Social science literature frequently conflates the concepts "narrative" and "frame." We argue not only that using the terms interchangeably is conceptually imprecise but also that analyses based on them actually produce different kinds of knowledge. A systematic disentanglement, contrast and refinement of both concepts benefits from a comparative framework applied to the same case. We provide both. The illustrative case is a large infrastructural coastal management project. The key difference between narratives and frames turns out to be on the respective scale level: frames are actors' perspectives, whereas narratives are the expressed products of those perspectives. Being the mode of expression of one's perspective, we pinpoint "storytelling" as the link between narratives and framing and the origin of the conceptual confusion. Our framework clarifies the terminological usage and enables an informed method choice based on the desired kind of knowledge. With this clearer terminological understanding in mind, we encourage researchers to let the requirements and idiosyncrasies of their specific research interest and context inform their methods choice and to view the comparative framework as a heuristic rather than a deductive scheme.@en

Institutional work offers a promising lens for understanding institutional change, focusing on the efforts of actors in creating, maintaining or disrupting institutions. In this paper, we explore the capacity of a narrative approach to provide insights on institutional work, using a case study from the coast of Sweden. We identify four narratives that compete in the policy discourse regarding erosion and beach nourishment in the coastal province of Scania. The narratives reveal that actors hold different beliefs concerning the magnitude of the erosion problem, the division of responsibilities and the suitability of sand nourishment as a coastal protection measure. The narrative competition is considered reflective of past institutional discussions and ongoing institutional work in coastal management in Scania, confirming that narratives are used as sense-making and meaning-giving devices in institutional discussions.@en

This paper discusses the dynamics of coastal policy change in Sweden, using erosion and beach nourishments as an example. The Multiple Stream Model is a theoretical model on agenda setting and policy change developed by the political scientist John Kingdon (1984, 2003). This paper applies Kingdon’s model in describing and explaining coastal policy dynamics regarding coastal erosion in Sweden. Coastal protection is not a separate policy field in Sweden: interventions to protect the (common) coast form a component of spatial planning,which is largely the responsibility of the municipalities. Our analysis reveals that interventions to protect the coast are indeed organized at a local level, by landowners and the municipality, driven by a strong problemperception. This problem perception is articulated as a local voice seeking increased acknowledgement of the coastal erosion issue by the national government. Although the problem of coastal erosion has entered severalregional and national policy agendas over the last decade, and the first implementation of a large scale beach nourishment has been experienced positively, this has not yet led to the opening of ‘policy windows’ for significantchange on the regional and national levels.@en

The cyclic nature of integrated coastal management embodies a learning-based approach. Pilot projects in particular have an explicit learning objective. Whereas learning from (changing) physical aspects is often part of the monitoring and evaluation phase within the ICM cycle, learning from the experiences of people is not structurally embedded in integrated coastal management. In this paper a method for learning from the experiences of different actors involved in the realisation of a pilot project is developed. The experiences of actors are expressed in personal narratives obtained in open interview settings. The narrative method developed in this paper, draws on methods deriving from narrative analysis and social science, and results in biographies that represent shared actor-based perceptions on the origin and evolution of a particular pilot project. Learning is then derived from analysis, interpretation and discussion of these biographies. The method is applied to a Dutch coastal pilot project, the Sand Engine. This massive, artificial, sandy peninsula, implemented in 2011, is designed to enhance coastal safety and forms a nature and recreation area. The narrative analysis of this case results in three biographies that contribute to understanding success experiences in this project, and the resonance of narrative-elements within the coastal policy community.@en

Ecosystem services (ES) are increasingly embedded in policy agendas, but if and how policy actors are considering them is not often reported. This study assesses the extent to which ES were considered by key policy actors involved in the strategic decision-making process leading to an innovative large-scale Dutch coastal management project. We analysed retrospective interviews to ascertain which ES were considered and how they were described by policy actors. Over half of the quotes (118/228) and 16 out of the 17 interviewees referred to three broad ES categories, with high degrees of adoption: coastal safety, recreation and cognitive development (learning by doing). The broad terms ‘nature’ and ‘spatial quality’ were also referenced often (36 times). Our findings suggest that broad, unspecified ecosystem services were adopted highly by the policy actors, while specific ecosystem service categories were rarely considered. Relatable and comprehensible cultural ecosystem services also constituted critical arguments for policy actors in their strategic decision making. We reflect that ambiguous, broad terms can help to garner support and unite efforts across disciplinary and institutional boundaries. For ES to align with relevant aspects of decision making, a ‘translation step’ between ES research and decision making might be required and ambiguity should be acknowledged.@en

Ecosystem services (ES) are increasingly embedded in policy agendas, but if and how policy actors are considering them is not often reported. This study assesses the extent to which ES were considered by key policy actors involved in the strategic decision-making process leading to an innovative large-scale Dutch coastal management project. We analysed retrospective interviews to ascertain which ES were considered and how they were described by policy actors. Over half of the quotes (118/228) and 16 out of the 17 interviewees referred to three broad ES categories, with high degrees of adoption: coastal safety, recreation and cognitive development (learning by doing). The broad terms ‘nature’ and ‘spatial quality’ were also referenced often (36 times). Our findings suggest that broad, unspecified ecosystem services were adopted highly by the policy actors, while specific ecosystem service categories were rarely considered. Relatable and comprehensible cultural ecosystem services also constituted critical arguments for policy actors in their strategic decision making. We reflect that ambiguous, broad terms can help to garner support and unite efforts across disciplinary and institutional boundaries. For ES to align with relevant aspects of decision making, a ‘translation step’ between ES research and decision making might be required and ambiguity should be acknowledged.@en

Pilot projects are favoured instruments for exploring and perhaps realising policy change. The challenges that coastal policy faces, the frequency with which pilot projects are implemented, and the criticisms regarding their efficacy make it interesting and relevant to study pilot projects in this policy field. This dissertation on ‘Narrative perspectives on the development of coastal pilot projects’ aims to deepen understanding of the development of pilot projects in their actor-networks. It utilises the concept of narratives both in the conceptualisation of the development of pilot projects and in the design of a research strategy, choosing to learn from the experiences of actors involved in coastal pilot projects. The Sand Engine in the Netherlands and Ystad’s sand nourishment project in Scania, Sweden, are the two coastal pilot projects from which empirical data are drawn. Retrospective biographies of the Sand Engine pilot project, and the narrative competitions active in both the Sand Engine and Ystad cases were identified using deductive and inductive narrative analysis methods. This thesis highlights that pilot projects function not only as learning instruments for understanding the (bio)physical system, but also as instruments where actor-based learning is storified and success can be claimed and institutionally anchored.@en