Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Relational Values Resonate Broadly And Differently Than Intrinsic Or Instrumental Values, Or The New Ecological Paradigm, Sarah Klain, Paige Olmsted, Kai M. A. Chan, Terre Satterfield

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Value orientations used to explain or justify conservation have been rooted in arguments about how much and in what context to emphasize the intrinsic versus instrumental value of nature. Equally prominent are characterizations of beliefs known as the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP), often used to help explain pro-environmental behaviour. A recent alternative to these positions has been identified as ‘relational value’—broadly, values linking people and ecosystems via tangible and intangible relationships to nature as well as the principles, virtues and notions of a good life that may accompany these. This paper examines whether relational values are distinct from other value …