Collective Action in Commons: Its Diverse Ends and Consequences explores new ways in

which collective action theories can contribute to our understanding of natural resource

management, especially the management of common-pools. Combining classical collective

action theories and lessons from earlier empirical works, the study shows that cooperation

among resource users is not only a possible solution to “the tragedy of the commons”, but it

can be a part of the problem as well. That is, successful cooperation may increase the

likelihood of resource depletion, for example, through more effective resource utilization or

collusion against sanctioning and monitoring systems. The study also explores how analytic

narratives can be used to tell the story behind problems of resource use and their solutions,

including the diverse roles of cooperation.