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Communicating Sensitive Topics in Polarized Settings: Gauging Environmental Attitudes and Actions among Conservative Community Leaders

Mandeville, Tristan
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1618590096985418

Abstract Details

2021, Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, Environmental Studies (Voinovich).
In Norms in the Wild: How to Diagnose, Measure, and Change Social Norms, Cristina Bicchieri outlines a novel amalgamation of elements to form an updated conceptualization of social norms (2017). The purpose of this study aimed to determine how social norms influence public dialogue about environmental issues by elected officials in counties that (1) extract coal through surface mining, (2) contain no town larger than 35,000 residents, (3) contain no major four-year university, and (4) voted for Trump in 2020. The ultimate goal of research was to assess whether or not, in a highly polarized political culture, norms prohibit elected officials in conservative communities from addressing topics of environmental concern. Data was elicited via interviews with elected officials from counties with coal mining legacies in West Virginia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, North Dakota, and Wyoming. Through analytic, descriptive, and open coding, qualitative analysis focused on perceptions about climate change, pollution, and economic transitions away from coal. Results indicated that a majority of interviewees, 56%, viewed climate change as a topic to be avoided in public settings. Of the 33% of interviewees who lived in communities where they perceived they could openly discuss climate change, 67% of the subset identified climate change as an existential threat, which accounted for 22% of the total number of interviewees. While pollution was named a subject to be avoided in public by 22% of interviewees, pollution was only reported to be a public concern by 11% of the total sample. The remaining 89% contended that pollution did not exist in, or posed no risk to, their communities. In conclusion, analysis suggested that social norms aligned with community leader preferences. Thus, Bicchieri’s blueprint for behavior change, which hinges on identifying maladapted social norms, will not serve practitioners who hope to employ Bicchieri’s social norm concept as a starting place for environmental advocacy.
Geoffrey Dabelko, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Risa Whitson, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Liang Tao, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
109 p.
Environmental Studies
social norms; maladapted social norms; behavior change; Bicchieri; environmentalism; stewardship; conservative; Republican; coal; surface mining; climate change; pollution; economic transitions; qualitative methods; metaphor; rural; polarization

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Mandeville, T. (2021). Communicating Sensitive Topics in Polarized Settings: Gauging Environmental Attitudes and Actions among Conservative Community Leaders [Master's thesis, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1618590096985418

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Mandeville, Tristan. Communicating Sensitive Topics in Polarized Settings: Gauging Environmental Attitudes and Actions among Conservative Community Leaders. 2021. Ohio University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1618590096985418.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Mandeville, Tristan. "Communicating Sensitive Topics in Polarized Settings: Gauging Environmental Attitudes and Actions among Conservative Community Leaders." Master's thesis, Ohio University, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1618590096985418

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ohiou1618590096985418
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This open access ETD is published by Ohio University and OhioLINK.