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| A framework to examine the potential social influence of scientists and nongovernmental organizations in marine conservation | |
| Li, Minhui; Lee, Tien M.; Zhang, Xiong | |
| 2024 | |
| Source Publication | Integrative Conservation
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| ISSN | 2770-9329 |
| Abstract | Abstract Effective marine conservation requires science‐based decisions and strong support from the public and local communities. Understanding the potential social influence of scientists and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in marine conservation is key, yet this aspect has been underexplored in conservation social science. In this study, we created a simple index of potential social influence (PSII) for scientists and NGOs, initiating an analytical framework to identify key variables correlated with the PSII and their underlying pathways. We illustrated this framework using China as a case study, where marine conservation advancement is urgently needed. Our results indicated that many of the variables we identified were correlated with the PSII, even though some are rarely mentioned in the related literature. Notably, both communication capability and annual funding positively impacted the potential social influence of scientists and NGOs, albeit through different pathways. This study provides valuable insights to enhance marine conservation efforts in China and addresses a critical research gap in assessing social influence on nature conservation. 摘要 保护我们的海洋需要以科学为基础的保护决策以及公众和当地社区的大力支持。为此,我们需要了解科学家和非政府组织(NGO)在海洋保护中的潜在社会影响力。但在保护社会科学领域中却鲜有这方面的研究。在此,我们分别为科学家和NGO创建了一个简单的潜在社会影响力指数(PSII),并构建了一个分析框架,以确定与 PSII 及其潜在路径相关的关键变量。我们以亟需推进海洋保护的中国为例,对这一框架进行了说明。结果表明,我们定义的许多变量都与 PSII 相关,尽管有些变量在文献中很少被提及。值得注意的是,传播能力和年资金量都对科学家和非政府组织的潜在社会影响力产生了积极影响,尽管它们的作用路径不同。我们的研究不仅为推动中国的海洋保护贡献了实用的知识,还填补了自然保护领域评估社会影响力的研究空白。【翻译:张雄】 Plain language summary Protecting our oceans, which serve as an important life‐support system for humans, presents a significant challenge that needs both science‐based conservation decisions and strong support from multiple stakeholders. However, marine conservation strategies often prioritize environmental and ecological goals above social factors and human dimensions, even though these elements are essential to successful conservation efforts. Scientists and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) play vital roles in science communication and conservation practices and significantly influence the decision‐making of various stakeholders, including policymakers, conservation managers, and the public. Therefore, understanding the potential social influence of scientists and NGOs on marine conservation, as well as identifying the driving factors behind this influence, is critical for enhancing their impact on societal attitudes and achieving more efficient marine conservation and other successful outcomes. In this context, we present China as a case study to introduce a new framework for identifying the factors and potential causal pathways that affect the social influence of scientists and NGOs on the decision‐making processes of multiple stakeholders in marine conservation. Our research showed that both communication capability and annual funding have strong positive effects on the potential social influence of scientists and NGOs in marine conservation, despite being through different pathways. This finding highlights the importance of these factors in achieving social influence. The novel framework we propose provides a new approach for global researchers to examine the social influence of scientists and NGOs in nature conservation. Ultimately, this framework aims to facilitate science‐based conservation policymaking and actions, helping to achieve the targets of the Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. 简明语言摘要 海洋是人类赖以生存的生态系统。但是保护海洋非常具有挑战性,既需要科学的保护决策,也需要多方利益相关者的大力支持。然而,海洋保护战略往往将环境和生态目标置于社会因素和人文因素之上,尽管后者是保护工作取得成功的关键。作为关键的利益相关者,科学家和非政府组织不仅在科学传播和保护实践中发挥着重要作用,而且还对决策者、保护管理者和公众等各利益相关者的决策产生重大影响。 因此,了解科学家和非政府组织对海洋保护的潜在社会影响力及其驱动因素,有助于增强他们对整个社会的海洋保护决策的影响,从而提高海洋保护效率和成功率。在此背景下,我们以中国为案例,介绍了一个新的研究框架,用于识别哪些因素会影响科学家和非政府组织对海洋保护利益相关方的社会影响力,以及这种影响力形成的潜在途径。我们的研究表明,尽管途径不同,传播能力强和年资金量大的科学家和非政府组织在中国海洋保护中的潜在社会影响力都很高,凸显了这两方面的因素在形成社会影响力方面的重要性。我们在此提出的研究框架可以为全球研究者提供一种新范式,帮助我们理解科学家和非政府组织在自然保护中的社会影响力,以推动科学的保护决策和行动,实现昆明‐蒙特利尔全球生物多样性框架中的目标。 Practitioner points Our findings suggest that increasing annual funding, communication capability, and expert consultation may enhance scientists' social influence in marine conservation. However, it is important to note that annual funding negatively influences communication capability. A probable explanation is that raising and accumulating more funds might overwhelm scientists, requiring them to allocate more time to research and less time to improving their communication skills. Scientists may benefit from seeking collaborations with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that have higher communication capacities. This partnership can help scientists become more proactive in increasing public environmental literacy through effective communication strategies. Academic institutions should develop reward systems that encourage scientists to engage in conservation communication and policy advocacy. These activities should be funded or valued as equally important as academic publications. Our findings for NGOs suggest that higher communication capability, more volunteers and participants in activities, more compliance supervising activities, and greater annual funds can eventually lead to higher social influence. 实践者要点 对科学家而言,我们的研究结果表明,增加海洋保护的经费、提高海洋保护传播能力和更多参与海洋保护领域的专家咨询可以增强他们在海洋保护方面的社会影响力。然而,经费对传播能力可能有一定的负面影响。申请经费和积累的经费越多,科学家可能就需要更多地把时间分配到科学研究中,从而减少了用于海洋保护传播和提高传播能力方面的时间。 科学家可以寻求与传播能力更强的非政府组织开展合作,以便通过有效的传播,更加积极主动地提高公众的环境素养。 学术机构的奖励制度应鼓励科学家开展保护传播和政策倡导活动,并资助或重视这些活动,将其视为与发表论文或专著同等重要。 对非政府组织而言,我们的研究结果表明,更强的海洋保护传播能力、更多的海洋保护志愿者和活动参与者、更多地参与监督活动以及更多的资金用于海洋保护活动,最终可能会在海洋保护领域形成更高的社会影响力。 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1002/inc3.59 |
| Citation statistics | |
| Document Type | 期刊论文 |
| Identifier | https://ir.xtbg.ac.cn/handle/353005/14406 |
| Collection | Integrative Conservation |
| Affiliation | 1.Li, Minhui (School of Ecology, Sun Yat‐sen University, Shenzhen, China) 2.Lee, Tien M. (School of Ecology, Sun Yat‐sen University, Shenzhen, China 3.State Key Lab of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat‐sen University, Guangzhou, China) 4.Zhang, Xiong (School of Ecology, Sun Yat‐sen University, Shenzhen, China 5.State Key Lab of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat‐sen University, Guangzhou, China 6.School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat‐Sen University & Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, China) |
| Recommended Citation GB/T 7714 | Li, Minhui,Lee, Tien M.,Zhang, Xiong. A framework to examine the potential social influence of scientists and nongovernmental organizations in marine conservation[J]. Integrative Conservation,2024. |
| APA | Li, Minhui,Lee, Tien M.,&Zhang, Xiong.(2024).A framework to examine the potential social influence of scientists and nongovernmental organizations in marine conservation.Integrative Conservation. |
| MLA | Li, Minhui,et al."A framework to examine the potential social influence of scientists and nongovernmental organizations in marine conservation".Integrative Conservation (2024). |
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