On the rationality of decision aiding processes

International audienc

On justifying the norms underlying decision support

International audienc

The vagueness of "biodiversity" and its implications in practice

En Open Access sur le site de SpringerThe vagueness of the notion of biodiversity is discussed in the philosophical literature but most ecologists admit that it is unproblematic in practice. We analyze a series of case studies to argue that this denial of the importance of clarifying the definition of biodiversity has worrying implications in practice, at three levels: it can impair the coordination of conservation actions, hide the need to improve management knowledge and cover up incompatibilities between disciplinary assumptions. This is because the formal agreement on the term “biodiversity” can hide profound disagreements on the nature of conservation issues. We then explore avenues to unlock this situation, using the literature in decision analysis. Decision analysts claim that decision-makers requesting decision-support often do not precisely know for what problem they request support. Clarifying a better formulation, eliminating vagueness, is therefore a critical step for decision analysis. We explain how this logic can be implemented in our case studies and similar situations, where various interacting actors face complex, multifaceted problems that they have to solve collectively. To sum up, although “biodiversity” has long been considered a flagship to galvanize conservation action, the vagueness of the term actually complicates this perennial task of conservation practitioners. As conservation scientists, we have a duty to stop promoting a term whose vagueness impairs conservation practice. This approach allows introducing a dynamic definition of “biodiversity practices”, designed to play the integrating role that the term “biodiversity” cannot achieve, due to the ambiguity of its general definition

Adapting participatory processes to fine‐tune conservation approaches in multiactor decision settings

International audienceConservation decisions are typically made in complex, dynamic, and uncertain settings, where multiple actors raise diverse and potentially conflicting claims, champion different and sometimes contradictory values, and enjoy varying degrees of freedom and power to act and influence collective decisions. Therefore, effective conservation actions require conservation scientists and practitioners to take into account the complexity of multiactor settings. We devised a framework to help conservation biologists and practitioners in this task. Institutional economic theories, which are insufficiently cited in the conservation literature, contain useful insights for conservation. Among these theories, the economies of worth can significantly contribute to conservation because it can be used to classify the types of values peoples or groups refer to when they interact during the elaboration and implementation of conservation projects. Refining this approach, we designed a framework to help conservation professionals grasp the relevant differences among settings in which decisions related to conservation actions are to be made, so that they can adapt their approaches to the features of the settings they encounter. This framework distinguishes 6 types of agreements and disagreements that can occur between actors involved in a conservation project (harmony, stricto sensu arrangement, deliberated arrangement, unilateral and reciprocal compromise, and locked‐in), depending on whether they disagree on values or on their applications and on whether they can converge toward common values by working together. We identified key questions that conservationists should answer to adapt their strategy to the disagreements they encounter and identified relevant participatory processes to complete the adaptation

The role of species charisma in biological invasions

Commonly used in the literature to refer to the “attractiveness”, “appeal”, or “beauty” of a species, charisma can be defined as a set of characteristics – and the perception thereof – that affect people's attitudes and behaviors toward a species. It is a highly relevant concept for invasion science, with implications across all stages of the invasion process. However, the concept of invasive alien species (IAS) charisma has not yet been systematically investigated. We discuss this concept in detail, provide a set of recommendations for further research, and highlight management implications. We review how charisma affects the processes associated with biological invasions and IAS management, including species introductions and spread, media portrayals, public perceptions of species management, research attention, and active public involvement in research and management. Explicit consideration of IAS charisma is critical for understanding the factors that shape people's attitudes toward particular species, planning management measures and strategies, and implementing a combination of education programs, awareness raising, and public involvement campaigns

Percepção do estigma da epilepsia em professores do ensino fundamental Perception of epilepsy stigma in fundamental school teachers

A epilepsia é uma condição neurológica crônica que traz implicações psicológicas e acadêmicas para a criança, sua família, professores e amigos. Este trabalho teve por objetivo identificar a percepção do estigma da epilepsia em professores, levando-se em consideração os aspectos acadêmicos, psicológicos e culturais desta condição. Para isto, foram distribuídos questionários a respeito da epilepsia para professores do ensino fundamental da rede pública de ensino em Campinas. Diante dos 94 questionários respondidos, observou-se que 91,5% dos professores pesquisados sabem que a epilepsia é uma desordem neurológica; 40,0% acham que o tratamento deve ser feito com acompanhamento médico e 96,8% acreditam que as crianças com epilepsia devem freqüentar escola comum. Em relação às crenças, a que mais apareceu foi o medo da criança engolir a língua durante a crise. Os professores pesquisados mostraram possuir conhecimentos adequados a respeito da epilepsia, o que contradiz o observado nas atitudes sociais encontradas em nossa sociedade, que são caracterizadas por preconceito e estigma.<br>Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder that brings psychological and academic implications to the children, their family, teachers and friends. The purpose of the study was to identify teachers' perception of epilepsy as a stigma, considering the academic, psychological and cultural aspects of this condition. Questionnaires about their knowledge of epilepsy were distributed to teachers of public schools in Campinas, Brazil. From the 94 answered questionnaires, it was observed that 91.5% knew that epilepsy is a neurological disorder, 40.0% thought that the treatment is with medical follow-up, and 96.8% believed that children must study in a normal school. In relation to beliefs, the fear of a child swallowing the tongue during the seizure appeared in 45.7% of teachers' answers. The searched teachers showed that they have adequate knowledge about epilepsy. However, this reaction contradicts the social attitudes present in our society, which are characterized by prejudice and stigma