Pirkkala, Sami (2017). Mikä tekee luonnon monimuotoisuuden köyhtymisen pysäyttämisestä Suomessa pirullisen ongelman? [What makes the ending of biodiversity loss in Finland a wicked problem?] Politiikka, 59(1), 33-50. [Finnish]
Abstract:The paper approaches the loss of biological diversity in Finland as a wicked problem. Based on Rittel and Webber’s theory, it builds on a hypothesis that the wickedness of the problem originates from the different views the key stakeholders of Finnish natural resource policy hold towards the current state of biodiversity, as well as the actions necessary for stopping its decline. The paper also uses Schön and Rein’s theory on the role of action frames in intractable policy controversies. The paper reports the results of a study where Q methodology was used to identify the action frames of the key stakeholders. 25 key stakeholders from 24 different interest groups and key institutions participated in the study. Three action frames were identified that are shared by several key stakeholders and differ significantly from each other. The results of the study suggest that the wickedness of the problem culminates in the questions on whether the current actions to halt the biodiversity loss are sufficient or not, and if not, should the additional actions be based on legislative or voluntary measures. The study also explored the usability of Q methodology as a tool for identifying comprehensive action frames at organizational level.
Sami Pirkkala <sami.pirkkala@formin.fi> is in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Helsinki, Finland. Politikka is the journal of the Finnish Political Science Association.
