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Silver Country Illustrates
New Approach
Fearing that the latest developments in the various disputes over how to best manage the region's growth were leading to intractability, residents, environmentalists, and political and business leaders alike have discovered the power of what one local Vermillion University Professor calls "framing." Abby Horn, Professor of Regional Planning, calls framing the latest big idea to come out of the conflict resolution field. From her experience, framing allows stakeholders to discover why they hold the positions they do in regards to public policy conflicts. It also allows them to see how other parties to the conflict arrive at their particular views and conclusions. Horn says, "Never in my life have I witnessed more people relaxing their perspectives in a policy dispute. It's almost as if a lightbulb went on in everyone's heads indicating that they were able to see multiple views of the conflict at hand." Though most parties to the conflict were amenable to the framing concept, others were skeptical about the insights from what one rancher termed "fancy-pants university professors." This skeptical individual and others felt that they were being forced to see their own lives through the lens of an outsider. Horn argues that "if these folks would have simply tried the framing approach, they would have a more open view of the options and alternatives available, many of which would be in their best interests." Though she understands the sentiment that others from the outside are imposing their particular view of the conflict, she feels that framing would allow these folks to see that there are people who see the world in ways that are different than theirs, and for good, solid reasons. Framing, Horn contends, allows parties to see "how reasonable people could disagree" about certain dimensions of the dispute. |
Also available: General Environmental Dispute Simulation
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Framing Consortium
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Making Sense of Intractable Environmental Conflicts, is available
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