Distorted Communication in the Florida Everglades: A Critical Theory Analysis of ‘Everglades Restoration’

Abstract

As an alternative paradigm to the study of longitudinal policy development and change, Habermas' critical theory is applied to Florida Everglades restoration Policies. In Habermas' conception of advanced capitalism, government officials are caught in a conflicting imperative: policy-makers are expected to serve the interests of their nation as a whole, but they must prop up an economic system that benefits the wealthy at the expense of most workers and the environment. To prevent the public from questioning the legitimacy of these actions, public officials and administrators use narratives. The objective of this qualitative case study is to apply Habermas' critical theory to an established and internationally renowned restoration programme to understand the macro-level systematic contradictions found in restoration policies and programmes. Results from archival and secondary data, as well as interview analysis, support that the current narrative ‘Everglades Restoration’ is strong, socially constructed, ambiguous, and continues to thrive, despite a motivation crisis in the early 1990s. The article concludes with practical implications for public administrators managing restoration programmes that rely on a narrative for political and public support.

Keywords:

• Everglades
• Habermas
• critical theory
• ecological restoration
• narratives