Introduction
Deforestation is one of the environmental problems that the world is experiencing today. Humankinds’ characterization of the problems and the process of looking for possible solutions to the issue embody the social constructionism of the problem. The problem has been socially constructed overtime by people of the world, through research, scholarly claims, provision of evidence of the reality of the issue and the need to solve the problem, as well as the real social, political and economic implications of the issue. In line with the concept of social constructionism, the aforementioned issue is not a result of mere nature’s powers, but emanates from people’s perceptions, reaffirmations and claims that build up the issue by depicting its reality. This write up critically discusses deforestation with a focus on how it is socially constructed by people, including the process of claim making that culminates in the construction of the social reality through humankind’s judgments.
The problem
Human activities such as settlement, agriculture, construction and other economic actions have with time resulted in deforestation and the associated issues. The problem is characterized by cutting down trees and is associated with an array of adverse environmental effects, including drying of rivers, loss of habitat for the world’s fauna and micro-climates (Kissinger, Herold and Veronique 108-109). According to Kissinger et al. (10-13), logging and economic development are two major causes of deforestation. The reality of deforestation and its far reaching effects has been experienced in many parts of the world, including areas with tropical forests such Central Africa and the Americas (Munro 105). Through social construction, the issue has been characterized as a real problem for which sufficient evidence exists to support.
Nature of the Social Construction of the Issue
The problem of deforestation has been socially constructed by the society as a social reality that affects the world in various ways. This social construction has been facilitated by many, credible claims from authoritative claim makers who give affirmations regarding its reality in the world. These claims are proposed by environmental scholars and researchers, political institutions and the society at large, leading to the characterization of the problem as it affects humankind (Munro 105-110). To this end, Munro (105) underscores deforestation as affecting African nations and other parts of the planet adversely. The scholar advances his claims by listing the various effects that deforestation has had on the populace and emphasizing the need to look for sustainable solutions for the problem (105-110). Evidently, the social construct of the issue of deforestation is based on the grounds that the problem has had and continues to exert its toll on inhabitants of earth, including the non-human world which in one way or the other affects the human world. In this respect, Bruce, Mary and Cheryl (2000) claim that it is imperative that the public sector adopts a good decision making framework in dealing with deforestation, adding that this will go a long way in solving the problem. This assertion contributes to the social construction of the problem as perceived by people and as it affects the planet.
Seeing as the problem has so many adverse effects on both the non-human and human worlds as the claimers demonstrate through their reports and assertions, this justifies a scenario where people should take the issue as a real problem, since its impacts are real. Accordingly, by advancing claims regarding the problem and demonstrating that indeed the problem is real, and that it affects the people, the claimers not only contribute to the social construction of the problem, but also engage the society at large to participate in construction of the perceived social reality that is deforestation. This leads to the conclusion that the problem is a social reality and is affecting the society, hence warrants adoption of appropriate solutions to avert or ease the problem. As it may be seen, therefore, the claimers assertions based on their research, experience and interests constitute the social construction of deforestation as a social, political and economic problem that is a reality as demonstrated (Munro 196; Kissinger et al. 10-13). In this way, it may be argued that the crisis is not really a nature’s result, but is rather a result of human judgments emanating from their observations, affirmations and existing realities. The foregoing constitutes the social construction of deforestation as a real issue that has far reaching implications on the society.
The Claim Makers
As already mentioned, social construction of environmental problems is based on claims made by people with social, economic or political interests in the problem, with a view to demonstrating that indeed, a certain issue exists and affects the society in one way or the other. Claim makers advance their assertions and affirmations using their authority that is derived either from their experience, professional and/or institutional affiliations and interests. In most cases, claim makers who contribute to or induce people to participate in the social construction of deforestation as a serious problem are experienced in matters of environmental studies and understand the pertinent issues. For example and as is evident from his own work, Paul Munro (105) is a scholar and researcher with extensive knowledge and experience in the field of environmental studies. This, coupled with the fact that the author based his claims on research evidence gives him authority to register his claims and affirmations regarding deforestation and its political and economic inclinations (105-109).
What is more, at the time Munro made his claims with respect to the aforementioned problem, he was a lecturer at the Modelo University in Mexico (105). His institutional and academic affiliations augment his authority, so much that his affirmations contribute to the social construction of deforestation as a social issue. As a scholar in political and international relations, and having experience in environmental issues, Munro appears to be interested in deforestations among other environmental issues and, suitably, this is evident in the way he describes the problem’s political, economic and social dimensions in Sierra Leone (105-107). He also suggests various solutions so the problems, such as development of sound policies aimed at managing the problem effectively, including alleviation of corruption and bureaucratic politics (105, 119).
The other claim makers referred to in this paper, Kissinger Gabrielle, Martin Herold and Veronique De Sy have strong academic, research and institutional affiliations and experience in matters of environmental issues such as deforestations. Accordingly, it may be rightly argued that they have strong interests in the problem. This is evident in the claims they make in their extensive report, explicating the problem, its causes and proposing possible solutions. Their professional experience and affiliations confer on them the authority to advance their claims and participate in socially constructing the reality of the problem on humankind. Martin Herold is a professor of Geo-information Science and Remote Sensing at the Wageningen University in the Netherlands, while Gabrielle Kissinger is the principal of Lexeme Consulting in Canada. Veronique De Sy is a graduate researcher at Wageningen University. Similarly, Bruce Tonn, Mary English and Cheryl Travis, authors of “A Framework for Understanding and Improving
Environmental Decision Making”, are experienced scholars and researchers in the field of environmental studies, and have strong institutional affiliations, making their claims reasonably valid in the social construction of deforestation.
The Claim Making Process
The claim making process in social construction is aimed at animating the problem and making it legitimate. To this end, claim makers advance assertions and evidence that seek to demonstrate the problem and its effects. The result is engagement of the entire society in constructing a social reality. In the case of deforestation and social construction addressed in this paper, the claim makers advance their claims following a process that entails defining the problem, describing the economic, political and social implications of the issue, and proposing solutions to manage the crisis. To this, the researchers base their arguments on research and experience evidence with a view to participating in the social construction of the reality effectively. In so doing, the claims come out clearly and authoritatively to the audience. This leads to a strong perception of the issue among the members of the society.
In addition, the claim makers animate the problem by describing the various political, social and economic implications of the issues, including loss of micro-climates, destruction of water catchment areas and habitats for biological species, as well as storehouses for greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, especially considering that trees use the aforementioned gas for survival (Munro 105; Kissinger et al. 10-30; Bruce et al. 173-177). Through candid description of the effects of the issue, accompanied by research and experiential evidence put forward by the claim makers, the problem is legitimized and the audience is made to perceive it in its reality.
What is more, the society, having received the affirmations, is able to participate in the characterization of the social problem. They are able to see that indeed, the issue described is a social reality that affects them. The subsequent perception of the problem results in the social construction of the reality, whereby the people characterize the problem based on their judgments, rather than taking it as the result of nature’s forces. This way, the claim makers have succeeded in depicting that deforestation is an extant issue that has real implications on both human and non-human worlds and, consequently, calls for urgent measures to deal with it (Munro 105). The claim makers also cite examples from many parts of the world, as is evident in Munro’s and Kissinger et al.’s works, which are aimed at demonstrating real evidence that the problem is legitimate. This animation of the issue enhances the social construction process and culminates in the characterization of the problem.
Conclusion
Social construction of problems affecting the society, such as deforestation, is based on the idea that such a crisis does not exist due to nature’s forces, but is rather a result of humankind’s perception and judgments. People participate in characterizing s social issue by making claims that warrant the problem and make it legitimate. The claim makers’ academic and institutional affiliations, professional experience and interests are central to the effectiveness of their assertions and determine if the society will take their affirmations and use them in the social construction of the social reality, as applies to deforestation as described in this paper.
Works Cited
Bruce, Tonn, Mary English, and Cheryl Travis. “A Framework for Understanding and Improving
Environmental Decision Making”. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 43.2 (2000): 163-183. Web. 20 Oct. 2013.
Kissinger, Gabrielle, Herold Martin, and Veronique, De Sy. Drivers of Deforestation and Forest
Degradation: A Synthesis Report for REDD+ Policy Makers. GOV.uk, n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
Munro, Paul G. “Deforestation: Constructing Problems and Solutions on Sierra Leone’s Free
Town Peninsula”. Journal of Political Ecology, 16 (2009): 104-121.Web. 20 Oct. 2013.
