Activity 4.2 Environmental Policy Framework

Davis and Lewicki (2003)	Bryan (2003)	Environmental Framing Consortium (2005)
Identity Frame – How people see themselves and what values shape their decisions. It focuses on personal beliefs and how identity guides environmental actions.	Cultural Context – Traditions, customs, and shared beliefs that influence how communities respond to environmental issues.	Values/Ethics Frame – Moral principles about what is right or wrong in environmental behavior and decision-making.
Fact-Finding Frame – How people use, trust, and sometimes question scientific evidence. It helps identify what counts as credible information.	Technological Context – How innovation and new technology offer solutions or challenges for sustainability.	Scientific Frame – Emphasizes facts, research, and data accuracy to understand environmental realities.
Conflict Management Frame – How groups manage disagreements and find compromise through communication and negotiation.	Political Context – The role of government, power, and leadership in shaping environmental outcomes.	Power Frame – Focuses on who holds authority and how influence affects policy.
Risk Frame – How individuals and groups perceive danger and uncertainty in environmental issues.	Economic Context – Considers financial costs, benefits, and trade-offs in decision-making.	Economic Frame – Looks at how markets, incentives, and resources impact environmental goals.
Social Control Frame – The systems of laws, rules, and norms that influence collective behavior.	Legal Context – Regulations and institutions that help manage or prevent conflicts.	Regulatory Frame – How laws and governance shape enforcement and accountability.

My Five Environmental Policy Frames 

1. Ethical Awareness Frame – Considers how personal and shared values influence environmental choices (Davis and Lewicki, 2003). 

2. Social Connection Frame – Highlights how community collaboration and social ties affect decisions (Bryan, 2003). 

3. Scientific Understanding Frame – Emphasizes relying on trustworthy scientific information for policy (Environmental Framing Consortium, 2005). 

4. Economic Balance Frame – Recognizes how financial interests and trade-offs shape policy (Bryan, 2003). 

5. Sustainability and Risk Frame – Combines long-term planning with awareness of environmental risks (Davis and Lewicki, 2003). 

 

Justification for My Five Environmental Policy Frames 

Creating my own set of environmental policy frames helped me understand how deeply perspectives shape environmental conflicts. The required readings showed that people can look at the same problem and interpret it in completely different ways. That made me think about how personal experience, identity, and values influence the choices we make about the environment. Davis and Lewicki (2003) explained that identity and risk are powerful factors in how conflicts form and develop, while Bryan (2003) described how cultural and economic contexts affect decisions. Together, these authors helped me see that no single frame can explain everything, and that balance is essential when developing environmental policy. 

I chose the Ethical Awareness Frame because ethics are at the heart of environmental responsibility. According to Davis and Lewicki (2003), identity frames connect what people believe with how they act. This made me realize that without moral awareness, policy can ignore the duty we have to protect future generations. My own belief is that ethical awareness makes environmental work more human—it reminds us that science and policy both need compassion. 

The Social Connection Frame reflects Bryan’s (2003) idea of cultural context and community influence. Policies only work when people feel included. I think this frame represents the power of collaboration, where different voices come together to solve shared problems. Real environmental change depends on trust and understanding among people. 

The Scientific Understanding Frame comes from the Environmental Framing Consortium (2005), which emphasized how reliable data helps reduce misinformation. For me, this frame connects knowledge with credibility. It shows that using science responsibly can rebuild public trust in environmental decisions. 

Next, the Economic Balance Frame grew from Bryan’s (2003) discussion of the economic context. I used to think that business and conservation couldn’t work together, but now I understand that both can benefit from thoughtful compromise. This frame reminds me that sustainability must also make sense financially if we want lasting results. 

Finally, the Sustainability and Risk Frame combines Davis and Lewicki’s (2003) ideas about long-term planning and the perception of danger. It reflects how careful management of risk today protects ecosystems tomorrow. Altogether, my five frames represent my personal view that environmental policy should be ethical, community-based, scientific, economically fair, and focused on resilience. 

References 

Bryan, T. (2003). Context in environmental conflicts: Where you stand depends on where you sit. Environmental Practice, 5(3), 256–264. 

Davis, C. B., & Lewicki, R. J. (2003). Environmental conflict resolution: Framing and intractability—An introduction. Environmental Practice, 5(3), 200–206. 

Environmental Framing Consortium. (2005). Framing choices: Understanding environmental problems. http://www.intractableconflict.org/environmentalframing/framing_choices.shtml 

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