Pragmatism and environmental problem-solving: A systematic moral analysis of democratic decision-making in Butte, Montana

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dc.contributor.authorOkrusch, Chad Michael, 1973-
dc.date.accessioned2011-07-22T00:13:43Z
dc.date.available2011-07-22T00:13:43Z
dc.date.issued2010-03
dc.descriptionxii, 167 p. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.en_US
dc.description.abstractButte, Montana has served as the epicenter of hard rock mining and mineral processing in the Upper Clark Fork River Basin (UCFRB) for nearly 150 years. As a result, the UCFRB contains the largest contiguous complex of major environmental clean-up projects in the United States. Contemporary U.S. environmental problem- solving is characterized by an emphasis on meaningful public participation in environmental decision-making. The U.S. is committed to the realization of environmental justice, which requires that affected publics, especially the working classes who tend to bear a disproportionate share of the environmental burdens, influence environmental clean-up efforts. However, much of the critical literature on the subject suggests that in practice the public is rarely included as a significant force in decision-making. In hard-used places like Butte, Montana, the community's ecological problems are compounded by their democratic problems. This constitutes an integrated crisis in ecology and democracy, the problem at the heart of this inquiry. This dissertation presents a pragmatic interrogation of U.S. environmental problem-solving from an ethical and environmental communication research perspective. It is a work of pragmatic moral philosophy in the tradition of John Dewey. The overarching methodology is Systematic Moral Analysis (SMA), which unfolds in five phases: problem recognition, problem diagnosis, moral analysis, evaluation, and moral action. This research concludes by suggesting philosophically defensible principles to guide future U.S. environmental decision-making based on pragmatic criteria emphasizing the health and well-being of both democratic and environmental systems as the highest good in environmental problem-solving.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipCommittee in charge: Julianne Newton, Chairperson, Journalism and Communication; Stephen Ponder, Member, Journalism and Communication; Thomas Bivins, Member, Journalism and Communication; John Foster, Outside Member, Sociologyen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1794/11445
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of Oregonen_US
dc.relation.ispartofseriesUniversity of Oregon theses, School of Journalism and Communication, Ph. D., 2010;
dc.subjectPragmatismen_US
dc.subjectButte (Mont.)en_US
dc.subjectMontanaen_US
dc.subjectPublic participationen_US
dc.subjectEnvironmental communicationen_US
dc.subjectEnvironmental historyen_US
dc.subjectDemocratic decision-makingen_US
dc.subjectAmerican historyen_US
dc.subjectEnvironmental philosophyen_US
dc.subjectEthicsen_US
dc.subjectPhilosophyen_US
dc.titlePragmatism and environmental problem-solving: A systematic moral analysis of democratic decision-making in Butte, Montanaen_US
dc.title.alternativeSystematic moral analysis of democratic decision-making in Butte, Montanaen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

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