How Culture Shapes the Climate Change Debate (Stanford Briefs)

How Culture Shapes the Climate Change Debate, by Andrew J Hoffmann

Synopsis: Though the scientific community largely agrees that climate change is underway, debates about this issue remain fiercely polarized. These conversations have become a rhetorical contest, one where opposing sides try to achieve victory through playing on fear, distrust, and intolerance. At its heart, this split no longer concerns carbon dioxide, greenhouse gases, or climate modeling; rather, it is the product of contrasting, deeply entrenched worldviews. This brief examines what causes people to reject or accept the scientific consensus on climate change. Synthesizing evidence from sociology, psychology, and political science, Andrew J. Hoffman lays bare the opposing cultural lenses through which science is interpreted. He then extracts lessons from major cultural shifts in the past to engender a better understanding of the problem and motivate the public to take action. How Culture Shapes the Climate Change Debate makes a powerful case for a more scientifically literate public, a more socially engaged scientific community, and a more thoughtful mode of public discourse.

Published: March 2015 | ISBN: 978-0804794220

Author’s Homepage: http://www.andrewhoffman.net
Author’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/hoffmanandy

Hoffman, […], first lays out the psychological and social biases people bring to the climate discussion and then suggest techniques for making that conversation more productive . . . This slender, practical volume will aid anyone hoping to sway climate deniers – whether on Facebook, from a podium, or over a beer. —Jake Abrahamson, Sierra Magazine

Union of Concerned Scientists Book Review
Stanford Social Innovation Review Book Review
Canadian Journal of Sociology Book Review [pdf]