november 2009

The reports put down within the framework of the audiences of the Coulombe Committee allowed to know the different claimed types of management. It also allowed to investigate the variety of the values and the other types of foundations of the social action, supported in the speech of each one. The distribution of the main ideas validated by means of the theoretical and empirical models, allowed to reveal the relative content of the various foundations and as the case may be, the presence of non discussion situations.

Results

The results stemming from the semi-qualitative analysis on the sample revealed a big popularity of the ideas supporting the values of conformity and security ; two values which together, denote the pursuit of a conservatiste ideology towards the forest, according to the model of Schwartz.

Such as it appears to the first graph, the tradition is strongly supported by the autochtonous groups. We also observe that the self-direction appears as a strong value for the actors of the municipal and the regional actors. As no lexicometric indicator was found to establish a measure of the relative support to the power value, this last one does not appear to the lower graph. The sum of the other values is returned to a 100 % level-headedness for every group of actors.

The hedonism and the power were not held for analysis on the population and are not in the higher graph. The first value was supported only by 6 propositions validated on a total of 7 794 forming the sample. The power groups together 6 % of the validated propositions but we were able to establish of lexicométrique indicator to measure its relative importance within the different groups of actors. Other values were returned to a 100 % level-headedness for every group of actors.

With regard to the worlds of Boltanski, the industrial logic dominates. The logic of the opinion also stands out in a marked way, while we require more transparency on behalf of the administrators.

The graph 2 reveals a strong use of the industrial logic, at first at the actors of the group " recreotourism " then at those of the cooperative movement and at the actors of the group "fauna". The logic of the inspired world appears very strongly in the autochtonous groups and for the actors of the agricultural middle. The logic of the trade world appears very strongly at for the actors of the private forest first of all.

As for the power of the model of Schwartz and for the same motives, the civic logic does not appear to the graph and the sum of the other logics-types is returned to a 100 % level-headedness for every group.

The study allowed to reveal bosses of distribution according to empirical foundations identified with the term of the qualitative and semi-qualitative analyses. Two models are exposed here ; the one established by simple common foundations and other one of the complex foundations.

The foundation connected with the main idea "transformation" joins directly that of the added value, associated to products stemming from the forestry development. This idea could also apply to functions of the forested environment others than those connected with the wood transformation or with the processes of management. Here, the idea of added value associated to that of the transformation becomes clearer with those of the second and third alterations. Although it is question of first transformation in a certain number of propositions which refer to the main idea of the same name, the great majority of them make rather the promotion of the added value of products stemming from the forestry development. The groups of the industry, the private forest and the agriculture are the strongest supporters of the idea " transformation ".

The main idea "rights" is very strongly supported in the autochtonous groups, far in front of all other groups. The idea "role" is very strongly supported by associations and professional orders. The actors of the cooperative movement then to those of the category " outdoors " come in the second place.

Foundations connected with the main ideas "criteria" and " criterion", last constituent the most moved closer satellite; refer mainly to the big bodily functions of the forest and to the biovariety. The first one refers to the eligibility of some silvicultural treatments, to that of certain programs and to some arrangements of the law, but especially, to the respect for the general principle of durability. The main idea "criteria" give place to an important core of representations containing nine satellite ideas. Among these last ones, the biovariety, the health and the versatility come to renforcir the reference to the durability of the environment more than to that of two other systems recognized within the framework of the general concept of durable development. The main idea "decentralization" behaves in a similar way in that of the self-transcendence relative to the values of Schwartz, that is it reaches mainly the actors of the municipal and regional middle. The ideas "local and regional development", “handling”, "consensus" and « know how to make » are satellite ideas in that of the decentralization. The ideas "information" and "education" show the same representation phenomena between the different groups of actors and contain appreciably the same satellite elements. In the sample, compared with the idea of information, that of education establishes a present specific case in only 18 % of the reports. Altogether, it is especially the actors of the agricultural middle and the autochtonous groups which have least appeal in this main idea. Otherwise, although we observe only few significant differences to the groups of actors between them, the main idea seems to behave appreciably in a similar way in that of "criteria".

Conclusion

The Quebecois forest was for a long time an object of concern, it became a political stake for various social actors. The Coulombe Committee was the privileged place for observation and study of the representations for the various implied groups, and the indication of the communication type at work. Since three in last four decades, new social and cultural representations towards the forest knew an important evolution. Several practices formerly accepted became today unacceptable. It was the same for some past attitudes. Gradually, the Quebecois population became more sensitive and worried by the way the State handeled the management of a collective good such as the public forest.

The increase of differences, consequent of an intrinsic ideological valuation, also causes distances in the ideas valuation. Some become at the same moment popular with the eyes of some groups and unpopular with the eyes of the other groups. We noted for example, that the idea "criterion" marks a communication break between the cooperative movement and the environmental groups. As for it the idea "standard" translates a communication distance between the regional and municipal actors, and the industry ones. The idea "decentralization" comes to isolate the group of the regional and municipal actors of the other groups. With regard to the same group of actors, the idea "transformation" comes to add of the weight to those who already set it to the group of the actors who become identified with the recreative manners of the forest. As for the autochtonous groups, it is the idea "right" which makes them distinguish itself most other groups.

The certification found very strong membership with the industry actors. With this idea, it is question to return the normalization of the more democratic forest. Tables of certification consist of representatives stemming from different groups of interest. We find there environmental groups, buyers, representatives governmental or stemming from university circles for example. For a manufacturer, the certification allows now to satisfy more and more concentrated and demanding buyers. It also allows to satisfy a public opinion become very critical and the political actors of the scene, who hold the power on the allocation of the first resource. It became imperative that all these speakers put themselves on the same diapason because it goes away effectively of the survival of an essential industry for the economic development of Quebec.

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The values of the Quebecois public forest according to the reports of the Coulombe Committee

Context

At the end of the '1990' years, further to the film " L'Erreur boreale " a vast inquiry committee was established within the framework of which the Quebecois population was invited to pronounce on the management of the public forest. This inquiry committee was widely mediatized, and for cause ; it appeared at a moment when the debate on the management of the Quebecois public forest reached a point of unprecedented excitement and maintained situations of non discussion become perceptible on the scale of the province, where ideas socially constructed come in confrontation and where institutions are set up to take into account better the public opinion. Which were the stakes of d*ea ute; beats on the forest? In the sociological plan, what were the values and the explanatory logics which direct, feed and structure the speech on the forest ? The forest remains an inestimable public good and can lend itself to a multitude of manners and sometimes mutually exclusive vocations. So, it is important to pay attention on the fact that say the different actors involved in the forest management and the engaging parties of this last one, notably the actors who participate in the public consultations. An analysis of the types of representation held in the speeche, would allow to sketch an interpretation of what can represent a management that we wish to see harmonizing and becoming integrated in pursuit of the common good.

Relative support by the different actors groups, of the Schwartz values

Relative use by the different actors groups, of the worlds of Boltanski

Relative supports by the actors groups of the population, in the various simple common empirical foundations

relative supports by the actors groups of the population, in the various simple complex empirical foundations

Theory

Three conditions seem essential in the democratic exercise; one the presence of a public place, that of a domain of position convenient to the debate and that of opinions intermediaries to assure a communicative bridge and allow that the ideas can evolve. We understand by public place, a one of power dynamics exercise or a platform of the public concerns. The public place intervenes such an exchange interface between the institutionalized social system and the living world formed by private persons.

Two explanatory theoretical models were held to analyze texts contained in the reports put down while the audiences of the Coulombe Committee. These models are conceived to be applied to the population in general and to the different social positionning subjects.

The model of Shalom H. Schwartz contain a set of 10 typical values among which the relative positions and the distances which separate them some of the others have nothing arbitrary. According to another theoretical model, in occurrence that of Luc Boltanski We distinguish six logics of life in society. These logics offer each of the principles and a system of justification which are appropriate for them.

Methodology

The grouping of the actors contains 14 categories. The one of associations includes groups and professional orders. The category "other" includes especially individuals and some not classified actors. The realization of the ideological location portrait for the various groups of actors between them, and the group of the actors of the forest with regard to the theoretical models, rests on a methodological method in four stages: • The qualitative and semi-qualitative analysis
• The quantitative analysis
• The check of the hypothesis

Reference :

Thesis in french only