scholarly journals How to win friends and influence people: climate scientists’ perspectives on their relationship with and influence on government officials

2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
James W. Stoutenborough ◽  
Rebecca Bromley-Trujillo ◽  
Arnold Vedlitz
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Epistemic Communities ◽  
Policy Outcomes ◽  
Advocacy Coalitions ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
Collective Influence ◽  
Perceived Relationships

AbstractThe use of scientific information in the policy-making process is prevalent in today’s society, and political figures frequently consult scientists and experts when considering complex issues like climate change. While policy process literature concerning agenda setting and policy networks, such as epistemic communities and advocacy coalitions, considers the role of scientists in policymaking, very little work has provided insight into the relative influence and perceived relationships between scientists and policymakers. The ability of scientists and policymakers to work together has important implications for policy outcomes. We explore individual scientist’s perceptions of the collective influence the scientific community has on policymaking, in addition to perceptions of relationships between scientists and policymakers. We suggest that a number of factors are relevant including trust, contact, attitudes, specialisation and demographics. Our findings indicate that, from scientists’ perspectives, contact with policymakers, trust and attitudes about climate change play a significant role in shaping their relationship with policymakers.

scholarly journals Encounter between the Prophet’s Sunna and the Society Tradition: a Study of Living Sunna in Puncu Sub-District, Kediri District

ADDIN ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Wahidul Anam
Keyword(s):  
Religious Institutions ◽  
Religious Leaders ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Local Religion ◽  
Acculturation Process ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
Acculturation Theory ◽  
The World ◽  
Islamic Religion

Sunna, the prophet Muhammad’s traditions and practices, always develop and come to the attention of the next generation of Muslims. Indonesian Muslims as followers of the largest Islamic religion in the world have a unique concept in terms of the struggle of tradition from the relics of local religions with the teachings of Islam. The dialectics proceed dynamically as developed by Walisanga (the nine revered saints of Islam in Indonesia), which was known later as the cultural and religious acculturation model. This paper will describe how the process of religious acculturation with local culture in Puncu Sub-District, Kediri can be implemented well, especially related to their practice in carrying out the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad in their various religious lives. Some fundamental questions to be answered are how the process and form of living Sunna as well as the factors that influence the acculturation process applied in these. For this reason, this type of research is interdisciplinary, by not only based on the science of hadith, but also using an anthropological approach and cultural acculturation theory. The results found include: (1) traditions practiced in Puncu such as rituals in the process of birth, marriage, and body management are forms of living Sunna that have become customs and become part of the acculturation of local religion and culture that is going well; (2) this can be realized with at least a number of factors, including: the role of religious scholars and religious leaders with moderate characters, government officials who care about diversity, the existence of religious institutions that contribute to the cultivation of acculturation so as to minimize conflicts between local religions and cultures, as well smooth the agenda of faith and community traditions simultaneously.

The role of perception of local government officials on climate change and resilient development: a case of Uttarakhand, India

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thinles Chondol ◽  
Ashish Kumar Panda ◽  
Anil Kumar Gupta ◽  
Nirupama Agrawal ◽  
Amarjeet Kaur
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Local Government Officials

Purpose This paper aims to gain insight on the perception and role of the local government officials on climate change and resilience in Uttarakhand, India. Uttarakhand, being a sensitive mountainous region in India, faces the brunt of frequent climate-related disasters and their severe impacts. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how authorities perceive the issue of climate-related disasters and their level of commitment toward mitigation and adaptation programs. Design/methodology/approach The literature review method was used for a holistic understanding of the impact of climate change and consequential disasters. A questionnaire survey method, comprising open- and closed-ended questions, was also used on officials of different departments. Findings Among the noteworthy findings of the study include the understanding of the perceptions of authorities and their role in decision-making on mitigating impacts of climate change-related disasters, their support or lack of it, for measures toward capacity building and spreading awareness of the intervention programs by the government. The study analyzes the perception of decision-making officials at state and district levels and infers that the variation on opinions may be attributable to multiple factors, including their past experiences of dealing with disasters. Originality/value This study offers insights into the role of perception of local government officials concerning climate change-related disasters and alleviation of their consequences through related programs. The findings have the unique potential to serve as a guide for the government at state and district levels to assess various aspects of different disaster mitigation measures based on sectors and departments.

scholarly journals Belief and skepticism. Religious justifications for vaccine reluctance and climate skepticism

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-88
Author(s):  
Simona-Nicoleta Vulpe
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Social Institution ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Cultural Resources ◽  
Deficit Model ◽  
Information Campaigns ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Religious Dogma

This theoretical article approaches Christian religious denominations within which skeptical arguments with regard to vaccination and climate change are developed. These two types of skeptical positioning towards science are rooted in postmodernity, and manifest themselves as similar phenomena. Religion, as a social institution, fulfills the need for meaning, community, and responds to uncertainties generated by science developments. By conducting a thematic synthesis of previous literature, I identify analytical themes that capture the theoretical approaches on religiosity as a justification resource for vaccine hesitancy and climate change denial. These two types of science skepticism are supported and encouraged by some religious actors, who provide discursive resources anchored in interpretations of religious dogma. The knowledge deficit model, which is largely used for information campaigns on vaccination and climate change, impedes the understanding of the role of socio-cultural resources, such as religiosity, in popularizing science skepticism, and distorts knowledge of this social phenomenon. Understanding the social construction of skeptical positions towards science, as well as the institutional role of religion, contributes to better public communication on scientific topics. Despite religious arguments for vaccine refusal and exploitation of the natural environment, religiosity can also sustain pro-scientific views. Crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis have the potential to provide avenues for transcending the religion vs. science antagonism, by involving religious leaders in promoting scientific information and scientific products, such as vaccination.

Do partisanship and politicization undermine the impact of a scientific consensus message about climate change?

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 389-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toby Bolsen ◽  
James N. Druckman
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Representative Sample ◽  
Consensus Statement ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Survey Experiment ◽  
Scientific Consensus ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Do So

Scientists are in near-universal agreement that human activity is a primary cause of climate change. Yet, despite this scientific consensus, the American public remains divided when it comes to beliefs about human-induced climate change. We investigate the role of partisan group identity and the politicization of science in undermining the impact of a scientific consensus message about human-induced climate change. We do so with a survey experiment administered on a nationally representative sample, finding that partisan identity—and especially politicization—can stunt the effect of a scientific consensus statement about climate change. We conclude with a discussion about how scientists, as a group, might work with partisans to more effectively communicate scientific information.

The Role of Late-Night Infotainment Comedy in Communicating Climate Change Consensus

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward John Roy Clarke ◽  
Anna Klas ◽  
Joshua Stevenson ◽  
Emily Jane Kothe
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Mitigation Policy ◽  
Behavioural Intentions ◽  
Late Night ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation ◽  
Climate Action ◽  
Adaptation Policies ◽  
Diverse Audience

Climate change is a politically-polarised issue, with conservatives less likely than liberals to perceive it as human-caused and consequential. Furthermore, they are less likely to support mitigation and adaptation policies needed to reduce its impacts. This study aimed to examine whether John Oliver’s “A Mathematically Representative Climate Change Debate” clip on his program Last Week Tonight polarised or depolarised a politically-diverse audience on climate policy support and behavioural intentions. One hundred and fifty-nine participants, recruited via Amazon MTurk (94 female, 64 male, one gender unspecified, Mage = 51.07, SDage = 16.35), were presented with either John Oliver’s climate change consensus clip, or a humorous video unrelated to climate change. Although the climate change consensus clip did not reduce polarisation (or increase it) relative to a control on mitigation policy support, it resulted in hyperpolarisation on support for adaptation policies and increased climate action intentions among liberals but not conservatives.

Development as Self-Interest

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Blodgett Bermeo
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Foreign Aid ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Trade Agreements ◽  
Self Interest ◽  
Adaptation And Mitigation

This chapter introduces the role of development as a self-interested policy pursued by industrialized states in an increasingly connected world. As such, it is differentiated from traditional geopolitical accounts of interactions between industrialized and developing states as well as from assertions that the increased focus on development stems from altruistic motivations. The concept of targeted development—pursuing development abroad when and where it serves the interests of the policymaking states—is introduced and defined. The issue areas covered in the book—foreign aid, trade agreements between industrialized and developing countries, and finance for climate change adaptation and mitigation—are introduced. The preference for bilateral, rather than multilateral, action is discussed.

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