How do stakes and interests shape the discursive strategies for framing (mylti-)causality?

摘要

Multi-causal patterns of interaction are characteristic of the behaviour of complex environmental systems under anthropogenic influence. However, in its socio-political context, multi-causality can also be an argument in discursive strategies to downplay the responsibility of a particular anthropogenic cause of an environmental problem. This paper provides theoretical insights based on a case study of the risk for honeybees of the insecticide Gaucho. This case engendered a strong societal debate in France between 1994 and 2004 and led to the application of the precautionary principle for an environmental issue for the first time in this country. The paper explores the relationships between the way of framing (multi-)causality by experts of environmental risks and the stakes, interests, and conflicting relationships between actors in a social debate on these risks. Based on field work consisting of 32 interviews, our results show correlation between three Variables': 1. discursive patterns on (multi)causality elaborated for explaining field observations; 2. institutional affiliation of the expert; 3. stakeholder-specific social, economic and political stakes and strategies. The links between the socio-economic stakes and the strategies of action ofeach stakeholder are analysed.