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.

scholarly journals How Is Climate Change Knowledge Distributed among the Population in Singapore? A Demographic Analysis of Actual Knowledge and Illusory Knowledge

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 3782
Author(s):  
Xiaodong Yang ◽  
Lai Wei ◽  
Qi Su
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Demographic Analysis ◽  
Actual Knowledge ◽  
Deficit Model ◽  
Demographic Groups ◽  
Types Of Knowledge ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Cognitive Miser

Due to the crucial role of knowledge in promoting public engagement with climate change, this study made an in-depths examination of the distribution of climate change knowledge among different demographic groups. Guided by information deficit model and cognitive miser model, two types of knowledge were investigated, including actual knowledge and illusory knowledge. Using a nationally representative survey in Singapore, this study found demographic effects in climate change knowledge distribution. Specifically, a series of independent sample t-test revealed that the males had more actual knowledge of climate change than the females. The middle aged and elderly adults had less actual knowledge but more illusory knowledge of climate change than the young adults. Compare to the more educated people, the less educated people had more illusory knowledge but less actual knowledge of climate change. People from low-income households reported lower levels of actual knowledge but higher levels of illusory knowledge than those from high-income households. Regarding these significant differences in climate change knowledge among different demographic groups, possible reasons for these variations and implications for designing public education programs are discussed.

scholarly journals Relations between a social subject and a social institution: philosophical foundations and public policy practises

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 39-42
Author(s):  
Sergey V. Davydov
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
Social Institution ◽  
Practical Aspect ◽  
Philosophical Foundations ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Philosophical Aspect ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Relationship

The article deals with theoretical and applied issues of the development of relationships between social (political) subjects and social (political) institutions. In the philosophical aspect, the author notes the alternativeness of theoretical approaches to understanding the role of man in society, where the idea of social institution is opposed by the philosophy of the idea of subjective human activity. In this approach the work of E. Ostrom Managing the Common. Evolution of institutions of collective activity is analyzed and the main conclusion is that the relationship between a social (political) subject and an institution develops harmoniously and integrated is rethink. In connection with disagreement with Ostroms position of the author of this work in a practical aspect, an analysis of various situations is carried out, which show three types of interaction: 1) a strong social subject a strong social institution; 2) a weak social institution a strong social subject; 3) there is a developed social institution, but there is no a social subject. The philosophical analysis allows us to conclude that the sphere of relationships between a social subject and any institution is very heterogeneous. This is most vividly illustrated in the political sphere by the example of city public policy.

Common Knowledge? Public Understanding of Climate Change in Newcastle, Australia

2000 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harriet Bulkeley
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Public Involvement ◽  
Common Knowledge ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
Deficit Model ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Global Environmental Issues

This paper argues that public understanding of climate change not only involves knowledge of its physical processes, but also encompasses wider issues concerning the relation between society and nature. It examines the conclusions of previous research, and assumptions made within the policy community concerning public understanding of climate change. It is argued that in each case, in accordance with the information deficit model, recorded levels of ignorance are seen as a barrier to effective public involvement in the policy process. This view is challenged by research findings from Newcastle, Australia. Public understanding of global environmental issues drew not only on scientific information, but also on local knowledges, values, and moral responsibilities. Further, respondents connected the issue to their communities, and suggested that individual action is morally sanctioned, despite concerns for the efficacy of such action and the lack of government or industry support. Where institutional realignment has occurred to provide renewable energy to householders, public involvement has been forthcoming. These findings suggest that rather than focus on the provision of information, policy attention should be directed to the social and institutional barriers that act to constrain public involvement in addressing global environmental issues.

Determinants of Household Pro-Environmental Practices

2021 ◽  
pp. 287-301
Author(s):  
Scott Baum
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Behavior ◽  
Environmental Hazards ◽  
Green Technology ◽  
Large Array ◽  
Previous Exposure ◽  
Environmental Practices ◽  
Information Campaigns ◽  
Using Data

The decision by individuals and households to undertake recycling and to adopt green technology is driven by a large array of factors. Understanding the role of these factors is in turn important for developing appropriate green policies and in enacting sustainable and efficient education and information campaigns. The main aim of this chapter is to outline the factors impacting on pro-environmental behavior of a sample of Australian households. Using data drawn from a survey undertaken across the State of Queensland, the chapter will consider how a factors such as socio-economic background, beliefs around climate change, previous exposure to environmental hazards, and beliefs about individual and government abilities to determine outcomes help explain patterns of pro-environmental behavior in various settings.

scholarly journals Beyond the “information deficit model” - understanding vaccine-hesitant attitudes of midwives in Austria: a qualitative study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Lehner ◽  
Janna Gribi ◽  
Kathryn Hoffmann ◽  
Katharina T. Paul ◽  
Ruth Kutalek
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Deficit Model ◽  
The Right

Abstract Background Healthcare workers are considered key stakeholders in efforts to address vaccine hesitancy. Midwives’ influence in advising expectant parents on early-childhood vaccinations is unquestioned, yet they remain an understudied group. The literature on midwives’ attitudes towards vaccinations is also inconclusive. We therefore conducted an explorative qualitative study on midwives’ vaccine-hesitant attitudes towards MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccinations in Austria. Methods We conducted 12 in-depth interviews on their knowledge, concerns, and beliefs with midwives who self-identified as hesitant or resistant towards early-childhood MMR vaccinations. We analyzed the data using a grounded theory approach to distill common themes and meanings. Results Healthcare workers’ stewardship to address vaccine hesitancy is commonly framed in terms of the “information deficit model”: disseminate the right information and remedy publics’ information deficits. Our findings suggest that this approach is too simplistic: Midwives’ professional self-understanding, their notions of “good care” and “good parenthood” inflect how they engage with vaccine information and how they address it to their clients. Midwives’ model of care prioritized good counseling rather than sharing scientific information in a “right the wrong”-manner. They saw themselves as critical consumers of that information and as promoting “empowered patients” who were free, and affluent enough, to make their own choices about vaccinations. In so doing, they also often promoted traditional notions of motherhood. Conclusions Research shows that, for parents, vaccine decision-making builds on trust and dialogue with healthcare professionals and is more than a technical issue. In order to foster these interactions, understanding healthcare professionals’ means of engaging with information is key to understanding how they engage with their constituents. Healthcare workers are more than neutral resources; their daily praxis influenced by their professional standing in the healthcare system. Similarly, healthcare professionals’ views on vaccinations cannot be remedied with more information either. Building better and more diverse curricula for different groups of healthcare workers must attend to their respective roles, ethics of care, and professional beliefs. Taken together, better models for addressing vaccine hesitancy can only be developed by espousing a multi-faceted view of decision-making processes and interactions of healthcare workers with constituents.

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.

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.

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