TY - JOUR

T1 - Exploring frame conflicts in the development of a new mineral resource policy in Austria using Q-methodology

AU - Kügerl, Marie-Theres

AU - Endl, Andreas

AU - Tost, Michael

AU - Ammerer, Gloria

AU - Hartlieb, Philipp

AU - Gugerell, Katharina

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s).

PY - 2022/9/17

Y1 - 2022/9/17

N2 - Mineral resource policy deals not only with industrial and trade aspects but is nowadays also increasingly concerned with topics such as environmental protection and social development. The tensions associated with strongly divergent opinions among various stakeholder groups cast it as a ‘wicked problem’. The process of redeveloping the ‘Austrian Mineral Resources Strategy’ allows for examination of the different frames and identification of potential frame conflicts in consultation processes at the national level. Using Q-methodology, this paper reveals four frames represented in the Austrian policy design process and unravels conflicts between economy-focused and integrated policy framings. The predominance of the first frame indicates a narrow sectoral approach favouring domestic mineral extraction and economic growth over other means (e.g. international distributional conflicts of benefits and burdens). The article also demonstrates the suitability of Q-methodology as a tool to investigate frames and to improve their understanding in policy design processes.

AB - Mineral resource policy deals not only with industrial and trade aspects but is nowadays also increasingly concerned with topics such as environmental protection and social development. The tensions associated with strongly divergent opinions among various stakeholder groups cast it as a ‘wicked problem’. The process of redeveloping the ‘Austrian Mineral Resources Strategy’ allows for examination of the different frames and identification of potential frame conflicts in consultation processes at the national level. Using Q-methodology, this paper reveals four frames represented in the Austrian policy design process and unravels conflicts between economy-focused and integrated policy framings. The predominance of the first frame indicates a narrow sectoral approach favouring domestic mineral extraction and economic growth over other means (e.g. international distributional conflicts of benefits and burdens). The article also demonstrates the suitability of Q-methodology as a tool to investigate frames and to improve their understanding in policy design processes.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85138190075&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s13280-022-01761-9

DO - 10.1007/s13280-022-01761-9

M3 - Article

VL - 2023

SP - 210

EP - 228

JO - Ambio

JF - Ambio

SN - 0044-7447

IS - 1

ER -