Obach, B. (2003). Barriers to collective action: A classroom simulation. Teaching Sociology, 31(3), 312–318. https://doi.org/10.2307/3211328

Barriers to collective action: A classroom simulation

This article deals with barriers to collective action. Collective action problems represent an important topic for sociological study and analysis. Many social problems and the failure to implement solutions to these problems can be examined in terms of the difficulties associated with effectively motivating and organizing people to work towards collective goods rather than the pursuit of individual advantage. Collective action problems have been conceptualized in ways that can make for fruitful class discussion. One simple device commonly used to introduce the problem of collective action is that of the prisoner’s dilemma. In this hypothetical scenario, a pair of suspected crime partners are apprehended by the police and interrogated separately. The inability of the prisoners to coordinate their responses leads to a situation in which, if each behaves rationally in the pursuit of individual self interest, they receive more severe individual sentences than if both had agreed to remain silent. This scenario demonstrates how the rational pursuit of individual self interest can actually yield sub-optimal outcomes for the individuals involved. Collective action problems are a central concern of social movement study.

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