What does value pluralism mean in practice? An empirical demonstration from a deliberative valuation

• The increasing calls for value pluralism within research on valuation in environmental decision-making responds to an increasing recognition that conventional approaches to environmental valuation based in neoclassical economics do not account for important aspects of human-nature relations. Few studies have however explored how value plurality actually plays out in practice. In this paper, we draw on Alan Holland’s (2002) essay “Are choices trade-offs?”, which goes to the heart of issues behind valuation and illuminates differences in conceptions of value and rationality between neoclassical and ecological economists. In a quasi-experimental study on values related to marine management in a coastal community in Sweden with local citizens and politicians, we empirically investigate how participants in a deliberative valuation handle different values in their reasoning and choicemaking. The results demonstrate the relevance of value pluralism for policy by showing the prevalence of preference uncertainty, value incommensurability and both inter- and intrapersonal value conflicts. Value conflicts played out as the inability to achieve multiple transcendental values that were aspired to, including conflicts between social and environmental goals. Rather than attempting to commensurate, participants sought to avoid moral conflicts, and showed emotional anguish where these conflicts came to the fore. This evidence thus suggests that choices are not, fundamentally, trade-offs. Incommensurability appeared as felt experience and deliberate positions rather than expressions of irrationality. Legitimately resolving value conflicts thus demands reason-sensitive means for deciding upon which sacrifices are made and for how to represent public opinion in environmental decision-making in a way that reveals the actual moral considerations of people.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv -- Nationalekonomi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business -- Economics (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Value pluralism

value plurality

deliberative valuation

deliberative democracy

trade-offs

incommensurability

value conflicts

ecological economics

neoclassical environmental economics

abductive interpretive research

Värdepluralism

värdepluralitet

deliberativ värdering

deliberativ demokrati

trade-offs

inkommensurabilitet

värdekonflikter

ekologisk ekonomi

neoklassisk ekonomi

miljöekonomi

abduktion

Miljöstrategisk analys

Environmental Strategic Analysis

Strategier för hållbar utveckling

Strategies for sustainable development

Critical Studies

Kritiska studier

Filosofi

Philosophy

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

ovr (ämneskategori)