{"title":"Agonistic pluralism for enhancing the co-design of agri-environmental policy.","authors":"Charlotte-Anne Chivers, Lucy Barkley, Chris Short","doi":"10.1007/s13280-025-02158-0","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study examines the role of agonistic pluralism in shaping policy co-design, including the development of agri-environment schemes. Embracing agonism may provide a democratic framework for deliberative co-design. By 'relinquishing all claims to finality, to happy endings', this involves embracing conflict rather than seeking consensus (McManus in Polity 40:509-525, 2008). By recognising and navigating power imbalances rather than eliminating them, it enhances co-design elements such as framing, facilitation, and ongoing negotiation. Although seemingly more time-consuming than less deliberative methods, this approach may prove efficient if it produces policies viewed as legitimate by diverse parties. In urgent contexts, adopting agonistic pluralism could foster rapid policy development by advancing 'good enough' ideas rather than pursuing unattainable consensus, particularly where complex challenges are being addressed. Furthermore, agonistic pluralism advocates for policies to remain flexible and continually evolve through meaningful negotiation, ensuring they are genuinely co-designed and adaptable to changing needs.</p>","PeriodicalId":461,"journal":{"name":"Ambio","volume":" ","pages":"1414-1430"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8000,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Ambio","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-025-02158-0","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/4/19 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This study examines the role of agonistic pluralism in shaping policy co-design, including the development of agri-environment schemes. Embracing agonism may provide a democratic framework for deliberative co-design. By 'relinquishing all claims to finality, to happy endings', this involves embracing conflict rather than seeking consensus (McManus in Polity 40:509-525, 2008). By recognising and navigating power imbalances rather than eliminating them, it enhances co-design elements such as framing, facilitation, and ongoing negotiation. Although seemingly more time-consuming than less deliberative methods, this approach may prove efficient if it produces policies viewed as legitimate by diverse parties. In urgent contexts, adopting agonistic pluralism could foster rapid policy development by advancing 'good enough' ideas rather than pursuing unattainable consensus, particularly where complex challenges are being addressed. Furthermore, agonistic pluralism advocates for policies to remain flexible and continually evolve through meaningful negotiation, ensuring they are genuinely co-designed and adaptable to changing needs.
本研究探讨了对抗多元主义在形成政策共同设计中的作用,包括农业环境计划的发展。拥抱激动主义可以为协商共同设计提供一个民主的框架。通过“放弃对结局的所有要求,追求幸福的结局”,这包括拥抱冲突,而不是寻求共识(McManus in Polity 40:509-525, 2008)。通过识别和引导权力失衡,而不是消除它们,它增强了框架、促进和持续谈判等协同设计元素。虽然这种方法似乎比不那么需要审议的方法更耗时,但如果它产生的政策被各方视为合法,那么它可能证明是有效的。在紧急情况下,采取对抗多元主义可以通过提出“足够好”的想法而不是追求无法达成的共识来促进快速的政策制定,特别是在应对复杂挑战的情况下。此外,对抗的多元主义主张政策保持灵活,并通过有意义的谈判不断发展,确保它们真正共同设计并适应不断变化的需求。
期刊介绍:
Explores the link between anthropogenic activities and the environment, Ambio encourages multi- or interdisciplinary submissions with explicit management or policy recommendations.
Ambio addresses the scientific, social, economic, and cultural factors that influence the condition of the human environment. Ambio particularly encourages multi- or inter-disciplinary submissions with explicit management or policy recommendations.
For more than 45 years Ambio has brought international perspective to important developments in environmental research, policy and related activities for an international readership of specialists, generalists, students, decision-makers and interested laymen.