In the second half of this interview, Kahan explores what guidance the “cultural cognition” research that he and his colleagues conduct has for those trying to communicate successfully about climate change and other contentious issues. He discusses in some detail the 2010 paper, Cultural Cognition of Scientific Consensus, which confirms that people’s sense of what “scientists” believe is strongly influenced by their cultural values.

In a wide-ranging reconnaissance of the culture wars, he argues for a science communication based on narratives that are sensitive to underlying cultural values. Seems obvious? As Kahan jokes, “As my grandmother would say, ‘If you’re so smart, why aren’t you rich?’  We’ve not been doing this.  We’ve been doing almost the opposite!”  Apart from his grandmother, insights about Al Gore, Texas Gov. Perry, cholera, humility, and misdiagnosing problems further enrich Kahan’s remarks, which provide a good introduction to the important research of the Cultural Cognition Project.

Dan Kahan Interview, part 2

Transcript, part 2

Yale Law Prof. Dan Kahan

Incisive research relating to successful communication about climate change and other contentious public issues is being conducted by members of the Cultural Cognition Project. Dan M. Kahan, Elizabeth K. Dollard Professor of Law at Yale Law School, is an author of several research articles that have explored and described “how cultural values shape public risk perceptions and related policy beliefs.” In the first of two interview parts, Dan discusses the background of the cultural cognition notion, defines, and develops it, all in a very personable and engaging way. (Check back for the second part of the interview which explores particular findings and recommendations from the research; it should be produced within a couple weeks.)

Episode 10: Dan Kahan, part one (19:25)

Transcript

Cultural Cognition Project at Yale

Specific Project articles related to risk and communication

Cultural Cognition of Scientific Consensus (2010)

Fixing the Communications Failure (2010)

Making Sense of, and Progress in, the American Culture War of Fact (2007)

“2-by-2″ diagram of worldviews referred to

(redrawn by JC from 2007 article above)

Transcript

View Higher Resolution Video

Transcript

The first part of the discussion moves from a review of systems thinking to focus on social-ecological systems and their resilience, to the challenge of managing these systems so they can be resilient: How will they best cope with change? In the second part of the conversation, Ostrom elaborates on the framework she’s been developing, which she describes as “a step toward building a strong interdisciplinary science of complex, multilevel systems that will enable future diagnosticians to match governance arrangements to specific problems embedded in a social–ecological context.” In wide-ranging observations, she also discusses how people self-organize successfully; the role of trust and reciprocity; and the preservation of ecological knowledge.

(Oct. 12, 2009 update:  Dr. Ostrom is one of two 2009 winners of the Nobel Prize in Economics, and the first woman to receive the economics prize.)

She refers at points to an article (and diagrams in it), which is also linked below.

Episode 9, part one. Elinor Ostrom

Transcript

Table of Contents

Episode 9, part two. Elinor Ostrom

Transcript

Table of Contents

“A Diagnostic Approach for Going Beyond Panaceas”

Dr. Ostrom’s vita with links to other online articles

]]> http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/communicatingclimatechange/2009/02/13/episode-9-elinor-ostrom/feed/ 2 http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/communicatingclimatechange/2009/01/15/episode-8-jesse-ribot/ http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/communicatingclimatechange/2009/01/15/episode-8-jesse-ribot/#comments Thu, 15 Jan 2009 21:15:24 +0000 Joe http://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/blogs/communicatingclimate/?p=35 The social dimensions of climate change and vulnerability are discussed by Dr. Jesse Ribot, who leads a new initiative in the Social Dimensions of Environmental Policy at University of Illinois’ School of Earth, Society and Environment. Dr. Ribot conducts research on, among other issues, decentralization and democratic local government and household vulnerability in the face of climate and environmental change, both of which he discusses in this podcast.

His faculty profile is at http://www.geog.uiuc.edu/people/jesseribotprofile.html

Episode 8. Jesse Ribot (duration: 30:52)

Transcript

Table of Contents

Braasch’s own site presents the two photographs that he discusses in the conversation:

http://www.earthunderfire.com/portfolio/

Episode 7. Gary Braasch

Text transcript

Table of Contents

]]> http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/communicatingclimatechange/2008/05/14/episode-7-gary-braasch/feed/ 0 http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/communicatingclimatechange/2008/04/21/researchers-grapple-with-climate-communication-challenges/ http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/communicatingclimatechange/2008/04/21/researchers-grapple-with-climate-communication-challenges/#comments Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:02:32 +0000 Joe http://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/blogs/communicatingclimate/2008/04/21/researchers-grapple-with-climate-communication-challenges/ [Note: the following news story highlights the podcasts to date; follow the link to the complete story]

Presidential hopefuls and policy-makers across the political spectrum seem to have absorbed the news that the changing global climate is a cause for serious concern and action. But communicating successfully with the American public about the issue is still very much a work in progress.

“People are convinced that climate change is here,” said Susanne Moser, of the Institute for the Study of Society and Environment at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). But “people don’t know a lot about the solutions,” she added. “They feel quite disillusioned or pessimistic that their little action will address this global overwhelming problem.”

Complete story

Now all podcasts have these handy contents lists.