The messenger matters: environmental nonprofit organisations’ public faces, information recipients’ worldviews, and the credibility of ENPOs’ disclosed policy information

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Li-Yin Liu ◽  
Rikki Morris
Keyword(s):  
Public Perception ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Cultural Theory ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Public Attention ◽  
Information Campaigns ◽  
Policy Actors ◽  
Nonprofit Organisations ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Policy Information

Abstract Environmental nonprofit organisations (ENPOs) have become crucial policy actors who have undertaken information campaigns to attract public attention and to gain public support for policies. However, the credibility of policy information released by ENPOs is understudied. To fill the gap, this study utilised Douglas and Wildavsky’s cultural theory (CT), to seek answers to two questions: 1) how do ENPOs’ public faces affect public perception of the credibility of the policy information released by their organisations? 2) how do the public’s worldviews affect trust in information released by ENPOs with different types of public faces? The evidence from an online survey confirms what CT predicted: Hierarchs tend to believe information released by policy actors with proper authority; individualists tend to believe information released by policy actors who favour economic growth over environmental protection; egalitarians favour all pro-environmental policy information even if the information is released by noncredible policy actors.

scholarly journals Revealing the “Hidden welfare state”: How policy information influences public attitudes about tax expenditures

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt Guardino ◽  
Suzanne Mettler
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Welfare State ◽  
News Media ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Tax Expenditures ◽  
Policy Information

In this article, we explore how specific policy information shapes public opinion toward the “hidden welfare state” of tax expenditures. These politically and socioeconomically consequential policies—most of which bestow their greatest benefits on upper-income people—are complex and opaque, and scholars’ understanding of citizen attitudes toward them is limited. In response, we use a randomized, general population, online survey experiment to test the effects of providing people with varying amounts and kinds of information about three policies. We find that learning the basic design and rationale of key tax expenditures tends to increase public support for them. However, when informed of the distributive effects of the two policies that favor upper-income people, subjects become much less supportive of these policies. Moreover, policy-specific information appears to help subjects align their preferences with their immediate material interests. Learning the upward tilt of tax expenditures especially makes lower- and middle-income people less supportive of the policies. Our results suggest that if political elites, government administrators and news media routinely offered clear information about tax expenditures, public opinion toward the hidden welfare state would be more firmly grounded. By virtue of their design, these policies discourage public awareness of their mechanisms and distributive effects. Still, greater informational outreach regarding complicated and arcane tax expenditures could bolster public accountability for government actions that favor economically narrow and privileged segments of the population.

scholarly journals Perceptions of alien plants and animals and acceptance of control methods among different societal groups

NeoBiota ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 58 ◽  
pp. 33-54
Author(s):  
Raphael Höbart ◽  
Stefan Schindler ◽  
Franz Essl
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
General Public ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Invasive Alien Species ◽  
Public Support ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Stakeholder Groups ◽  
Lethal Management ◽  
Negative Impacts

Biological invasions are a widespread phenomenon and cause substantial impacts on the natural environment and human livelihoods. Thus, the European Union (EU) recently adopted Regulation No 1143/2014 to limit the negative impacts of invasive alien species (IAS). For implementing IAS management and policies, public support is highly and increasingly important, especially when it comes to charismatic species and lethal methods. Recognising the importance of the interaction of public perception with acceptance of IAS management methods, we used an online survey targeting three different stakeholder groups in Austria to evaluate potential differences in perception of IAS and management methods. In total, we received 239 completed responses: 20 nature users (farmers, hunters), 91 nature experts (conservationists, biologists) and 128 from the general public. Participants were more likely to accept lethal management methods when it was an IAS. Nature experts’ acceptance of IAS management methods was rather similar to those of nature users, while the general public preferred non-lethal methods. Chemical lethal methods (herbicides, poison pellets) received low rates of acceptance throughout all stakeholder groups, although nature users were more open to accept such methods for plants. Most respondents (> 50%) were not aware of the role of the EU in IAS topics nor did they know of the existence of the EUIAS regulation 1143/2014. However, more than 75% of respondents agreed that IAS measures and regulations should be implemented at EU level. This study shows that knowledge about native versus invasive alien status has an influence on the acceptance of management methods. Nature users may have higher levels of acceptance of lethal methods because they are economically dependent on extracting resources from nature. Invasive alien species regulations on EU level are generally acceptable, but there is low awareness for actions already undertaken EU.

scholarly journals Inadvertent reproduction of Eurocentrism in IR: The politics of critiquing Eurocentrism

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Juliette Tolay
Keyword(s):  
International Relations ◽  
World Politics ◽  
Vested Interest ◽  
Migration Policies ◽  
Policy Actors ◽  
Different Types

Abstract The study of Eurocentrism has become a hallmark of postcolonial International Relations theories. Of particular concern in this literature has been the resilience of Eurocentrism despite conscious efforts to move towards a post-Eurocentric understanding of world politics. This study argues that while existing works have highlighted many of the reasons why Eurocentrism persists today, it has not been sufficiently identified and conceptualised. In particular, why some policy actors, who have a vested interest in moving beyond Eurocentrism, inadvertently reproduce Eurocentrism? This article proposes to distinguish between different types of inadvertent reproductions. In particular it highlights rhetorical critique, deconstruction, decentring and dehierarchising, as different ways to critique, inadvertently reproduce and partially modify Eurocentrism. To illustrate this situation, this article looks at Turkey's migration policies and documents how Turkish governing elites have openly claimed the need to upend the Eurocentric order, yet have reproduced it in practice.

Suggestions for a Modified Approach Towards Implementation and Assessment of Ganga Action Plan and Other Similar River Action Plans in India

2003 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 607-626 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinod Tare ◽  
Purnendu Bose ◽  
Santosh K. Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
River Water ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Nutrient Loading ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Uttar Pradesh ◽  
River Water Quality ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Action Plans

Abstract In India, the implementation of river-cleaning operations through River Action Plans (RAPs) conventionally focuses on a reduction in concentrated or point sources of organic loading to the river, and is assessed by monitoring the consequent improvement in river water quality. However, in the case of Indian rivers or river stretches having substantial background pollution due to distributed or non-point loading of organic matter and nutrients, elimination of point sources of pollution may not substantially impact or improve river water quality. It is suggested that implementation of River Action Plans in India under such circumstances must be conducted using a multi-tier approach. The initial emphasis in such cases should be on the selection of priority stretches of the river, where pollution control will have maximum beneficial impact on the citizens, and interception and diversion of all concentrated or point loads of pollution from these stretches. In addition, measures to minimize non-point pollution and visible pollution to the river and initiation of riverfront restoration and development projects are necessary in these priority stretches. Such measures would result in aesthetic improvements, increase the beneficial uses of the river and its surroundings, and generate favorable public perception towards RAPs, though they may not be sufficient to enhance the river water quality to the desired levels. However, as a result of the above actions, public support for funding more expensive and longer-term river cleaning schemes, resulting in comprehensive reduction in organic and nutrient loading to the river from point and non-point sources all along its length, may be generated. The need for this alternative methodology for implementation and assessment of RAPs in India has been illustrated by taking the example of the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) and assessment of its implementation near the city of Kanpur in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, as a test case.

Public perception and acceptance of negative emission technologies – framing effects in Switzerland

2021 ◽  
Vol 167 (3-4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariane Wenger ◽  
Michael Stauffacher ◽  
Irina Dallo
Keyword(s):  
Moral Hazard ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The Public ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Negative Emission ◽  
Public Opinion Perception ◽  
Negative Emission Technologies ◽  
Technological Fix

AbstractLimiting global warming to 1.5 °C requires negative emission technologies (NETs), which remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and permanently store it to offset unavoidable emissions. Successful large-scale deployment of NETs depends not only on technical, biophysical, ecological, and economic factors, but also on public perception and acceptance. However, previous studies on this topic have been scarce. In 2019, Switzerland adopted a net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 target, which will require the use of NETs. To examine the current Swiss public perception and acceptance of five different NETs, we conducted an online survey with Swiss citizens (N = 693). By using a between-subjects design, we investigated differences in public opinion, perception, and acceptance across three of the most used frames in the scientific literature — technological fix, moral hazard, and climate emergency. Results showed that the public perception and acceptance of NETs does not differ between the frames. The technological fix frame best reflected participants’ opinion, whereas participants perceived the moral hazard frame the least credible and the climate emergency frame the most unclear. Moreover, our findings confirm the public’s unfamiliarity with NETs. We found no strong opposition, as participants indicated a moderate acceptance and a neutral evaluation of all five NETs, with afforestation standing out as the most accepted and positively evaluated NET. We conclude that, in the future, the public debate on NETs should be intensified, and the public perception should be monitored regularly to inform the development of NETs.

Assessment of high school textbooks addressing radiations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Economides ◽  
K. Karfopoulos ◽  
E. Mestousi ◽  
P. Founta ◽  
E. Carinou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Teachers ◽  
Safety Culture ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Early Age ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Quality Of Information ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Different Types

Exposure to different types of radiation is an integral part of everyday life (e.g. cosmic radiation, radon, medical applications, cell phones, etc.). Therefore, the general public should adequately be informed on the issue from an early age in order to develop a realistic understanding of the associated risks and the necessary safety culture. In this respect, the quality of the related information provided in the school textbooks is of great importance. The present work demonstrates a quantified assessment of high school textbooks regarding the information on different radiation-related topics provided to students. The assessment was carried out based on an anonymous online survey with the participation of a total of 347 high school teachers. According to the results of the survey, the high school textbooks address radiation issues in a sparse, occasional, and fragmentary manner. Moreover, the results indicate that the quality of information they provide was judged as unsatisfactory in terms of scientific correctness, completeness, clarity-comprehensiveness and objectivity. Radiation protection and applications of non-ionizing radiation are the topics that are covered to a lesser extent in the textbooks and curricula evaluated.

scholarly journals 30 years later: Social Representations about AIDS and sexual practices of rural towns residents

2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (spe) ◽  
pp. 74-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisca Marina de Souza Freire Furtado ◽  
José Anderson Galdino Santos ◽  
Stedile Loredanna ◽  
Eunice Araújo ◽  
Ana Alayde Werba Saldanha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Social Representations ◽  
Free Association ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Sexual Practices ◽  
Information Campaigns ◽  
Hiv Virus ◽  
Aids Pandemic ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Informal Context

In the 30 years of the AIDS pandemic in Brazil, it is recognized the HIV virus internalization of the phenomenon as a challenge to care and current health policies. In this sense, it aimed to verify sex practices and social representations that rural towns residents have about the disease. Attended by 789 people, men and women, between 18 and 90 years old, residents in 41 towns with fewer than 11,000 inhabitants in the state of Paraiba / Brazil. Data were collected by a questionnaire and the free association of words test. The results showed low concern about disease, perception of invulnerability to HIV infection and not using condoms during sexual intercourse, and confidence in the major reason related partner. Also showed endure derogatory and stereotypical representations, revealing that still persist in rural areas, beliefs and representations concerning the beginning of the epidemic. From these findings, it is possible to point out deficiencies in the care provided by the health services in these localities, which may result in increased vulnerability of this population to diseases, so there is the need to intensify information campaigns and intervention. The results reveal the existence of three different types of modes of learning health literacy skills in informal context: : i) learning that takes place in action, in achieving daily tasks; ii) learning processes that result from problem solving; iii) learning that occurs in an unplanned manner, resulting from accidental circumstances and, in some cases, devoid of intentionality.

scholarly journals What the Public Think about Social Services: A Report from Scotland

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 1146-1166
Author(s):  
Trish McCulloch ◽  
Stephen Webb
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Service Workers ◽  
The Public ◽  
Welfare Institutions ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Two Stages

Abstract This article reports on findings of a government-funded research project which set out to understand what the public think about social services in Scotland. The authors were particularly keen to examine issues of legitimacy, trust and licence to operate for social services as they are framed in public perceptions. Drawing on a national online survey of 2,505 nationally representative adults, the findings provide the first and largest empirical data set on public perceptions of social services in Scotland. Data analysis occurred in two stages and employed descriptive statistical measurement and cross-tabulation analysis. The findings indicate that, overall, people in Scotland are positive about social services and the value of their impact on society. Furthermore, they believe that social services perform a valuable public role. These findings are significant for debates surrounding social services and suggest that the Scottish public has a more positive view of social services than social service workers and welfare institutions typically perceive. The findings demonstrate the need to develop a more theoretically rich understanding of the relationships between public perception, legitimacy and social licence in social services, including attention to co-productive models of engagement.

scholarly journals Making Smart and Sustainable Infrastructure Projects Viable: Private Choices, Public Support, and Systems Constraints

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 18-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas Noonan ◽  
Shan Zhou ◽  
Robert Kirkman
Keyword(s):  
Public Perception ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Green Technologies ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Private Interests ◽  
Public Survey ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Infrastructure Investments ◽  
Individual Use ◽  
The One

Sustainable cities will require major infrastructure investments coupled with widespread behavioral change. Examples of smart, green technologies abound, but evidence for actual use lags. This partly owes to the tension between public support and private choices: individuals thinking as members of the public may see solutions as smart for the city, but thinking of their private interests may see those same solutions as not smart for themselves. This also owes to the disconnect between private and public choices, on the one hand, and the workings of complex systems, on the other. Even if public and private interests align, existing built environment systems may resist change. This article examines public perception and use of the Atlanta BeltLine, a pioneering sustainability initiative to transform the auto-dependent city into a greener, denser city. Analyzing a general public survey reveals widespread support for the BeltLine alongside reticence from residents to change their commute or greenspace use. The findings also show that drivers of public support and prospective use of the BeltLine differ. Public support may be insufficient if individual use decisions do not follow. Yet, private adoption decisions may not follow until and unless the systems in which they are embedded are already changing.

scholarly journals How Miners and Other Professional Groups Perceive the Benefits and Risks of Hard Coal Mining: A Study on the Role of the Affect Heuristic

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piotr Zielonka ◽  
Wojciech Białaszek ◽  
Bartłomiej Dzik ◽  
Katarzyna Wybrańczyk
Keyword(s):  
Coal Mining ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Mining Industry ◽  
Hard Coal ◽  
Safety Hazards ◽  
Information Campaigns ◽  
Professional Groups ◽  
Affect Heuristic ◽  
Hard Coal Mining

The problems that are inherent in the green shift of the energy sectors are particularly visible in countries where the hard coal mining industry plays an important role in the economy and society. For any transition to be successful, public support is crucial. This empirical study shows that – as a consequence of the affect heuristic – those who perceive hard coal mining as beneficial tend to minimize both its detrimental environmental impacts and its personal safety hazards. Ignoring the affect heuristic may have retarded transformations and led to a failure of many information campaigns.

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