This paper delves into the highly debated topic of climate change and its communication across social media, particularly on the platform X (formerly Twitter). Recognizing the profound global implications of climate change discourse, the study focuses on linguistic analysis at the lexical level, examining semantic patterns in environmental discourse. The goal is to identify distinctive language devices, including lexemes, phrases, clauses, figures of speech, and idiomatic expressions, and link them to the discourse categories of tragic and comic apocalypse in environmental discourse as defined by Foust and O'Shannon. The analysis involves closely examining selected Tweets from the database, aiming to categorize them based on these discourse frames. The paper outlines the methodology, defines discourse framing and environmental discourse categories, and concludes with a summary of findings and an outlook on communication modalities in the current discourse about climate change on social media.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Framing in Environmental Discourse about Climate Change
2.1 Climate Change framed as a Tragic and a Comic Apocalypse
3 Method
3.1 Database of Tweets concerning Environmental Discourse
3.2 AI Utilization
3.3 The Analysis Method of the Environmental Discourse Text Data from the Social Network X
4 Data Collection and Analysis of the Environmental Discourse Text Data about Climate Change from the X Tweets Database
4.1 Analysis of Tragic Apocalypse Discourse about Climate Change
4.2 Analysis of Comic Apocalypse Discourse about Climate Change
5 Conclusion
Research Objectives and Topics
The primary objective of this study is to perform a linguistic analysis of environmental discourse concerning climate change on the social media platform X. By examining a corpus of 100 tweets, the research aims to identify linguistic devices and patterns that categorize environmental communication into the topoi of "tragic" and "comic" apocalypse, as defined by Foust and O'Shannon, and to determine how these frames influence the perception of climate change.
- Methodological linguistic analysis of lexical and semantic patterns in social media discourse.
- Application of Foust and O'Shannon’s framing theory (tragic vs. comic apocalypse) to modern climate discourse.
- Investigation of the role of human agency and solution-orientation in different framing modalities.
- Identification of rhetorical devices such as metaphors, hyperboles, and idioms used for audience engagement.
- Evaluation of how specific discourse frames contribute to either helplessness or proactivity regarding climate action.
Excerpt from the Book
1 Introduction
One of the most highly debated and controversial topics of the 21st Century has been climate change together with all its environmental, economic, political and social implications. It is a phenomenon which concerns everybody on our Planet and throughout the years different communication channels have been used to talk about it to different extents and with diverse communicative purposes. Climate change constitutes a sensitive topic which holds global relevance, and its perception can lead people to action or inaction, positive and negative emotions, or indifference. Thus, discourse about climate change could affect the course of human history in the present time. With regards to this, language holds a great importance in this context, as it is the main factor influencing the understanding of the message in communication.
Numerous studies have identified specific discourse patterns in the texts about climate change in the media across the years. Therefore, the main purpose of this paper will be to undertake a linguistic analysis on the lexical level of semantics considering chunks of environmental discourse about climate change on social media with the aim to discover through what language devices communication about climate change on a given communication channel is currently being achieved and how this can influence its perception.
The corpus that I will be analyzing belong to a database containing texts from the social media platform X which is the former Twitter which is one of the most popular social media of our time and as it presents each user with a large span of visibility and today’s most interesting topics among which there is also climate change.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter contextualizes climate change as a critical global issue and outlines the paper's purpose to perform a linguistic analysis on how social media discourse frames this phenomenon.
2 Framing in Environmental Discourse about Climate Change: The chapter explores the theoretical framework of discourse framing and distinguishes between the tragic and comic apocalyptic narratives in environmental communication.
2.1 Climate Change framed as a Tragic and a Comic Apocalypse: This section provides detailed definitions of the two apocalyptic variants, focusing on either cosmic fate or the potential for human influence.
3 Method: The author details the approach taken to select and analyze 100 tweets extracted from a broader database to research the chosen linguistic discourse patterns.
3.1 Database of Tweets concerning Environmental Discourse: This section describes the source and composition of the tweet collection, highlighting the criteria used for selecting relevant texts.
3.2 AI Utilization: The author explains the use of ChatGPT as a tool to gain an initial overview of climate change discourse and social media importance.
3.3 The Analysis Method of the Environmental Discourse Text Data from the Social Network X: This part clarifies the specific linguistic criteria and grammatical categories used to identify and categorize the analyzed text chunks.
4 Data Collection and Analysis of the Environmental Discourse Text Data about Climate Change from the X Tweets Database: This chapter presents the empirical findings gathered from the tweets, organized into the two discourse categories.
4.1 Analysis of Tragic Apocalypse Discourse about Climate Change: A detailed breakdown of rhetorical devices and semantic patterns that contribute to a tragic and fatalistic frame of climate change.
4.2 Analysis of Comic Apocalypse Discourse about Climate Change: An analysis of linguistic variables that support a comic frame, characterized by solution orientation and human agency.
5 Conclusion: The author summarizes the findings, confirming how different frames influence the perception and clarity of climate change communication.
Keywords
Climate Change, Environmental Discourse, Tragic Apocalypse, Comic Apocalypse, Social Media, Framing, Linguistic Analysis, Rhetoric, Lexical Semantics, Human Agency, Climate Action, Discourse Patterns, Communication Modality, X, Twitter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The work investigates the language used in environmental discourse about climate change on the social media platform X, categorizing these texts into tragic or comic apocalyptic frames.
Which theoretical concept is central to the analysis?
The study utilizes the concepts of "tragic" and "comic" apocalypse, originally defined by Foust and O'Shannon, to evaluate how environmental issues are framed in public discourse.
What is the primary objective of this paper?
The goal is to determine how specific linguistic devices—such as metaphors, idioms, and hyperboles—influence the perception of climate change and affect the public's feeling of agency or helplessness.
Which scientific method is employed?
The paper employs a linguistic analysis focused on lexical semantics, examining grammar and figurative speech patterns within a curated database of 100 tweets.
What is explored in the main body of the work?
The main part of the paper consists of a comparative analysis of tweets assigned to specific discourse categories, evaluating how grammatical choices reflect either a fatalistic or a solution-oriented perspective.
Which keywords characterize this study?
Key terms include Climate Change, Framing, Environmental Discourse, Tragic/Comic Apocalypse, Linguistic Analysis, and Human Agency.
How is the "tragic" frame described in the tweets?
The tragic frame is characterized by imagery of catastrophe, fear, death, and a lack of belief in successful human intervention in the face of inevitable environmental decline.
What distinguishes the "comic" frame from the tragic one?
The comic frame is distinguished by its exhortative, solution-oriented register, emphasizing human agency, and using language that promotes collective action rather than passive despair.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Vittoria Guarino (Autor:in), 2023, Climate Change. Tragic and comic apocalypse in environmental discourse on Social Media, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1419392
