Anke Fischer

My research combines perspectives from psychology, sociology and governance studies. It approaches environmental communication through conceptual lenses such as social representations, discourses and values, and explores intersections with legitimacy, resistance and participation, and their implications for the governance of conflict and transformation processes.

Over the years, my research has examined social representations of climate change, nature and biological diversity as built and used by different social groups, particularly also the value judgements implied, and the implications for public support for related policies. Other work has also addressed the cultural and economic role of hunting in Tanzania and Ethiopia, and the institutional arrangements that foster (or hamper) sustainable resource management, with a focus on co-management and institutional change. My more recent research has combined these different approaches by looking at the management and governance of ecosystem services, systems such as woodlands, and climate change and sustainability transformations from the perspectives of individuals as well as social groups.