ABSTRACT
In the case of the Scandinavian wolf, the species is both considered an impediment to rural livelihoods and survival, and valued as an inextricable part of the fauna. Understanding the social, cultural and political roots of this polarization, which involve uncertainty regarding future prospects for species recovery and human – wildlife coexistence, conflicting environmental goals and values, and disputes over the burdens and benefits of conservation initiatives, requires a research approach that can contribute to a renewed and broadened understanding of the contemporary aspects of contested policy and management. We argue that any research into such contentious and politicized situations requires a comprehensive and exhaustive research design capable of addressing both individual and collective dimensions, including emotive human responses, issues of social and political trust, conflicting values and norms, clashing knowledge claims, and politicized arenas of interaction. At the same time, studying politicized phenomena may be challenging for the researcher who must create a trustful conversational space and balance the entanglements arising from the socio-cultural and political embeddedness of the connections between individuals, groups, organizations, and institutions. To illustrate this, we highlight the usefulness of different theoretical and methodological perspectives in the exploration of the different frames held by actors at different levels.
