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Arran Stibbe

University of Gloucestershire, Creative Arts, Faculty Member

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Arran’s research examines how language encodes the stories we live by, and shapes how we see ourselves and our relationship with other animals and the environment. This involves linguistic analysis of a wide range of discourses from advertising, which encourages people to buy unnecessary and ecologically damaging products, to the inspirational language of nature writing.

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Books by Arran Stibbe

Ecolinguistics: Language, Ecology and the Stories We Live By

The increasingly rapid destruction of the ecological systems that support life is calling into qu... more The increasingly rapid destruction of the ecological systems that support life is calling into question some of the fundamental stories that we live by: stories of unlimited economic growth, of consumerism, progress, individualism, success, and the human domination of nature.

Ecolinguistics shows how linguistic analysis can help reveal the stories we live by, open them up to question, and contribute to the search for new stories. Bringing together the latest ecolinguistic studies with new theoretical insights and practical analyses, this book charts a new course for ecolinguistics as an engaged form of critical enquiry. Featuring:

A framework for understanding the theory of ecolinguistics and applying it practically in real life;

Exploration of diverse topics from consumerism in lifestyle magazines to Japanese nature haiku;

A comprehensive glossary giving concise descriptions of the linguistic terms used in the book;

Discourse analysis of a wide range of texts including newspapers, magazines, advertisements, films, nonfiction books, and visual images.

This is essential reading for undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers working in the areas of Discourse Analysis and Language and Ecology.

Animals erased: discourse, ecology and reconnection with the natural world

Animals are disappearing, vanishing, and dying out--not just in the physical sense of becoming ex... more Animals are disappearing, vanishing, and dying out--not just in the physical sense of becoming extinct, but in the sense of being erased from our consciousness. Increasingly, interactions with animals happen at a remove: mediated by nature programs, books, and cartoons; framed by the enclosures of zoos and aquariums; distanced by the museum cases that display lifeless bodies. In this thought-provoking book, Arran Stibbe takes us on a journey of discovery, revealing the many ways in which language affects our relationships with animals and the natural world. Animal-product industry manuals, school textbooks, ecological reports, media coverage of environmental issues, and animal-rights polemics all commonly portray animals as inanimate objects or passive victims. In his search for an alternative to these negative forms of discourse, Stibbe turns to the traditional culture of Japan. Within Zen philosophy, haiku poetry, and even contemporary children's animated films, animals appear as active agents, leading their own lives for their own purposes, and of value in themselves.

The Handbook of Sustainability Literacy

Papers by Arran Stibbe

Positive Discourse Analysis

The Routledge Handbook of Ecolinguistics, 2017

The University of Gloucestershire accepts no liability for any infringement of intellectual prope... more

Toward a grammar of ecocultural identity

Routledge Handbook of Ecocultural Identity, 2020

This chapter explores linguistic devices which are used to perform ecocultural identities, define... more This chapter explores linguistic devices which are used to perform ecocultural identities, defined as identities which include consideration of not just humans but also other species and the wider ecological systems that sustain life. Of the many possible ecocultural identities available some have the power to influence people to care and protect other species and the ecosystems that life depends on, and these are considered to be ‘positive’. The chapter analyses language features in the book Land of the spotted eagle by Luther Standing Bear in the search for language features which help to instantiate positive ecocultural identities. The methodology used is an adaptation of Positive Discourse Analysis, where texts are analysed for features that align with the values system (or ecosophy) of the analyst. The linguistic devices described in the chapter include metaphor, appraisal patterns, agency, pronoun use and semantic inclusion. The purpose of Positive Discourse Analysis is to describe linguistic features which could be selectively combined, with careful consideration of the context, to promote particular value systems; in this case to promote care for humans, other species, and wider ecological systems.

Education for Sustainability and the Search for New Stories to Live by

Prioritizing Sustainability Education, 2019

Ecolinguistics and economics : the power of language to build worlds

Disclaimer The University of Gloucestershire has obtained warranties from all depositors as to th... more Disclaimer The University of Gloucestershire has obtained warranties from all depositors as to their title in the material deposited and as to their right to deposit such material. The University of Gloucestershire makes no representation or warranties of commercial utility, title, or fitness for a particular purpose or any other warranty, express or implied in respect of any material deposited. The University of Gloucestershire makes no representation that the use of the materials will not infringe any patent, copyright, trademark or other property or proprietary rights. The University of Gloucestershire accepts no liability for any infringement of intellectual property rights in any material deposited but will remove such material from public view pending investigation in the event of an allegation of any such infringement.

Discovering the Weatherworld

Appendicitis is the most common cause of emergency surgeries worldwide. In this article, the pres... more

O tao da linguagem: semelhanças entre linguística, construtivismo social e misticismo

O principal objetivo desta artigo e mostrar que a sociologia e a linguistica apresentam ideias se... more O principal objetivo desta artigo e mostrar que a sociologia e a linguistica apresentam ideias semelhantes as da filosofia oriental, que tambem serao discutidas neste trabalho. Alem disso, procurar-se-a mostrar que tais similaridades tambem ocorrem em outras disciplinas, com destaque para a fisica moderna, conforme exposto em Capra (1999, 1982), bem como que a exploracao dessas similaridades e uma possivel sintese de tradicoes sao mais uteis para a linguistica, e demais ciencias, do que a procura de pontos dessemelhantes. Palavras-chave : Lingua; Semântica; Construtivismo Social; Taoismo; Zen-Budismo. ABSTRACT The main purpose of this article is to show that sociology and linguistics contain ideas that are similar do oriental philosophy – these will be discussed here too –. Further, I intend to show that these similarities are also present in other disciplines, especially modern physics as demonstrated in Capra (1999, 1982). An emphasis in these similarities combined with a synthe...

Work-based Learning in the Humanities: a welcome stranger?

insight.glos.ac.uk

Arran Stibbe. ... There is strong evidence in the literature that one of the most common benefits... more

An Ecolinguistic Approach to Critical Discourse Studies

Critical Discourse Studies, 2013

The University of Gloucestershire accepts no liability for any infringement of intellectual prope... more

The discursive construction of biodiversity

The Handbook of Sustainability Literacy: skills for a changing world

Acknowledgements. Introduction by Arran Stibbe and Heather Luna. Part 1 Skills for a Changing Wor... more Acknowledgements. Introduction by Arran Stibbe and Heather Luna. Part 1 Skills for a Changing World. Ecocriticism: the ability to investigate cultural artefacts from an ecological perspective - by Greg Garrard. Optimisation: the art of personal sufficiency - by John Naish. Grounded Economic Awareness: economic awareness based on ecological and ethical values - by Satish Kumar. Advertising Awareness: the ability to expose advertising discourses that undermine sustainability, and resist them - by Arran Stibbe. Transition Skills: skills for transition to a post-fossil-fuel age - by Stephen Quilley. Commons Thinking: the ability to envisage and enable a viable future through connected action - by Justin Kenrick. Effortless Action: the ability to fulfil human needs effortlessly through working with nature - by Ling Feng. Permaculture Design: designing our lives with nature as the model - by Patrick Whitefield. Community Gardening: skills for building community and working within environm...

Discovering the Weatherworld: Combining Ecolinguistics, Ecocriticism, and Lived Experience

This chapter explores the power of ecolinguistics, ecocriticism and lived experience to help peop... more This chapter explores the power of ecolinguistics, ecocriticism and lived experience to help people rediscover and reconnect with nature: not just the relatively solid forms of plants, animals, soil and landscapes but also the more transient wind, sun, rain, mist and snow. The combination of the solid, slowly-changing forms of nature and the quickly-changing forms of weather can be described as the Weatherworld. One task for environmental communication is to encourage people to live in the Weatherworld, experiencing and enjoying the local nature around them in all weathers, rather than staying indoors being entertained by gadgets, shopping in a covered mall or flying off in search of the sun. Living in the Weatherworld can not only help people fulfil their needs without excess consumption, it can also encourage them to value their local plants, trees, wildlife and the larger ecosystems that life depends on. Ecolinguistics can play a role in encouraging people to reconnect with the W...

ABRACADABRA, ALAKAZAM: Colonialism and the Discourse of Entertainment Magic

Magic rituals in cultures around the world have been studied intensively by anthropologists, some... more Magic rituals in cultures around the world have been studied intensively by anthropologists, sometimes with the implicit aim of deriding them as 'primitive' in order to pave the way for the civilising forces of colonisation. However, there is one form of ritual which has evaded academic study: entertainment magic in the west. This paper involves critical analysis of the way that the discourse of western entertainment magic appropriates and misrepresents the narratives of traditional ritual magic. The article concludes by discussing the role of entertainment magic in reproducing colonialist ideology.

The Corporation as Person and Psychopath: Multimodal Metaphor, Rhetoric and Resistance

This article conducts a detailed analysis of multimodal metaphor in the documentary film The Corp... more This article conducts a detailed analysis of multimodal metaphor in the documentary film The Corporation, with particular focus on the metaphor the corporation is a person. The metaphors that make up the film are analysed within the immediate context of the rhetorical structure of the film, the discursive context of the use of the corporation is a person metaphor by corporations to gain power, and the background context of the corporation is a person as a ubiquitous conceptual metaphor in everyday cognition. The metaphors in the film are then compared with other multimodal metaphors from two protest videos. The article can be thought of as Positive Discourse Analysis, in that the use of metaphors in the film and videos is held up as an example of how multimodal media can be used to resist hegemonic discourses that harm people and the environment. A practical aim of the analysis is to reveal the detailed workings of the metaphors in order to provide resources that can be drawn on in ...

Ecolinguistics and Erasure : Restoring the Natural World to Consciousness

Contemporary Critical Discourse Studies

Critical discourse analysis and ecology

The Routledge Handbook of Critical Discourse Studies, Jul 6, 2017

One of the criteria for working in Critical Discourse Analysis is, according to Van Dijk (1993, p... more One of the criteria for working in Critical Discourse Analysis is, according to Van Dijk (1993, p. 252), 'solidarity with those who need it most. Their problems are real problems, that is, the serious problems that threaten the lives or well-being of many'. Critical Discourse Analysts therefore tend to take the perspective of oppressed groups in society, working against exploitation and towards a more equitable society. Increasingly, however, the problems faced by oppressed groups are not just social but ecological, as climate change, biodiversity loss, resource depletion, and chemical contamination make it difficult for them to achieve wellbeing or even meet their basic needs for survival. It is no longer enough to work towards an equitable society, since if that society consumes more than can be replaced by nature and produces more waste than can be absorbed by nature then it will be unsustainable and on a pathway to collapse. Mary Midgley (2011, p. 111) claims that 'the Marxist account entirely ignored factors outside the human species...Marx was not concerned about the exploitation of natural resources…he saw capitalist imperialism simply as the oppression of one set of humans by another, not as a source of ecological disaster'. The same could be said for much work in Critical Discourse Analysis in the past, although, as this chapter will describe, that has started to change. The change arises from a general ecological turn with the humanities and social science, which has seen the rise of ecopsychology, ecofeminism, ecosociology, ecocriticism, environmental communication and ecolinguistics. All of these new disciplines recognise that the object of study, whether human minds, gender relations, society, literature, communication or language, has an influence on human behaviour and therefore on how humans treat the ecological systems that sustain life. Ecological humanities and social sciences are (in general) oriented towards helping to build not just fairer and more equitable societies, but also sustainable societies, which protect their ecological foundations. Glotfelty (2014), for instance, describes how 'Most ecocritical work shares a common motivation: the troubling awareness that we have reached the age of environmental limits, a time when the consequences of human actions are damaging the planet's basic life support systems.' At the same time as linguists are moving towards fuller accounts of language which include consideration of ecological issues, there is an increasing focus on language among ecologists and environmental thinkers. Rather than treating ecological issues as technical problems to be solved by science, these thinkers see them as calling into question the fundamental stories that societies are built on-the stories we live by. This chapter uses the concept of 'story' in this sense as a lens for exploring the connection between language and ecology. The chapter begins with the ecologists and environmental thinkers who expose and question the stories we live by. It then moves on to linguistic approaches which investigate how these stories are 'told' through discourse and cognitive structures. The linguistic

Chapter 6. Ecolinguistics as a transdisciplinary movement and a way of life

Crossing Borders, Making Connections

Advertising, Gender and Health Advice: the Case of Men´s Health in the Year 2000

Masculinidades Y Cambio Social, Oct 21, 2012

This article examines the potential influence of advertising in health magazines through detailed... more This article examines the potential influence of advertising in health magazines through detailed analysis of advertisements contained in 12 issues of the US magazine Men's Health from the year 2000, in the context of the articles which surround the advertisements. Tensions are explored between the role of the magazines in constructing male consumers to deliver to advertisers, and the dispensing of genuine health advice. Tensions are particularly apparent when health advice would go against typical images of hegemonic masculinity, for example advice to drink less alcohol, eat less meat, eat less convenience food, or reduce involvement in risky behaviour. The conclusion considers whether in constructing a male consumer, which in itself threatens traditional masculine images since it involves an interest in fashion, shopping and grooming products, there is potential for magazines to compromise health advice by avoiding further threats to traditional masculinity.

Ecolinguistics: Language, Ecology and the Stories We Live By

The increasingly rapid destruction of the ecological systems that support life is calling into qu... more The increasingly rapid destruction of the ecological systems that support life is calling into question some of the fundamental stories that we live by: stories of unlimited economic growth, of consumerism, progress, individualism, success, and the human domination of nature.

Ecolinguistics shows how linguistic analysis can help reveal the stories we live by, open them up to question, and contribute to the search for new stories. Bringing together the latest ecolinguistic studies with new theoretical insights and practical analyses, this book charts a new course for ecolinguistics as an engaged form of critical enquiry. Featuring:

A framework for understanding the theory of ecolinguistics and applying it practically in real life;

Exploration of diverse topics from consumerism in lifestyle magazines to Japanese nature haiku;

A comprehensive glossary giving concise descriptions of the linguistic terms used in the book;

Discourse analysis of a wide range of texts including newspapers, magazines, advertisements, films, nonfiction books, and visual images.

This is essential reading for undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers working in the areas of Discourse Analysis and Language and Ecology.

Animals erased: discourse, ecology and reconnection with the natural world

Animals are disappearing, vanishing, and dying out--not just in the physical sense of becoming ex... more Animals are disappearing, vanishing, and dying out--not just in the physical sense of becoming extinct, but in the sense of being erased from our consciousness. Increasingly, interactions with animals happen at a remove: mediated by nature programs, books, and cartoons; framed by the enclosures of zoos and aquariums; distanced by the museum cases that display lifeless bodies. In this thought-provoking book, Arran Stibbe takes us on a journey of discovery, revealing the many ways in which language affects our relationships with animals and the natural world. Animal-product industry manuals, school textbooks, ecological reports, media coverage of environmental issues, and animal-rights polemics all commonly portray animals as inanimate objects or passive victims. In his search for an alternative to these negative forms of discourse, Stibbe turns to the traditional culture of Japan. Within Zen philosophy, haiku poetry, and even contemporary children's animated films, animals appear as active agents, leading their own lives for their own purposes, and of value in themselves.

The Handbook of Sustainability Literacy

Positive Discourse Analysis

The Routledge Handbook of Ecolinguistics, 2017

The University of Gloucestershire accepts no liability for any infringement of intellectual prope... more

Toward a grammar of ecocultural identity

Routledge Handbook of Ecocultural Identity, 2020

This chapter explores linguistic devices which are used to perform ecocultural identities, define... more This chapter explores linguistic devices which are used to perform ecocultural identities, defined as identities which include consideration of not just humans but also other species and the wider ecological systems that sustain life. Of the many possible ecocultural identities available some have the power to influence people to care and protect other species and the ecosystems that life depends on, and these are considered to be ‘positive’. The chapter analyses language features in the book Land of the spotted eagle by Luther Standing Bear in the search for language features which help to instantiate positive ecocultural identities. The methodology used is an adaptation of Positive Discourse Analysis, where texts are analysed for features that align with the values system (or ecosophy) of the analyst. The linguistic devices described in the chapter include metaphor, appraisal patterns, agency, pronoun use and semantic inclusion. The purpose of Positive Discourse Analysis is to describe linguistic features which could be selectively combined, with careful consideration of the context, to promote particular value systems; in this case to promote care for humans, other species, and wider ecological systems.

Education for Sustainability and the Search for New Stories to Live by

Prioritizing Sustainability Education, 2019

Ecolinguistics and economics : the power of language to build worlds

Disclaimer The University of Gloucestershire has obtained warranties from all depositors as to th... more Disclaimer The University of Gloucestershire has obtained warranties from all depositors as to their title in the material deposited and as to their right to deposit such material. The University of Gloucestershire makes no representation or warranties of commercial utility, title, or fitness for a particular purpose or any other warranty, express or implied in respect of any material deposited. The University of Gloucestershire makes no representation that the use of the materials will not infringe any patent, copyright, trademark or other property or proprietary rights. The University of Gloucestershire accepts no liability for any infringement of intellectual property rights in any material deposited but will remove such material from public view pending investigation in the event of an allegation of any such infringement.

Discovering the Weatherworld

Appendicitis is the most common cause of emergency surgeries worldwide. In this article, the pres... more

O tao da linguagem: semelhanças entre linguística, construtivismo social e misticismo

O principal objetivo desta artigo e mostrar que a sociologia e a linguistica apresentam ideias se... more O principal objetivo desta artigo e mostrar que a sociologia e a linguistica apresentam ideias semelhantes as da filosofia oriental, que tambem serao discutidas neste trabalho. Alem disso, procurar-se-a mostrar que tais similaridades tambem ocorrem em outras disciplinas, com destaque para a fisica moderna, conforme exposto em Capra (1999, 1982), bem como que a exploracao dessas similaridades e uma possivel sintese de tradicoes sao mais uteis para a linguistica, e demais ciencias, do que a procura de pontos dessemelhantes. Palavras-chave : Lingua; Semântica; Construtivismo Social; Taoismo; Zen-Budismo. ABSTRACT The main purpose of this article is to show that sociology and linguistics contain ideas that are similar do oriental philosophy – these will be discussed here too –. Further, I intend to show that these similarities are also present in other disciplines, especially modern physics as demonstrated in Capra (1999, 1982). An emphasis in these similarities combined with a synthe...

Work-based Learning in the Humanities: a welcome stranger?

insight.glos.ac.uk

Arran Stibbe. ... There is strong evidence in the literature that one of the most common benefits... more

An Ecolinguistic Approach to Critical Discourse Studies

Critical Discourse Studies, 2013

The University of Gloucestershire accepts no liability for any infringement of intellectual prope... more

The discursive construction of biodiversity

The Handbook of Sustainability Literacy: skills for a changing world

Acknowledgements. Introduction by Arran Stibbe and Heather Luna. Part 1 Skills for a Changing Wor... more Acknowledgements. Introduction by Arran Stibbe and Heather Luna. Part 1 Skills for a Changing World. Ecocriticism: the ability to investigate cultural artefacts from an ecological perspective - by Greg Garrard. Optimisation: the art of personal sufficiency - by John Naish. Grounded Economic Awareness: economic awareness based on ecological and ethical values - by Satish Kumar. Advertising Awareness: the ability to expose advertising discourses that undermine sustainability, and resist them - by Arran Stibbe. Transition Skills: skills for transition to a post-fossil-fuel age - by Stephen Quilley. Commons Thinking: the ability to envisage and enable a viable future through connected action - by Justin Kenrick. Effortless Action: the ability to fulfil human needs effortlessly through working with nature - by Ling Feng. Permaculture Design: designing our lives with nature as the model - by Patrick Whitefield. Community Gardening: skills for building community and working within environm...

Discovering the Weatherworld: Combining Ecolinguistics, Ecocriticism, and Lived Experience

This chapter explores the power of ecolinguistics, ecocriticism and lived experience to help peop... more This chapter explores the power of ecolinguistics, ecocriticism and lived experience to help people rediscover and reconnect with nature: not just the relatively solid forms of plants, animals, soil and landscapes but also the more transient wind, sun, rain, mist and snow. The combination of the solid, slowly-changing forms of nature and the quickly-changing forms of weather can be described as the Weatherworld. One task for environmental communication is to encourage people to live in the Weatherworld, experiencing and enjoying the local nature around them in all weathers, rather than staying indoors being entertained by gadgets, shopping in a covered mall or flying off in search of the sun. Living in the Weatherworld can not only help people fulfil their needs without excess consumption, it can also encourage them to value their local plants, trees, wildlife and the larger ecosystems that life depends on. Ecolinguistics can play a role in encouraging people to reconnect with the W...

ABRACADABRA, ALAKAZAM: Colonialism and the Discourse of Entertainment Magic

Magic rituals in cultures around the world have been studied intensively by anthropologists, some... more Magic rituals in cultures around the world have been studied intensively by anthropologists, sometimes with the implicit aim of deriding them as 'primitive' in order to pave the way for the civilising forces of colonisation. However, there is one form of ritual which has evaded academic study: entertainment magic in the west. This paper involves critical analysis of the way that the discourse of western entertainment magic appropriates and misrepresents the narratives of traditional ritual magic. The article concludes by discussing the role of entertainment magic in reproducing colonialist ideology.

The Corporation as Person and Psychopath: Multimodal Metaphor, Rhetoric and Resistance

This article conducts a detailed analysis of multimodal metaphor in the documentary film The Corp... more This article conducts a detailed analysis of multimodal metaphor in the documentary film The Corporation, with particular focus on the metaphor the corporation is a person. The metaphors that make up the film are analysed within the immediate context of the rhetorical structure of the film, the discursive context of the use of the corporation is a person metaphor by corporations to gain power, and the background context of the corporation is a person as a ubiquitous conceptual metaphor in everyday cognition. The metaphors in the film are then compared with other multimodal metaphors from two protest videos. The article can be thought of as Positive Discourse Analysis, in that the use of metaphors in the film and videos is held up as an example of how multimodal media can be used to resist hegemonic discourses that harm people and the environment. A practical aim of the analysis is to reveal the detailed workings of the metaphors in order to provide resources that can be drawn on in ...

Ecolinguistics and Erasure : Restoring the Natural World to Consciousness

Contemporary Critical Discourse Studies

Critical discourse analysis and ecology

The Routledge Handbook of Critical Discourse Studies, Jul 6, 2017

One of the criteria for working in Critical Discourse Analysis is, according to Van Dijk (1993, p... more One of the criteria for working in Critical Discourse Analysis is, according to Van Dijk (1993, p. 252), 'solidarity with those who need it most. Their problems are real problems, that is, the serious problems that threaten the lives or well-being of many'. Critical Discourse Analysts therefore tend to take the perspective of oppressed groups in society, working against exploitation and towards a more equitable society. Increasingly, however, the problems faced by oppressed groups are not just social but ecological, as climate change, biodiversity loss, resource depletion, and chemical contamination make it difficult for them to achieve wellbeing or even meet their basic needs for survival. It is no longer enough to work towards an equitable society, since if that society consumes more than can be replaced by nature and produces more waste than can be absorbed by nature then it will be unsustainable and on a pathway to collapse. Mary Midgley (2011, p. 111) claims that 'the Marxist account entirely ignored factors outside the human species...Marx was not concerned about the exploitation of natural resources…he saw capitalist imperialism simply as the oppression of one set of humans by another, not as a source of ecological disaster'. The same could be said for much work in Critical Discourse Analysis in the past, although, as this chapter will describe, that has started to change. The change arises from a general ecological turn with the humanities and social science, which has seen the rise of ecopsychology, ecofeminism, ecosociology, ecocriticism, environmental communication and ecolinguistics. All of these new disciplines recognise that the object of study, whether human minds, gender relations, society, literature, communication or language, has an influence on human behaviour and therefore on how humans treat the ecological systems that sustain life. Ecological humanities and social sciences are (in general) oriented towards helping to build not just fairer and more equitable societies, but also sustainable societies, which protect their ecological foundations. Glotfelty (2014), for instance, describes how 'Most ecocritical work shares a common motivation: the troubling awareness that we have reached the age of environmental limits, a time when the consequences of human actions are damaging the planet's basic life support systems.' At the same time as linguists are moving towards fuller accounts of language which include consideration of ecological issues, there is an increasing focus on language among ecologists and environmental thinkers. Rather than treating ecological issues as technical problems to be solved by science, these thinkers see them as calling into question the fundamental stories that societies are built on-the stories we live by. This chapter uses the concept of 'story' in this sense as a lens for exploring the connection between language and ecology. The chapter begins with the ecologists and environmental thinkers who expose and question the stories we live by. It then moves on to linguistic approaches which investigate how these stories are 'told' through discourse and cognitive structures. The linguistic

Chapter 6. Ecolinguistics as a transdisciplinary movement and a way of life

Crossing Borders, Making Connections

Advertising, Gender and Health Advice: the Case of Men´s Health in the Year 2000

Masculinidades Y Cambio Social, Oct 21, 2012

This article examines the potential influence of advertising in health magazines through detailed... more This article examines the potential influence of advertising in health magazines through detailed analysis of advertisements contained in 12 issues of the US magazine Men's Health from the year 2000, in the context of the articles which surround the advertisements. Tensions are explored between the role of the magazines in constructing male consumers to deliver to advertisers, and the dispensing of genuine health advice. Tensions are particularly apparent when health advice would go against typical images of hegemonic masculinity, for example advice to drink less alcohol, eat less meat, eat less convenience food, or reduce involvement in risky behaviour. The conclusion considers whether in constructing a male consumer, which in itself threatens traditional masculine images since it involves an interest in fashion, shopping and grooming products, there is potential for magazines to compromise health advice by avoiding further threats to traditional masculinity.

Ecolinguistics and Globalization

Coupland/The Handbook of Language and Globalization, 2010

The University of Gloucestershire accepts no liability for any infringement of intellectual prope... more

Ecolinguistic Discourse Analysis

The International Encyclopedia of Language and Social Interaction, 2015

As Charming as a Pig:The Discursive Construction of the Relationship Between Pigs and Humans

Society & Animals, 2003

In the past, pigs were kept near their guardians' (owners') homes, ate leftovers from the... more In the past, pigs were kept near their guardians' (owners') homes, ate leftovers from their guardians' kitchens and enjoyed a generally close relationship with humans. The closeness of the relationship, combined with its ultimate end in the killing of the pig, led to a sense of shame (Leach, 1964). This shame manifested itself in negative expressions about pigs within the English language, which remain to this day. However, the relationship between humans and pigs is becoming increasingly distant, with decisions affecting pigs' lives made in the offices of agricultural industry executives far from the intensive farms on which the pigs live. The new relationship has led to the evolution of a new discourse about pigs, that of the modern pork industry. Because of its technical and scientific nature, this new discourse does not contain the explicit insults of mainstream discourse.Yet, embedded within it are a series of implicit ideological assumptions designed to justify...

Pigs, discourse, and ecological destruction

Language and Ecology Online journal, Jan 1, 2004

Mary Pettenger (ed.), The Social Construction of Climate Change: Power, Knowledge, Norms and Discourses (Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2007), xxi + 255 pp., £55 (hbk), ISBN: 0754648028. Review doi: 10.1558/jsrnc.v5i1.108

Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture, 2011

... Mary Pettenger (ed.), The Social Construction of Climate Change: Power, Knowledge, Norms and ... more

Storytelling for a greener world: environment, community and story-based learning

Green Letters, 2014

Issa and the Meaning of Animals: A Buddhist Poet's Perspective

Anthrozoös, 2015

Arts and Humanities Perspectives on Cultural Ecosystem Services: Arts and Humanities Working Group: Final Report

Words and worlds: New Directions for Sustainability Literacy

Sustainability Literacy is a term which is usually used metaphorically to refer to the knowledge ... more Sustainability Literacy is a term which is usually used metaphorically to refer to the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute to a more sustainable society. This paper takes the term literally, describing an approach to sustainability literacy based on the powerful role that language plays in forming social structures, and the consequent impact of those structures on the sustainability of the society. The approach has already been put into practice in the Language and Ecology course taught at the University of Gloucestershire, which was highly commended in the Green Gown awards (2007) for its contribution to education for sustainability. The paper describes the theoretical approach to sustainability literacy the course is based on, some details of the course itself, and the reaction of students. The conclusion is that an approach to Sustainability Literacy based on critical awareness of discursive construction has potential to help students understand the ways that society is ...

Imagination and stereotype: an investigation of attitudes to women with disabilities in Japan

Illness and Metaphorical Reasoning

Chance Encounters: ecology and haiku-inspired photography

One of the root causes of ecological destruction is the ideology that animals, plants, forests an... more One of the root causes of ecological destruction is the ideology that animals, plants, forests and rivers are nothing more than property, rendering them resources to be exploited, used up and destroyed by their owners at will in the interests of profit (Devall and Sessions 1985). Environmentalists, observing the destruction caused by decisions made for short term profit, call for a more responsible use of resources, for their sustainable exploitation. But, as Devall and Sessions (1985:70) point out, environmentalism, essential as it is, often entrenches the ideology that plants and animals are resources rather than challenging it.

Education for Sustainability and the Stories We Live By

The portrayal of women with disabilities in Japanese television drama

The Stories of the Meat and Dairy Industry

This report analyses the discourse of the meat and dairy industry to reveal the linguistic techni... more

Words and worlds: new directions for sustainability literacy

Higher Education and the Challenge of Sustainability …, Jan 1, 2007

Reading and Writing Society: The Role of English Subjects in Education for Sustainability

English Subject Newsletter, Jan 1, 2008

Communication and media studies: curricula responding to a changing world

Communication and media studies curricula have always prepared students to be responsive to the c... more Communication and media studies curricula have always prepared students to be responsive to the changing world around them through critical, systemic and creative thinking. This article considers some of the global challenges that students are likely to face as they lead their lives in the twenty first century (peak oil, climate instability, food insecurity etc) and questions whether curricula will need to become more grounded in the ecological embedding of human minds, individuals and societies within the larger systems that support life.

Illness, metaphor and pathography

Sustainability past the point of no return

They are probably all dead now, but I learned a lot from them. My early research (before human ec... more They are probably all dead now, but I learned a lot from them. My early research (before human ecology and sustainability) focused on how cancer patients thought about their life before and after the moment that their doctor performed an act of social magic in declaring their illness terminal. Before, patients tended to employ metaphors of fighting, battling, and conquering their illness, metaphors which gave them energy and determination, helped them to bond with the people around them in common cause, and avoid thinking about death. After, however, the metaphor failed, because the fight was lost, no preparations had been made for what came next, and sometimes bodies had been damaged by extreme interventions made in a last-ditch and unrealistic hope to win the battle. It is with some surprise that I find this early research increasingly relevant to my current area of interest: responses to the unprecedented global conditions of the 21st century. This is not the place for a detailed analysis of the figures -what the economist Ross Garnaut calls the 'awful arithmetic' -of climate change, but merely to point towards some crucial trends. The first trend is that estimates of the level of CO2 in the atmosphere that we must keep below to preserve a liveable climate tend to fall rather than rise, from 550ppm, to 450pm, to a more recent figure from Jim Hansen of 350ppm, which is well below current levels (383ppm). In line with this, targets for reduction of emissions tend to increase, from 60% by 2050 to 80% in the UK Government's climate change bill, but with other commentators such as Crispin Tickell insisting on a 100% decrease by 2050. At the same time though, global emissions are rising rather than falling. The longer these emissions grow, the higher the target needs to rise and the earlier it needs to be fulfilled.

Rethinking eco-literacy: from micro-economics to haiku

Environmental, or ecological, literacy, has typically been defined in terms of a fixed cannon of ... more Environmental, or ecological, literacy, has typically been defined in terms of a fixed cannon of environmental knowledge that people should know in order to be 'literate'. This report presents a very different approach to ecological literacy, one which goes beyond a fixed cannon, and aims to provide a foundation where ecological awareness can be brought to all areas of educational and social life. The critical approach to ecological literacy can be summarised in the following paragraph:

Book Review: An Introduction to Discourse Analysis: Theory and Method

Discourse & Society, Jan 1, 2006

Developing critical awareness language skills for sustainability: a transdiciplinary approach

Roberts, C. and Roberts, J, Jan 1, 2007

Living in the weather-world: reconnection as a path to sustainability

The Stories We Live By: a free online course in ecolinguistics

My latest project is a free online course in ecolinguistics. The course describes how ecolinguist... more My latest project is a free online course in ecolinguistics. The course describes how ecolinguistics reveals the stories that structure our current unsustainable civilisation, questions those stories from an ecological perspective, and contributes to the search for new stories to live by. It seems to have struck a chord because hundreds of participants have signed up so far, and a team of 21 PhD students and academics from around the world have volunteered to provide free tuition in 12 languages. To view the course please visit http://storiesweliveby.org.uk

Notes Part 1.docx

These notes accompany part 1 of The Stories We Live By: an online course in ecolinguistics.

Notes Part 2.docx

These notes accompany part 2 of The Stories We Live By: an online course in ecolinguistics, and a... more

Notes Part 3.docx

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Notes Part 5.docx

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Notes Part 8.docx

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Notes Part 9.docx

These notes accompany part 9 of The Stories We Live By: an online course in Ecolinguistics, and a... more

Notes Part 10.docx