When "Let Them" Isn't Enough, You Need to Act

Source: jcomp/Freepik

You may have caught wind of a new catchphrase making its way through the self-help zeitgeist. If you’ve been instructed lately to just let them, then you know what I’m talking about. While I can appreciate anything that draws people to focus on their own self-improvement—hey, the more we work on ourselves, the more we make living with one another just a little bit better—it has me thinking about the moments in our lives that require just the opposite mindset. How do we know if taking collective action rather than stepping aside and letting them is the right move for us?

Collective action, and what influences whether we engage in it

We can understand collective action as making an effort to improve the lives of a group of people¹. It can be action taken by multiple people who are rallied around a social movement or it can be action taken by one person on behalf of a group, such as signing a petition or making a donation to a cause. Often our social environment influences our engagement in collective action, specifically whether that action is encouraged or disapproved of by those within the circles we frequent². Researchers have found four underlying motivations that spur collective action: the development of an identity within group membership; the emotionality of a cause; a sense that a moral standard has been challenged or violated; and the view that the group will be able to achieve its goals, known as group efficacy¹. Ask yourself the following questions as you apply these four motivations to your efforts to improve the lives of women and girls. Thinking through each of these will help you decide if taking collective action is your best move.

• Identity: Do you identify as someone who supports women and girls having every opportunity to succeed?
• Emotionality: Does the idea of limiting opportunities and necessary resources for women, including access to healthcare, education, or childcare, stir strong feelings inside you?
• Violation of moral standards: Do you view discrimination against women as a violation of your moral code?
• Group efficacy: Do you believe in the power of the group as a force for social change in addressing women’s issues?

Finding what feels right for you

If it feels like you don’t know where to start, just realize that actions can be small. They can look like volunteering with your local YWCA, making a donation to a women’s organization, or writing to your local representative to urge them to support a national childcare policy. If you’re feeling bold and are particularly good at organizing people and processes, you could create or encourage others to create a speaker series that features issues relevant to women such as how to find support for post-partum depression or understanding your body during menopause. There are lots of possibilities out there to take action on issues that are important to you. Of course, you can let them, if you want. But you can also ask yourself: What action can I take today?