• Home
  1. Home
  2. Communicating invasion: understanding social anxieties around mobile species
Scientific article
OA Policy
English

Communicating invasion: understanding social anxieties around mobile species

Contributors

Ernwein, Marion; Fall, Juliet Jane

Published in

Geografiska annaler. Series B, Human Geography, vol. 97, no. 2, p. 155-167

Publication date

2015

Abstract

concerning invasive alien species emerge and how ordinary citizens understand, receive and appropriate them. It explores the ambivalence of scientists and policy-makers using emotive or highly charged terms and vocabulary, arguing that many make strategic yet cautious use of fear to raise awareness. Based both on in-depth interviews of scientists and/or expert policy-makers involved in communicating with the public about invasive species, as well as citizen focus groups, it further discusses how individuals reflect critically on the terms used in written documents. We argue that the various scientific uncertainties concerning the impacts of invasive species foster and feed other domains of social anxiety beyond the usual concern previous research has shown for xenophobic connotations. These include wider fears about environmental technology, science and expertise, changing environments, and threats to human health

Keywords

  • Invasive species
  • Social anxiety
  • Focus groups
  • Xenophobic terms
  • Reception
  • Uncertainty

UNIGE affiliation entities

Funding

  • Swiss National Science Foundation - NaVille

Citation (ISO format)

ERNWEIN, Marion, FALL, Juliet Jane. Communicating invasion: understanding social anxieties around mobile species. In: Geografiska annaler. Series B, Human Geography, 2015, vol. 97, n° 2, p. 155–167. doi: 10.1111/geob.12071

Main files (1)

Article (Accepted version)

Identifiers

Journal ISSN

0435-3684
877views
512downloads

Technical informations

Creation

18/10/2015 17:38:00

First validation

18/10/2015 17:38:00

Update

14/03/2023 23:43:44

Status update

14/03/2023 23:43:44

Last indexation

31/10/2024 01:36:51
All rights reserved by Archive ouverte UNIGE and the University of Geneva
OpenAIRE Indexed & Validated