Doctoral Dissertation Research: Framing, Epistemic Communities and Scientific Consensus in Developing Countries

职务名称：博士论文研究：发展中国家的框架、认知共同体和科学共识PI：Peter哈斯和凯米乔治提案编号：0648473摘要：认知共同体在欠发达国家（LDCs）中如何发挥作用？ 认知共同体的研究是在国际关系理论的建构主义学派中发展起来的，目的是解释非国家行为者如何影响政府政策的制定。 认知共同体是科学家的社交网络，他们共享有效性主张、行动的理由，并对因果论证持有共识。 共识是认知共同体影响政策制定的因果机制。 在认知复杂的情况下，共识使相互竞争的主张失去合法性，减少不确定性，并澄清适当的政策反应。 认识团体在若干高度工业化国家发起并成功执行国际环境条约，包括欧洲经济委员会的《远距离越境空气污染公约》和《保护臭氧层维也纳公约》，受到了赞扬。 然而，尚不清楚对高收入国家决策者有说服力的环境论点是否会在最不发达国家的社会经济背景下产生共鸣。 最不发达国家在世界资本的生产中处于从属地位，环境决策相对而言容易受到发展压力的影响。 认知问题框架的研究假设，与现有的社会政治结构相适应的论点更有可能被政策制定者选择，并随着时间的推移而持续下去。 因此，在最不发达国家，环境知识的主张必须从经济上合理的角度加以战略性的阐述，才能具有说服力。 将科学语言翻译给决策者的“知识经纪人”将在选择适当框架方面发挥重要作用。 该项目将扩大以前在牙买加开展的工作，对墨西哥和埃及为履行其作为《生物多样性公约》签署国的义务而执行的环境管理政策进行比较分析。 它将确定所使用的框架类型，如何通过与政策制定者的互动来改变这些框架，以及它们是否有效地改变了国家行为。 这些信息将通过对认知社区成员、知识经纪人和决策者的深入访谈以及对档案材料的分析来收集。 框架的有效性将通过国家对人类活动前和后认知社区参与的监管来衡量。 通过研究框架，本项目通过澄清知识主张的社会背景的重要性，增加了对认知社区方法的分析深度。 此外，通过指出哪些框架可能具有说服力，该项目将提出可能对发展中国家的环境倡导者有效的战略。 该项目的成果将在区域和国家学术会议上介绍，论文准备出版。

Title: Doctoral Dissertation Research: Framing, Epistemic Communities and Scientific Consensus in Developing CountriesPIs: Peter Haas and Kemi GeorgeProposal Number: 0648473Abstract: How do epistemic communities function in lesser developed countries (LDCs)? The study of epistemic communities was developed in the constructivist school of International Relations theory to explain how non-state actors can influence governmental policy creation. Epistemic communities are social networks of scientists that share claims to validity, rationales for action and hold a consensus on causal arguments. Consensus is the causal mechanism with which epistemic communities influence policy making. In cognitively complex circumstances, consensus de-legitimates competing claims, reduces uncertainty, and clarifies appropriate policy responses. Epistemic communities have been credited with the initiation and successful implementation of international environmental treaties in several highly industrialized countries (HICs), including the Economic Commission for Europe's convention on Long Range Trans-boundary Air Pollution and the Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer. However, it is not clear that environmental arguments that are persuasive to policy makers in HICs will resonate in the socioeconomic context of LDCs. LDCs occupy a subordinate position in the production of world capital and environmental policy-making is comparatively vulnerable to developmental pressures. The study of cognitive issue-framing posits that arguments that are framed to 'fit' with an existing sociopolitical structure are more likely to be selected by policy makers and endure over time. In LDCs then, environmental knowledge claims must be strategically framed in economically rational terms in order to be persuasive. 'Knowledge brokers' who translate scientific language to policy makers will play an important role in choosing appropriate frames. This project will expand on previous work conducted in Jamaica by undertaking a comparative analysis of environmental management policies implemented in Mexico and Egypt to comply with their obligations as signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity. It will establish the types of frames used, how these frames are altered through interactions with policy makers, and whether they are effective in altering state behavior. This information will be gathered by in-depth interviews of epistemic community members, knowledge brokers and policy makers, and by analyses of archival material. Frame effectiveness will be measured by state regulation of human activity pre- and post-epistemic community involvement. By studying framing, this project adds analytical depth to the epistemic community approach by clarifying the importance of the social context of knowledge claims. Further, by indicating which frames are likely to be persuasive, this project will suggest strategies that are likely to be effective to environmental advocates in the developing world. The results of this project will be presented at regional and national academic conferences, and the dissertation is intended for publication.