Penelope Canan

A Value-Based Community Assessment Process

It is argued that community quality of life and social impact studies are similar in nature and can be integrated with a common analytical model for conducting community assessments. All such assessments must incorporate the basic values prevailing in the community, as expressed by community leaders and various segments of the population. Community assessments must also include both objective and subjective procedures, as neither approach is meaningful by itself. The initial stages of the proposed community assessment process are illustrated with research conducted on the island of Molokai in Hawaii. That study mapped the value structure of the islands residents, from which social indicators for the island were derived.

Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation

This is a study of attempts to use civil tort action to stifle political expression. These lawsuits claim injury resulting from citizen efforts to influence the government or sway voters on an issue of public significance. We call these cases “strategic lawsuits against public participation” (SLAPPs). We examine data from 100 lawsuits and divide them into three stages to highlight the movement of the dispute between political and judicial arenas. In each phase, claims are made that reflect the official audience addressed and the official outcome desired. Claims made in the political arena were derailed by claims of legal injury, but defendants legal victory was the likely result of a third claim, one of the Constitutional “right to petition the government for redress of grievances.” We examine how the judicial system responds to SLAPPs and discuss the potential effect of SLAPPs on political values and participation in American society.

Rethinking geothermal energy's contribution to community development

Abstract Geothermal energy development in Hawaii has been surrounded by public controversy which could be avoided if the opportunity for community-scaled policies were pursued. As a case study of the relationship between energy and community the Hawaii example provides hope for alternate energy development strategies in the future.

Science–Journalism Collaboration: An Experiment in Closing the Communication Gap

Barriers that impede effective communication between scientists and journalists include communication styles and skills, professional jargon, mistrust, time constraints, and orientation to knowledge types and “facts.” Here we describe an experiment in building bridges between journalists and scientists in Southeast Asia and Japan in a three-day training workshop. Tangible outcomes include the publication of news articles about the workshop; co-authored science journalism articles pertaining to the Mekong River basin; publication of the workshop proceedings; a poster presented at the IHDP Open Science Meetings; and, continued publication collaboration among the participants.

Inside Land-Use SLAPPs: The Continuing Fight to Speak Out

Abstract Penelope Canan and George Pring have spent 19 years investigating legal actions intended to intimidate citizens who speak out about government action. They coined the term by which such actions have since become known— “Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation,” or SLAPPs—and authored the principal resource about them: SLAPPs: Getting Sued for Speaking Out. This month, Canan and Chris Barker describe land-use SLAPPs from the perspective of their targets and address the extent to which state law does and can protect citizens against them. Canan will be presenting the session SLAPP-back Lawsuits as part of the Bettmann Symposium at this years APA Conference.