Clive L. Spash
Environmental Values and Economics
Research Program
Six Key Concepts Driving My Research
- Values, attitudes and norms
- Information in policy processes
- Participation, representation and governance
- Policy evaluation and appraisal
- Equity and social justice
- Science and society
Values, attitudes and norms
A focus on the individual in economic models of choice leaves unanswered the meaning of social structures which are more than an aggregation of individuals. Environmental and rural policy interacts with a range of motives, such as values, attitudes, and norms, which determine individual and group behaviour. One aspect of my research is to define and measure such motives.
Information in policy processes
Information in a traditional scientific methodology is equated with
truth and objectivity. In a policy process this can be taken to mean
those lacking specialised expert knowledge who disagree with a given
policy are ignorant of the truth and require educating. The danger
with such an approach is that uncertainty and complexity are
themselves ignored along with differences in values and context, which
determine how information is interpreted. My research sees the
importance of different types of information (qualitative and
quantitative) as expressed by different actors (e.g., experts, vested
interest groups, the concerned general public) and the need to decode
how people interpret that information.
Participation, representation and governance
Different regulatory tools and methods of aiding project and policy decisions exist and imply different forms of governance. Top down approaches (relying upon experts to legitimate decisions made in closed government circles) can be contrasted with bottom up local initiatives driven by lay knowledge. My research accepts that a range of approaches are necessary, dependent upon context, and aims to analyse how these perform and can be improved.
Policy evaluation and appraisal
Policy instruments recommended by economists have typically focussed upon efficiency despite a recognised policy need for effectiveness and equity to have equal and often greater importance. Understanding is required of how instrument design can be achieved to meet multiple desired policy goals. This goes beyond assuming that theoretically efficient tools (e.g. pollution tax) will be the most preferred. Research here needs to link with our understanding of human behaviour and values.
Equity and social justice
Aspects of equity and social justice are highlighted by the literature on sustainability but have tended to be disconnected from or only loosely connected to economic and environmental analysis. My research aims to explore specific issues of inequity and consider how they interact with environmental and economic factors.
Science and society
New knowledge and technologies are more rapidly transforming our society than in the past. Innovations are seen as offering great hope for the future, leading to increases in human well-being. At the same time there is grave concern over the unforeseen consequences of rapid innovation and growing recognition that some innovations pose threats to economic and ecological systems. A range of issues come together in this context including conflicts between different value systems, beliefs in forms of progress, treatment of risk and uncertainty, and communication between 'experts' and the general public.
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