The collective answer to the 'why' question varies. On the one hand, citizen collectives focus on practical benefits, such as jointly delivering high-quality products at competitive prices. On the other hand, idealistic motives also play a role, such as 'hanging the world' or 'improving the quality of our living environment'.Between these two extremes, many variations exist: replacing fossil fuels with natural energy sources, transforming the food system, providing care that is more tailored and people-centered, promoting equality and justice in the realms of work and housing, and more.
The second dimension is the individual experience of values—the intrinsic, personal values of members and board members. Most citizen collectives begin with a few pioneers who, driven by strong personal motivation, want to create or change something in society. Guided by their values and ideals, they try to attract like-minded people as allies.
Shared values
At the start of every citizen collective, those involved inevitably need to jointly define which values guide them and what they aim to achieve. This is necessary because shared values create a common foundation on which further steps can be built, such as choosing a legal structure, organizational model, membership format, decision-making processes, working methods, and resources. Establishing statutes then becomes a final step rather than a starting point.
These shared values also form the basis for a unique story or narrative that can mobilize supporters, whether potential members or external funders. For citizen collectives, it is an ongoing challenge to keep the internal conversation about values alive, both at the collective and individual levels, not only among board members but also among members.
Intrinsic motivation
Especially in initiatives working toward societal transitions through multiple forms of value creation (economic, social, ecological), the intrinsic motivation of members and board members is a constant point of attention. A board member of Herenboeren explains:
"You really have to do this from intrinsic motivation, and our concept requires a way of thinking that differs from what we are used to."(1)
The transition Herenboeren aims for begins at a personal level and can involve discomfort and unfamiliarity, for example with certain products not being available year-round or dealing with the unpredictability of nature. The challenge is to bring everyone along in connecting new beliefs and values around food production and consumption with collectively organized behavioral change. This could then create a spillover effect:
“If members go through this process, the likely effect is that they will extend this experience beyond their Herenboerderij”.(2)
A broader question here is whether there is a relationship between the scale of the collective and the degree to which members personally identify with the values represented by the collective.
To engage individual citizens in, for example, the energy transition and motivate them to join an energy community, a value-oriented approach is important. The VUX (value-based user experience) framework is a practical method aligned with this approach. The idea is to bring out individual values through small-scale workshops with citizens and then show how local energy communities respond to these values. For example, choosing individual values such as autonomy and independence corresponds with collective values such as generating and using renewable energy locally.
Kort, J., Koning N. de, Gullström C., Creation successful transitions in energy – By respecting stakeholder values and securing trust and cohesion, in: Energy-Open 2017
Horlings, L.G. Values in place; A value-oriented approach toward sustainable place-shaping, Regional Studies, Regional Science, 2(1) (2015), p. 257-274
Quote from a conversation with Zaza Versteeg, board member of Herenboerderij Duinstreek and staff member at Herenboeren Netherlands, September 2022.
Quote from Bram van Helvoirt, lecturer-researcher at HAS University of Applied Sciences, September 2022.