ABSTRACT
Within the context of south-western Alberta, unconventional energy production, such as shale gas, almost never exists in isolation on the landscape. The presence of diverse and often contested interests is commonplace, and governance arrangements in these settings are fraught with challenges. With an emphasis on enhanced participatory governance within this complex social context, this chapter seeks to identify distinct discourses on energy development within the south-western region of Alberta where overlapping interests can serve as a foothold for collaboration. Q-methodology and in-depth interviews are used to identify discourses, involving the sorting of statements on energy production in Canada. Results show four distinct discourses on energy development and related sources of tension within the governance of natural resources. The chapter highlights areas of consensus between groups with otherwise distinct views, for instance, concerning inequalities between rural communities and the energy industry. Conclusions highlight the value of these methods in identifying common ground for energy governance.
