A worldview approach: Explaining conflict and deadlock in interactive processes The importance of values and perceptions in interactive processes

Abstract

The Dutch government uses interactive policy-making to address sustainability issues and make policy. But during such processes different views of sustainability clash. Differences in values and perceptions form the basis of conflict about sustainability. The possibility of finding a solution in such an interactive process depends on whether this conflict can be solved. When this conflict can’t be solved this may result in troublesome interactive processes and deadlock and halfway compromises. The literature does not analyse how values and perceptions influence interactive process, to what extent values and perceptions are a factor in conflict and what implications this might have for the interactive planning practice. This worldview approach enables the analysis of the role values and perceptions, intertwined in a worldview, play in causing and solving conflicts in interactive processes.