Obscuring essence of multi-objectivity and difficulties of agonism: main findings and new research paths from a forest discourse project

Metsädiskurssihankkeen löydöksiä ja uusia tutkimussuuntia

Abstract

Forest discourses and their power relations determine what can be said in the Finnish forest policy discussion. This review presents the main findings of a forest discourse research project and introduces new research paths based on these findings. The project concentrated on the forest discourses of forest owners and media.

The results illustrate how the landscape of Finnish forest discourses is characterised by a clear main dimension from wood production discourses criticizing nature conservation to environmental discourses criticizing forestry. In the intermediate positions between these extremes, but still close to the wood production discourses, one can find hegemonic discourses of multi-objective forestry. When determining what is right and wrong in forest policy discussion, this basic setting has a fundamental impact on what it is like to be a forest owner in Finland or whether a sustainability change can take place.

The world is full of research topics for those interested in the manifestation and power of forest discourses. Combining post-political theories with theories of discourses opens new interesting possibilities for analysing the state of forest policy in different formal and non-formal policy forums. Outside discourse analysis, we should study the development, expressions and effects of environmental concern at the level of individuals, as concern for nature and the environment seems to be an absolute prerequisite for a sustainability change.