Constructing a new tool for assessing environmental worldviews of individuals and organizations – case environmental worldview analysis of seven political parties in Finland
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引用次数: 2
Abstract
Abstract Environmental disputes often encompass both a conflict over the practical issue itself and, more fundamentally, a conflict over environmental worldviews (EWVs). In this study, a new two-dimensional tool has been created for measuring prevailing EWVs in individuals and organizations. Respondent’s place on the horizontal axis shows preference on an institutional scale where environmental issues should be handled. Therefore, the x-axis shows the relationship between social greens (highlighting local communities) and institutionalists (believing in strong global cooperation and institutions). The vertical axis describes focus on sustainability/nature vs. market/economy, thus showing preference between bioenvironmentalists and market liberals. EWVs were measured in Finnish political parties, actors in environmental administration, many non-environmental organizations and public innovation funders. Principal component analysis showed that the two-dimensional analysis fits well to the EWV analysis. Data (n = 1637) approximates symmetrically the bell curve of a normal distribution in both the axes, with neglible linear relation between the axes. A case study of seven Finnish political parties revealed remarkable EWV differences, logically compared to the existing research. Moreover, the respondent’s views on globalization were found to follow a very different logic from the environmental concern. An analytical tool of EWVs fosters harmonious decision-making, facilitating constructive solutions in environmental debate.
期刊介绍:
Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences (JIES) provides a stimulating, informative and critical forum for intellectual debate on significant environmental issues. It brings together perspectives from a wide range of disciplines and methodologies in both the social and natural sciences in an effort to develop integrative knowledge about the processes responsible for environmental change. The Journal is especially concerned with the relationships between science, society and policy and one of its key aims is to advance understanding of the theory and practice of sustainable development.