Unpacking the “cultural costs” of social license to operate on environmental governance among ethnic minorities in China
Abstract This study explores the role of social license to operate (SLO) in environmental policy governance, focusing on the cultural complexities in ethnic minority regions. It argues that cultural costs, an often overlooked aspect of SLO, play a significant role in shaping community acceptance or...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer Nature
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04975-w |
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| author | Hui Zhang Shangxian Shen Linzi Zheng La Zhai |
| author_facet | Hui Zhang Shangxian Shen Linzi Zheng La Zhai |
| author_sort | Hui Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract This study explores the role of social license to operate (SLO) in environmental policy governance, focusing on the cultural complexities in ethnic minority regions. It argues that cultural costs, an often overlooked aspect of SLO, play a significant role in shaping community acceptance or resistance. Using a case study from a Yao ethnic community in Guangdong Province, China, the research highlights the unintended consequences of environmental policies, particularly relocation efforts. Findings reveal that such policies are likely to contribute to the erosion of traditional knowledge, the weakening of cultural identity, the restriction of cultural practices, and the undermining of indigenous governance, leading to distrust among the Yao people. This study emphasizes the importance of considering cultural costs in policy design to ensure environmental measures are both effective and culturally sensitive. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ad2240c45f9f42c1b59f2ca2afb99b4e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2662-9992 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Springer Nature |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-ad2240c45f9f42c1b59f2ca2afb99b4e2025-08-20T03:53:11ZengSpringer NatureHumanities & Social Sciences Communications2662-99922025-05-0112111210.1057/s41599-025-04975-wUnpacking the “cultural costs” of social license to operate on environmental governance among ethnic minorities in ChinaHui Zhang0Shangxian Shen1Linzi Zheng2La Zhai3Guangzhou UniversityGuangzhou UniversityHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyXiamen UniversityAbstract This study explores the role of social license to operate (SLO) in environmental policy governance, focusing on the cultural complexities in ethnic minority regions. It argues that cultural costs, an often overlooked aspect of SLO, play a significant role in shaping community acceptance or resistance. Using a case study from a Yao ethnic community in Guangdong Province, China, the research highlights the unintended consequences of environmental policies, particularly relocation efforts. Findings reveal that such policies are likely to contribute to the erosion of traditional knowledge, the weakening of cultural identity, the restriction of cultural practices, and the undermining of indigenous governance, leading to distrust among the Yao people. This study emphasizes the importance of considering cultural costs in policy design to ensure environmental measures are both effective and culturally sensitive.https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04975-w |
| spellingShingle | Hui Zhang Shangxian Shen Linzi Zheng La Zhai Unpacking the “cultural costs” of social license to operate on environmental governance among ethnic minorities in China Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| title | Unpacking the “cultural costs” of social license to operate on environmental governance among ethnic minorities in China |
| title_full | Unpacking the “cultural costs” of social license to operate on environmental governance among ethnic minorities in China |
| title_fullStr | Unpacking the “cultural costs” of social license to operate on environmental governance among ethnic minorities in China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unpacking the “cultural costs” of social license to operate on environmental governance among ethnic minorities in China |
| title_short | Unpacking the “cultural costs” of social license to operate on environmental governance among ethnic minorities in China |
| title_sort | unpacking the cultural costs of social license to operate on environmental governance among ethnic minorities in china |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04975-w |
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