Rogat+-+Memo+5+-+Hierarchy+of+Research+Questions

Michelle Rogat Memo 5 - Hierarchy of Research Questions


 * How does community education and involvement play into the environmental sustainability movement?
 * What is the level of knowledge of the members and management on sustainability, climate change, environmentalism, ecological economics, etc?
 * Surveys sent out to everyone at the club, including all employees and members, to test their range of knowledge on sustainability and the environment today
 * How much do the members of the club let their opinions about how the club should be ran/how much of an influence do the members have on the decision making process on how the club runs?
 * Interview the board committee on how the country club makes its decisions and what role the members play in that process
 * How aware are the members on the practices of the club with their waste, resources, energy, etc...?
 * Interview the members and ask them how they would rate the club for sustainability efforts and how much of an impact the club makes on the environment, ask how much they are involved with how the place is ran, to what extent do they care, do they try to put forth the effort to find out, do you believe the club should try to continue to improve, would information gathered on how things are at the moment influence your opinion and actions, to what extent
 * Actually analyze how the club manages their resources and such and see how it holds up to what the members believe it is
 * What issues bring the members together now and how could that relate to sustainability initiatives?
 * Do the members ever gather to try to make changes at the club or protest something that has been changed?
 * What elicits complaints and/or action from the members
 * Why is there resistance to the progress of sustainability initiatives? How do you overcome it?
 * How does our culture play a role in the resistance of institutions and establishments implementing sustainable practices?
 * Ask members if they grew up aware of recycling and such, if their house would do anything like recycle, compost, garden, ride bikes, buy from the farmer's market, etc.
 * What are their political affiliations?
 * Before interviewing everyone at the club, get a background on them, financial status growing up, where did they grow up, how much of an education do they have, are they religious, are you outdoorsy, etc
 * Then when interviewing people, have a very open-ended interview about how they feel about sustainability? What do they think about society's role in the progress of sustainability?
 * People tend to shy away from what they don't know or understand, would you be willing to learn to contribute to the club?
 * Ask prospective members if sustainability initiatives would influence their decision to join
 * Does the capitalist discourse promotes resistance to sustainability initiatives?
 * Do you think becoming more environmentally aware and sustainable can be profitable?
 * Do you think its economy versus environment or do you think it's possible for an all around situation for people, profit, planet?
 * If research were done on the club and information presented that suggested sustainable changes would increase profit, would you be in support of those changes occurring?
 * Research and find quantitative data on the club's ecological footprint and on the room for improvement
 * Would the potential bragging rights and positive advertising from "going green" give the club a competitive advantage?
 * Figure out why there is resistance at all different levels of governance at the club and find out how to overcome it to bring everyone on board
 * Interview the house board, the separate department heads, employees, and members with their own set of tailored questions to try to pin point how being in their position becoming more sustainable could present an issue for them
 * Do this by asking what decisions they have control over and what influences their choices/what is their decision making process
 * What would change that process so that they would take the environment into account
 * What would be reactions from your co-workers if you did take the environment into consideration?
 * What would be your reaction if someone else's decision based on environmental impact affect how you did your job?
 * Interview professionals from Audubon International and ask them about any resistance to changes and advice they notice from the establishments and businesses they work with
 * What interested those establishments to work with Audubon International in the first place?