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Our Approach
As part of our Ag Literacy Program, The Simpson Centre is developing informational resources on widely debated topics (aka controversies) within the agriculture system. This work uses Controversy Mapping (CM), a methodology that unpacks and maps the layers of a controversy. This process creates a Controversy Atlas for people to engage with and learn about through an interactive website, like this one!
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Controversy Mapping
Controversy Mapping (CM) works to untangle complex debates, or controversies, to make them more understandable to the variety of “actors” involved. These actors can be policy makers, researchers, general publics, or even the environment itself [1] [2] [3].
The goal of each map is to help people navigate the confusion created by controversies into more digestible resources. This is done by untangling a controversy into multiple layers and encouraging readers to explore, engage, and make their own judgements on the material.
The foundational puzzle pieces of a controversy map:
"What" = The statements involved in the discourse. Visualized by a Tree of Disagreement.
“Who” = Who is making each statement. Visualized by an actor-arguments table, which shows where actors stand apart or together on the issue.
“How” = How actors are connected within the controversy.
“When” = The Timeline of the Controversy. This tracks changes and developments over time. (e.g. new technologies or policy changes).
"What"
"How"
"Who"
"Where"
"When"
Controversy Map
“Where” = Where does this controversy fit in?
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