Where is the wolf? A multi‐method comparison of social values and perceptions in a Swiss park

Abstract

This article presents our recent experience studying public perceptions, discourses, and social values in Park Beverin, a Regional Nature Park in Switzerland. We applied four social research methods (news media analysis, survey with micro‐narratives, go‐along interviews, and focus groups), and delved into the subject of wolf Canis lupus adapting a triangulation protocol and systematic process from the health sciences. We observed the recurring perceptions of ‘wolf' throughout three of the four methods; however, depictions, values, prominence, and presence varied by method. Social values of the wolf were mostly silent when compared to other topics, and ‘wolf amplification' and ‘wolf fatigue' point to the need to rethink the social aspects in wolf management, conservation, and policy. The findings also show the need for diverse research methods for revealing social values and perceptions on sensitive topics that otherwise the use of one method may be masking or amplifying.