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.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (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
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
The main objective of this paper is to conduct a linguistic analysis of environmental discourse about climate change on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). The analysis focuses on identifying language devices used to communicate about climate change and how these devices influence perception. The study utilizes a database of tweets to investigate how climate change is framed within the context of "tragic" and "comic" apocalyptic narratives, as defined by Foust and O'Shannon.
- Linguistic analysis of climate change discourse on social media.
- Identification of language devices shaping the perception of climate change.
- Examination of "tragic" and "comic" apocalyptic framing of climate change.
- Exploration of the influence of framing on attitudes and potential actions regarding climate change.
- Analysis of the communicative properties of lexical items within the chosen discourse categories.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
1 Introduction: This introductory chapter establishes the significance of climate change as a globally relevant and highly debated topic. It highlights the crucial role of language in shaping the understanding and perception of climate change communication. The chapter introduces the paper's primary aim: a linguistic analysis of environmental discourse on social media platform X, focusing on how language devices contribute to the communication and perception of climate change. The chapter also introduces the corpus used in the analysis – a database of tweets – and briefly explains the methodology employed to analyze the data, focusing on the lexical level of semantics and the identification of language related to "tragic" and "comic" apocalyptic narratives.
2 Framing in Environmental Discourse about Climate Change: This chapter defines discourse framing and its impact on message perception. It introduces Foust and O'Shannon's work on the apocalyptic framing of climate change discourse, differentiating between "tragic" and "comic" apocalyptic frames. The "tragic" frame portrays climate change as an inevitable cosmic event beyond human control, while the "comic" frame allows for human agency in mitigating the effects of climate change, even within limitations. The chapter lays the groundwork for the subsequent analysis by establishing the theoretical framework for understanding how these different frames operate within the chosen dataset.
3 Method: This chapter details the methodology used in the study. It describes the database of tweets used, assembled by Olena Tykhostup, and explains the selection criteria for the tweets included in the analysis. The chapter justifies the use of social media data for this type of research and outlines the analytic approach used to categorize tweets into the "tragic" and "comic" apocalyptic frameworks established in Chapter 2. It emphasizes the selection of tweets directly addressing climate change and the exclusion of tweets denying climate change.
4 Data Collection and Analysis of the Environmental Discourse Text Data about Climate Change from the X Tweets Database: This chapter presents the core findings of the study. It details the analysis of the selected tweets, categorizing them into the "tragic" and "comic" apocalyptic frames. This section likely involves a detailed examination of the specific language used in the tweets to support the categorization, demonstrating how identified lexical choices contribute to the overall framing of climate change within each category. The chapter likely presents a breakdown of the frequency and distribution of each frame within the dataset.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Climate change, environmental discourse, social media, Twitter, linguistic analysis, framing, apocalyptic narrative, tragic apocalypse, comic apocalypse, language, communication, perception, human agency, Foust and O’Shannon.
Frequently Asked Questions: Linguistic Analysis of Environmental Discourse about Climate Change on Social Media
What is the main objective of this research paper?
The primary objective is to conduct a linguistic analysis of environmental discourse surrounding climate change on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). The study aims to identify language devices used to communicate about climate change and how these devices influence the perception of this issue.
What is the scope of the analysis?
The analysis focuses on how climate change is framed within the context of "tragic" and "comic" apocalyptic narratives, as defined by Foust and O'Shannon. It examines language devices shaping the perception of climate change and explores the influence of framing on attitudes and potential actions regarding climate change. The analysis also investigates the communicative properties of lexical items within the chosen discourse categories.
What data was used in the analysis?
The research utilizes a database of tweets concerning environmental discourse, assembled by Olena Tykhostup. The tweets were selected based on criteria that ensured they directly addressed climate change and excluded those denying its existence.
What methodology was employed?
The methodology involves a linguistic analysis of the selected tweets, categorizing them into "tragic" and "comic" apocalyptic frames based on the identified language devices. The analysis focuses on the lexical level of semantics.
How is climate change framed in the analysis?
The analysis differentiates between "tragic" and "comic" apocalyptic frames. The "tragic" frame portrays climate change as an inevitable and uncontrollable event, while the "comic" frame suggests human agency in mitigating its effects, even within limitations.
What are the key findings of the study (as previewed)?
The core findings, as previewed in the chapter summaries, involve a detailed examination of the specific language used in tweets to support their categorization into "tragic" and "comic" apocalyptic frames. The analysis likely presents a breakdown of the frequency and distribution of each frame within the dataset.
What are the key themes explored in this paper?
Key themes include the linguistic analysis of climate change discourse on social media, the identification of language devices influencing perception, the examination of "tragic" and "comic" apocalyptic framing, and the exploration of framing's influence on attitudes and potential actions concerning climate change.
What are the keywords associated with this research?
Keywords include: Climate change, environmental discourse, social media, Twitter, linguistic analysis, framing, apocalyptic narrative, tragic apocalypse, comic apocalypse, language, communication, perception, human agency, Foust and O’Shannon.
What is included in the provided document?
The provided document is a comprehensive language preview that includes the title, table of contents, objectives and key themes, chapter summaries, and keywords.
- Quote paper
- Vittoria Guarino (Author), 2023, Climate Change. Tragic and comic apocalypse in environmental discourse on Social Media, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/1419392
