James G. Cantrill

The environmental self and a sense of place: Communication foundations for regional ecosystem management

Abstract In order to engage in large‐scale ecosystem management, natural resource managers must take into account the perceptions of citizens living in areas to be managed in a sustainable manner. Among other bases for perception, an individuals “sense of place” and beliefs connecting the self to a larger environment play pivotal roles in the process of attending to advocacy regarding natural resource policies. This study examines the perceptions of individuals living in the Lake Superior basin regarding their identification with a sense of place. Analysis of interview and survey data reveals that interviewees relate themselves to their region and environment primarily by way of “natural” and “social” features in their daily lives and that ones focus on either of the two dimensions, as well as their perceptions of various activities, is mediated by how long they have lived in the area. Implications for the development of ecosystem management communication campaigns are discussed.

Using the 'sense of self-in-place' construct in the context of environmental policy-making and landscape planning

Abstract Although it is common practice for resource managers to focus on processes by which human activity in the environment may be adapted to ensure the sustainability of natural ecosystems, we often forget that our perceptions of who we are given where we live greatly influence the political context for regional ecosystem management. These shared ‘senses of selves-in-place’ serve as potent mediators in the process of attending to or embracing conservation-oriented practices. The authors argue that citizens’ senses of selves-in-place form the major link between how people appraise communication appeals and how they behave in the environment. Discussion focuses on the significance of the association between a sense of place, how the self gets related to the environment, and sense making related to conservation-oriented advocacy. Past and contemporary empirical studies reveal various elements of the sense of self-in-place construct. In turn, the analysis focuses on the tension that often develops given the desires of local stakeholders in competition with land-use advocates from afar (e.g. industrialists, nongovernmental organizations) by exploring three case studies of regional natural resource conflicts. Conclusions address how a sense of self-in-place analysis could be incorporated into and add value to ongoing natural resource management efforts.

Communication and our environment: Categorizing research in environmental advocacy

Abstract The role of communication in the cause of environmentalism cannot be overestimated and, clearly, the 1990s offer scholars a great opportunity to research and develop theoretically grounded, practical approaches to advocacy in the area of environmental discourse. However, previous attempts to study the complex dimensions of environmental advocacy have been spread across a variety of disciplines resulting in a rather fragmented understanding of how persons use communication in service of the environment. This paper presents a categorizing scheme and reviews studies concerning environmental advocacy. The framework is used to synthesize related research and theory, identify barriers to effective advocacy, and suggest practical applications in the field of environmental communication.

Cognition, communication, and romantic relationships

Contents: Overview. The Modern-Day Pursuit of Intimacy and Relational Memory Structures. Schemata, Scenes, and Scripts for Romantic Relationships. Memorable Messages, Prototypes, and Relational Memory. Emotion and Cognition About Relationships. Generating and Maintaining Relationships Through Imagined Interactions. Development of Relationships: Stage Theories Versus Relational Memory Theory. Memory Structures for Developing Relationships. Memory Structures for Decaying Relationships. Semantics of Breakups: Claims of Omission and Commission. Future Research on Relational Memory Structures.

Understanding Environmental Advocacy: Interdisciplinary Research and the Role of Cognition

Abstract This essay provides a selective review of interdisciplinary research of the bases for and obstacles to effective environmental advocacy. Analyses of the social backdrop of contemporary environmental advocacy are synthesized and research associated with environmental communication is considered in the context of how people process information and appeals associated with the environment. Theory and research involving social cognition is used to indicate ways in which advocates might better promote environmentalism. The analysis concludes with a call for research examining how the perceptions of the self and the environment influence peoples understanding of environmental advocacy.

Exploring a Sense of Self-in-Place to Explain the Impulse for Urban Sprawl

Two studies were conducted to examine the perceptual dimensions underlying descriptions of residential choice related to urban sprawl. Study I compares interview data generated by residents living in two different locations. Dominant and shared themes characterizing respondents’ “sense of self-in-place” suggests that eight themes undergird depictions and perceptions of residential location. Study II extends these findings by focusing on individuals who have recently taken up residence on the urban fringe. Analysis reveals a seven-dimension schema for housing preferences in line with reasons respondents from the first study used for wanting to relocate. Findings are discussed in relationship to the management of urban sprawl, the nature of appeals directed at potential homebuyers, and the protection of natural resources.

Culture, communication, and schema for environmental issues: An initial exploration

In an effort to examine the intrapersonal dimensions of environmental communication, this study compares the perceptions of persons presented with an environment‐related term. Open coding procedures are used to identify six categories of environmental perception linked to the term “environmental”; and systematic differences are observed regarding the relative emphasis subjects give to various facets of this cognitive structure. The schema is then compared against subjects’ scaled responses to a survey which measures commitment to dominant and emergent environmental beliefs. A series of correlations suggest that our responses to advocacy may be significantly grounded in the complexity of our thoughts about environmental terms and our allegiance to widespread cultural paradigms.

The Role of a Sense of Self-in-Place and Risk Amplification in Promoting the Conservation of Wildlife

Conservation professionals often struggle in their efforts to protect species at risk, typically failing to account for the role played by social interaction and individual place-attachments that can amplify the perceived personal impacts of conservation policies. This article reviews various ways in which a sense of self-in-place can be applied in the context of landscape-scale planning to conserve species through the perspective of an amplification of risk framework. The perspective is extended to a suite of principles for incorporating a sense of self-in-place and risk amplification mechanisms into wildlife conservation contexts.

The Symbolic Transformation of Space

The impetus for this special issue began with the assumption that geographic and social spaces are symbolically transformed into meaningful places through processes of human interaction across time. For example, a geothermal area high in the Andes, such as El Tatio (pictured on the cover), literally means little except for the rituals that have been held there*from being an ancient site for magic and mystery to a source of energy to power civil development to a destination for adventure travelers. Our goal for this issue was to present some of the most recent work from multiple disciplines, all of which explore contemporary nuances in the communicative construction of place. Today, we are witnessing the massive transformation of those places as we are now able to physically and virtually travel through and within more spaces than ever before in human history. Scholarship concerning places, both old and new, has proliferated in recent decades and we hope the contributors to this issue will help future researchers to dissect the communicative complexity and symbolic significance of the places in persons’ hearts and minds. With new perspectives and mediums transforming the symbolic and material aspects of space, we believe the strength of this suite of place-based studies is to be found in their range of approaches. Methodologically, the articles include the use of varying qualitative and quantitative methods and include different US and international comparisons and case studies. Additionally, this combination of articles exposes the diversity of symbolic dimensions embedded in the variety of places we live in, travel through, or experience virtually. Regardless of how and where these authors approach the subject, all seek to understand how we can best preserve local environments through various communicative practices. Whether it is the sublime and sanitized productions of place on promotional websites or the experiential narratives of life-long residents or first-time visitors, our contributors are ultimately

Amplifiers on the Commons: Using Indicators to Foster Place-Based Sustainability Initiatives

As with watershed management or adaptive management plans, place-based sustainability initiatives are required to deal with complex and intertwining systems of social and ecological organization. One approach to fostering successful place-based initiatives features the development and use of sustainability indicators to promote community dialog, thereby amplifying the risks and opportunities of movement toward more environmentally benign practices. This article uses the authors personal experience as a methodological springboard for demonstrating how the development of sustainability indicators at a landscape-scale were incorporated into community-based planning in the Lake Superior Basin. An introduction to the science and practice of indicator development is followed by two case studies involving different spatial and temporal scales of community engagement in the development of place-based sustainability initiatives. The relative success of these examples leads to a suite of principles for using public participation as a means for stressing the opportunities occasioned by the sustainability imperative.