
20 mins
Why engaging intrinsic values for all audiences is key to durable social and environmental change
Common Cause Briefing
August 2011
Limitations of environmental campaigning based on values for money, image and status
2 mins
One pager summarising ideas on inspiring environmental action
Common Cause Foundation
January 2018
Opportunities to create an environmental step change
45 mins
Why an understanding of people’s values is vital for the success of the environmental movement
WWF Report
April 2008
Weathercocks and signposts: the environment movement at a crossroads
20 mins
Revisiting the arguments made in Weathercocks and Signposts ten years ago
Common Cause Foundation
January 2018
Where now for the environment movement? weathercocks and signposts ten years on
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Arts and Culture

Take a look and see how values can be engaged through the work of arts and cultural institutions in order to lead to stronger communities, increased personal wellbeing and greater levels of civic participation. 

30 mins
Exploring the transformative power of art and creativity
Pamphlet produced by Common Cause Foundation and Mission Models Money
January 2013
The Art of Life: understanding how participation in arts and culture can affect our values
15 mins
For arts and cultural organisations wanting to reflect on the values their work encourages
Common Cause Foundation Guide, written in partnership with Happy Museum and Manchester Museum
December 2017
Discover and share: ways to promote positive values in arts and cultural settings

How we perceive others’ values

The way we understand the values of others has a big effect on the ways we think and act. 

5 mins
Reflecting on the success of the Leave campaign
Common Cause Foundation
January 2018
Values and Brexit - where now?
45 mins
What do you think other people value?
Common Cause Foundation Report
February 2016
Perceptions Matter: Report & Summary

Over the years, our research and advocacy has filtered out in lots of different directions. Approaches that we have helped to develop are used in new campaigns and communications, people use our resources to run workshops and seminars for their colleagues, and our material – all freely available – is used in many different college and university courses around the world.

If you have found our resources inspiring or useful, we’d love to hear from you. Such feedback is really important to us in demonstrating the impact of our work and securing the support that we need in order to continue.

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