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Struggling for an ideal dialogue. An analysis of the regional dialogue processes under Sweden’s first National Forest Program

Hertog, Iris LU (2019) In Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science MESM02 20191
LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
Abstract (Swedish)
I Maj 2018 lanserade regeringen en strategi för Sveriges nationella skogsprogram. Som en viktig del
av skogsprogrammets implementering initierar Länsstyrelserna nu regionala dialogprocesser för att
jobba fram regionala skogsstrategier och handlingsplaner. Tidigare forskning visar att den svenska
skogspolitiken hittills inte har lyckats hantera målkonflikterna mellan produktion och miljö. Därför vill
jag i denna studie utreda till vilken grad de regionala dialogprocesserna kan bidra till att hantera
dessa målkonflikter.
Jag använder Habermas ideal för kommunikativt handlande som ett teoretiskt ramverk för att
analysera uppstarten av den regionala dialogprocessen i två pilotlän: Västra Götaland och Gävleborg.
Ramverket skildrar några... (More)
I Maj 2018 lanserade regeringen en strategi för Sveriges nationella skogsprogram. Som en viktig del
av skogsprogrammets implementering initierar Länsstyrelserna nu regionala dialogprocesser för att
jobba fram regionala skogsstrategier och handlingsplaner. Tidigare forskning visar att den svenska
skogspolitiken hittills inte har lyckats hantera målkonflikterna mellan produktion och miljö. Därför vill
jag i denna studie utreda till vilken grad de regionala dialogprocesserna kan bidra till att hantera
dessa målkonflikter.
Jag använder Habermas ideal för kommunikativt handlande som ett teoretiskt ramverk för att
analysera uppstarten av den regionala dialogprocessen i två pilotlän: Västra Götaland och Gävleborg.
Ramverket skildrar några förutsättningar för en jämlik och effektiv dialog. I de båda länen använder
jag dokumentanalys och semistrukturerade intervjuer för att 1) förstå upplägget av den regionala
dialogprocessen, 2) identifiera faktorer som gynnar och hindrar att idealet för kommunikativt
handlande uppnås, och 3) analysera relationerna mellan upplägget av dialogprocessen, externa
hinder, och idealet för kommunikativt handlande.
I båda länen är det tydligt att man strävar efter att få med ett brett spektrum av aktörer och att låta
alla få komma till tals. Även om man har valt olika vägar i upplägget av dialogprocesserna, stötte man
på liknande hinder för kommunikativt handlande i de båda länen. Då den första delen av
finansieringen (hösten 2018) var begränsad i tid och den fortsatta finansieringen oviss, ledde detta
till en otydlig organisation och otillräcklig institutionalisering av dialogprocessena. Även den exakta
rollen av det nationella skogsprogrammet verkar oklar för styrgrupperna. I Gävleborg utgjorde
dessutom en misstro bland intressenterna ett hinder för processen.
Jag drar slutsatsen att både finansieringen och rollen av de regionala dialogprocesserna bör
tydliggöras nationellt för att dialogprocesserna ska ge meningsfulla resultat. Gällande målkonflikten
mellan produktion och miljö antyder min analys att denna bör hanteras av regeringen och riksdagen,
eftersom dessa har makten att justera relevanta lagliga, ekonomiska och administrativa system. (Less)
Abstract
In May 2018, a strategy for Sweden’s first National Forest Program was launched. As part of its implementation, County Administrative Boards are now initiating dialogue processes for drafting regional forest strategies and action plans. Previous research shows that Swedish forest policy has so far been unable to resolve the tensions between its production and environmental goals. I aim to investigate to what extent the regional dialogue processes offer a way forward. I use Habermas’ ideal of communicative action as a theoretical framework to analyze the initiation phase of the dialogue processes in two case study regions: Västra Götaland and Gävleborg. This framework portrays some preconditions for a fair and effective dialogue. Within... (More)
In May 2018, a strategy for Sweden’s first National Forest Program was launched. As part of its implementation, County Administrative Boards are now initiating dialogue processes for drafting regional forest strategies and action plans. Previous research shows that Swedish forest policy has so far been unable to resolve the tensions between its production and environmental goals. I aim to investigate to what extent the regional dialogue processes offer a way forward. I use Habermas’ ideal of communicative action as a theoretical framework to analyze the initiation phase of the dialogue processes in two case study regions: Västra Götaland and Gävleborg. This framework portrays some preconditions for a fair and effective dialogue. Within each region, I use document analysis and semi-structured interviews to understand the design of the dialogue process, the factors enabling and disabling the ideal of communicative action, and the relationships between them. In both case study regions, my results show a clear effort to include a variety of actors and to let everyone be heard. Although dissimilar choices were made related to process design, the two
regions faced similar barriers to reaching the ideal of communicative action. As the initial funding (autumn 2018) was limited in time and further funding of the dialogues unsure, the dialogue processes had a somewhat unclear organization and were insufficiently institutionalized. Furthermore, project board members had a hard time pinpointing the exact role of the National Forest Program. Additionally, distrust amongst stakeholders hampered the process in Gävleborg. I conclude that the funding and function of the regional dialogue processes need to be clarified at the national level for the regional dialogue processes to deliver meaningful results. Additionally, my analysis suggests that unaddressed goal conflicts should be handled by the national government, who has the power to adjust relevant legal, economic and administrative systems. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Hertog, Iris LU
supervisor
organization
course
MESM02 20191
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
stakeholder participation, Sweden forestry, National Forest Program, communicative action, Jürgen Habermas, Sustainability Science
publication/series
Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science
report number
2019:040
language
English
id
8987495
date added to LUP
2019-06-25 08:56:54
date last changed
2019-06-25 08:56:54
@misc{8987495,
  abstract     = {{In May 2018, a strategy for Sweden’s first National Forest Program was launched. As part of its implementation, County Administrative Boards are now initiating dialogue processes for drafting regional forest strategies and action plans. Previous research shows that Swedish forest policy has so far been unable to resolve the tensions between its production and environmental goals. I aim to investigate to what extent the regional dialogue processes offer a way forward. I use Habermas’ ideal of communicative action as a theoretical framework to analyze the initiation phase of the dialogue processes in two case study regions: Västra Götaland and Gävleborg. This framework portrays some preconditions for a fair and effective dialogue. Within each region, I use document analysis and semi-structured interviews to understand the design of the dialogue process, the factors enabling and disabling the ideal of communicative action, and the relationships between them. In both case study regions, my results show a clear effort to include a variety of actors and to let everyone be heard. Although dissimilar choices were made related to process design, the two
regions faced similar barriers to reaching the ideal of communicative action. As the initial funding (autumn 2018) was limited in time and further funding of the dialogues unsure, the dialogue processes had a somewhat unclear organization and were insufficiently institutionalized. Furthermore, project board members had a hard time pinpointing the exact role of the National Forest Program. Additionally, distrust amongst stakeholders hampered the process in Gävleborg. I conclude that the funding and function of the regional dialogue processes need to be clarified at the national level for the regional dialogue processes to deliver meaningful results. Additionally, my analysis suggests that unaddressed goal conflicts should be handled by the national government, who has the power to adjust relevant legal, economic and administrative systems.}},
  author       = {{Hertog, Iris}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science}},
  title        = {{Struggling for an ideal dialogue. An analysis of the regional dialogue processes under Sweden’s first National Forest Program}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}