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Research article2015Peer reviewedOpen access

How Stakeholder Co-management Reproduces Conservation Conflicts: Revealing Rationality Problems in Swedish Wolf Conservation

Von Essen, Erica; Hansen, Hans Peter

Abstract

'Stakeholder' has become the primary category of political actor in decision-making, not least within nature conservation. Drawing from Habermas' theory on communicative action, this article argues that there are democratic deficits to the stakeholder model that promote citizens to remain locked in predetermined, polarized positions. It contends that the stakeholder model must, hence, be scrutinized with respect to its potential role in perpetuating conservation conflicts in modernity. Using the case study of stakeholder-based game management delegations (GMDs) in Sweden, our research identifies four barriers, which tie to the instrumental basis and liberal democratic legacy of the stakeholder approach: 1) strong sense of accountability; 2) overly purposive atmosphere; 3) overemphasis on decision as final outcome; and 4) perceived inability on the part of the delegates to influence science-led decision-making. The article suggests that these democratic deficits preclude the deliberation and contestation necessary to legitimate conservation policy. Indeed, stakeholder rationality causes citizens to become inert, instrumental agents who approach discussion with strategic rather than communicative rationality. We conclude that the deficits of the stakeholder model currently: 1) restrict democratic freedom for citizens; 2) engender a crisis of legitimacy of management; and 3) reproduce the conflict, which in Sweden relates to the conservation of wolves.

Keywords

stakeholder; co-management; conflict; deliberative democracy; instrumental rationality; wolves; legitimacy; Sweden

Published in

Conservation and Society
2015, Volume: 13, number: 4, pages: 332-344
Publisher: MEDKNOW PUBLICATIONS & MEDIA PVT LTD

      SLU Authors

      • Associated SLU-program

      Biodiversity
      Wildlife

      Sustainable Development Goals

      Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

      UKÄ Subject classification

      Public Administration Studies

      Publication identifier

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/0972-4923.179881

      Permanent link to this page (URI)

      https://res.slu.se/id/publ/76282