Insider Perspectives on Institutional Change in Contemporary British Forestry: Identity and Environmental Governance

Abstract

I investigate British forestry policy using original primary data from interviews with staff working for the Forestry Commission. Insight is provided into one of Britain's oldest institutions of environmental governance as it sought to redefine its contribution to society at a particularly turbulent period in its recent history. The work is presented in relationship to institutional change in rural areas, environmental governance, and postproductivism. A conceptual framework is employed using ideas from Giddens's structuration theory, Goffman's collaborative production of identities, and Foucault's discourse theory. Particular attention is paid to the implications of transitions for collective and individual work-based identities.

Government science in forestry: Characteristics and policy utilization

“…Over the last half century, the forest research community has witnessed waves of government restructuring, public research budgets boom and bust, and the "roll out and roll back" of forest regulations across many jurisdictions (Schiellerup, 2008). In conjunction, important changes in science policies have taken place encouraging new forms of multi-sector collaborative ventures to enhance the economic and public relevance of publicly-funded research (Gibbons et al, 1994;Etzkowitz and Leydesdorff, 2000).…”