Gronow, A, Brockhaus, M, Di Gregorio, M orcid.org/0000-0003-2545-217X et al. (2 more authors) (2021) Policy learning as complex contagion: how social networks shape organizational beliefs in forest-based climate change mitigation. Policy Sciences, 54 (3). pp. 529-556. ISSN 0032-2687
Abstract
Policy learning can alter the perceptions of both the seriousness and the causes of a policy problem, thus also altering the perceived need to do something about the problem. This then allows for the informed weighing of different policy options. Taking a social network perspective, we argue that the role of social influence as a driver of policy learning has been overlooked in the literature. Network research has shown that normatively laden belief change is likely to occur through complex contagion—a process in which an actor receives social reinforcement from more than one contact in its social network. We test the applicability of this idea to policy learning using node-level network regression models on a unique longitudinal policy network survey dataset concerning the Reducing Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) initiative in Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam. We find that network connections explain policy learning in Indonesia and Vietnam, where the policy subsystems are collaborative, but not in Brazil, where the level of conflict is higher and the subsystem is more established. The results suggest that policy learning is more likely to result from social influence and complex contagion in collaborative than in conflictual settings.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | The Author(s), 2021. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. |
Keywords: | Advocacy coalition framework; Complex contagion; Policy learning; Social influence; Social network analysis |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Earth and Environment (Leeds) > Sustainability Research Institute (SRI) (Leeds) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation No External Reference |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 26 May 2021 09:56 |
Last Modified: | 25 Jun 2023 22:40 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Springer |
Identification Number: | 10.1007/s11077-021-09418-2 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:174476 |
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