Teksttype og polyfoni

There is a general scepticism as to definitions of text types based on determined lin-guistic criteria. The subject of this article is to show how it is possible to strengthen the linguistic basis of text typologies. After a description of the evolution of text typology from Werlich (1976) via van Dijk (1980) to Adam (1992), linguistic polyphony is presented as a contribution to a linguistic foundation of Adamís prototypical typology. It is shown how the polyphonic structure can describe, make explicit and explain ty-pological text features

Semantiske relasjoner i reformulering

The object of study in this article is the analysis of microsemantic aspects of the reformulation sequence signalled by c'est-à-dire in written French. The aim of the work presented is to explain what language users do when producing reformulations and to clarify the relation between form and function in such operations. Five types of semantic relationships between the reformulated and the reformulating segments are introduced. These constitute the basis of a typology of reformulation functions. The article underlines the explanatory role of the semantic component in a global modular approach of the reformulation, where structural, pragmatic and textual factors are also considered

IPCC communicative practices: A linguistic comparison of the Summary for Policymakers 2007 and 2013

The present paper undertakes an analysis of language use in two so-called Summaries for policymakers (SPMs), published as part of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Assessment Reports 4 (AR4, 2007) and 5 (AR5, 2013). Through a comparative analysis, we investigate how scientific claims are conveyed through expressions indicating various levels of (un)certainty, through scalar systems established by the IPCC to indicate levels of likelihood, confidence and evidence, as well as through non-predefined linguistic means. We also consider to what extent contrasted claims may indicate a difference in argumentative emphasis in the two summaries, without diverging from the overall purpose of the IPCC: to present a consensual view on current climate knowledge. Further, the analysis assumes a textual perspective, investigating to what extent the summaries have a narrative structure with a clear storyline. The results show that, generally, the two SPMs adhere to the expressed purpose of the IPCC. However, there are differences indicating a strengthened basis for scientific certainty in the AR5-SPM. The narrative analysis discusses the lack of explicit reactions to the stated complications. The findings also point towards the need for further analyses to assess the reception of text layout and language use by policymakers.publishedVersio

Explaining topic prevalence in answers to open-ended survey questions about climate change

Citizens’ opinions are crucial for action on climate change, but are, owing to the complexity of the issue, diverse and potentially unformed1. We contribute to the understanding of public views on climate change and to knowledge needed by decision-makers by using a new approach to analyse answers to the open survey question ‘what comes to mind when you hear the words ‘climate change’?’. We apply automated text analysis, specifically structural topic modelling2, which induces distinct topics based on the relative frequencies of the words used in 2,115 responses. From these data, originating from the new, nationally representative Norwegian Citizen Panel, four distinct topics emerge: Weather/Ice, Future/Impact, Money/Consumption and Attribution. We find that Norwegians emphasize societal aspects of climate change more than do respondents in previous US and UK studies3, 4, 5, 6. Furthermore, variables that explain variation in closed questions, such as gender and education, yield different and surprising results when employed to explain variation in what respondents emphasize. Finally, the sharp distinction between scepticism and acceptance of conventional climate science, often seen in previous studies, blurs in many textual responses as scepticism frequently turns into ambivalence.acceptedVersio

Linguistic and discursive perspectives on the circulation of the climate change discourse

In the debates on climate change – one of the great global challenges, we observe a development where various discourses are constructed, often based on divergent understandings of the phenomenon as well as of its consequences. Climate change has in fact moved from being a predominantly physical phenomenon to become political, social, ethical, cultural and communicational; a phenomenon which is now explained and discussed in discourses circulating between science, traditional and new media, policymakers, nongovernmental organisations and the public. In this circulation, the role of the language becomes primordial. The present article is divided in two main parts. First, I study the issue of different linguistic representations of climate change, in particular the representation of uncertainty, an inherent trait of climate change. Through an analysis, mainly in a polyphonic perspective, of the document « Summary for policymakers » from 2007, published by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), I give an overview of various linguistic expressions. These expressions contribute in different ways to focus on uncertainties, but also to implicitly represent the numerous points of view existing in the climate change debate. Second, I adopt a more discursive perspective, claiming that the notion of narrativisation contributes to a better understanding of the many “stories” produced in relation to this topic. In this part, the analyses are based on documents taken from two institutions attached to the United Nations.Dans les débats portant sur le changement climatique – un des grands défis du monde actuel –, nous observons la multiplication de discours fondés sur des compréhensions souvent très différentes du phénomène et de ses conséquences. D’un phénomène principalement physique, le changement climatique s’est en effet transformé en un phénomène politique, social, éthique, culturel et communicationnel, se manifestant dans des discours qui circulent entre science, médias traditionnels et nouveaux, décideurs de différentes catégories, organisations non-gouvernementales et grand public. Dans cette circulation, le rôle du langage devient primordial. En premier lieu, j’aborde la problématique des différentes représentations linguistiques du phénomène du changement climatique, dont la représentation de l’incertitude, trait inhérent au climat. A travers une étude du document « Résumé à l’intention des décideurs » de 2007, publié par le GIEC (Groupe d’Experts Intergouvernemental sur l’Evolution du Climat), je donne un aperçu d’une sélection de différents moyens linguistiques utilisés dans une approche polyphonique – des expressions contribuant de différentes manières à attirer l’attention sur les incertitudes, mais aussi à représenter implicitement les nombreux points de vue qui existent dans le débat en question. En second lieu, j’adopte une perspective plus discursive, en soutenant que la notion de narrativisation contribue à une meilleure compréhension des nombreuses « histoires » qui se produisent autour de cette thématique. Dans cette partie, les analyses sont basées sur des documents provenant de deux institutions situées au sein de l’Organisation des Nations Unies.publishedVersio

Linguistic mediation of climate change discourse

For several decades, the natural sciences have documented causes and effects of climate change, with all its complexity and inherent uncertainty. This global challenge is one of the most pressing issues facing humanity today. However, the current debate reveals some discrepancies between the claims and evidence presented by climate sciences and the “stories” circulating in the media, among politicians and ordinary citizens. In this, language plays a crucial role. In this article, different linguistic and discursive features frequently used in climate change discourse will be discussed. First, the issue will be approached through various linguistic representations, in particular expressions of uncertainty, taken from documents by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). Second, a more discursive perspective will be adopted, arguing that the notion of narrative may contribute to a better understanding of the multiple “stories” which are constructed about the issue. In this part, the analyses will mainly be based on materials of political nature.Depuis plusieurs années, les sciences de la vie et de la terre ont identifié les causes et effets du changement climatique, mettant en évidence la complexité de ce phénomène et les incertitudes qui lui sont associées. Ce défi global est un des problèmes les plus sérieux de l’humanité. Cependant, le débat actuel révèle des divergences entre les résultats présentés par les sciences du climat et les « histoires » circulant dans les médias, chez les politiciens et dans le grand public. Dans cette situation, le langage joue un rôle fondamental. Dans le présent article, des faits linguistiques et discursifs utilisés dans le discours portant sur le changement climatique sont discutés. La problématique est abordée en premier à travers diverses représentations linguistiques, notamment des expressions d’incertitude, repérées dans les documents de l’IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ; GIEC en français). Ensuite, une perspective plus discursive est explorée, dans une argumentation soutenant que la notion de « narrativisation » pourra contribuer à une meilleure compréhension des multiples « histoires » qui sont construites. Dans cette partie, les analyses sont principalement fondées sur des documents produits dans la sphère politique.publishedVersio

A linguistic framework for studying voices and positions in the climate debate

The public debate on the highly contested issue of climate change is characterized by a multitude of voices as well as position taking by the social actors involved. Studies involving the climate issue have emanated from many fields, notably media science. To date, few linguistics-based studies on climate-related newspaper texts have been undertaken. This paper presents a theoretical framework – the Scandinavian theory of linguistic polyphony – which we argue is particularly well suited to analyze contested issues. To demonstrate how the theory can be operationalized, we present a case study involving four texts from The Guardian. Linguistic polyphony rests on the assumption that all texts are multivoiced. The case study focuses on the interaction of the journalist’s voice and external voices, and considers the extent to which implicit (hidden) voices are present in the analyzed texts. The analysis reveals a complex interaction of different voices, integrated in the journalist’s own argumentation and positioning.publishedVersio

Climate change as a corporate strategy issue: A discourse analysis of three climate reports from the energy sector

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how energy companies discursively construct climate change when integrating it into their overall business strategy. Design/methodology/approach – This linguistic study uses a quantitative/qualitative approach to investigate three instances of recent climate disclosure, climate strategy reports, by the energy majors Statoil (now Equinor), Suncor Energy and Total. The qualitative analysis focuses on how keywords and expressions function in their immediate linguistic context. The discussion takes the socio-political and business context of the companies into account. Findings – The paper finds that the reports discursively construct climate change in different ways. Total presents climate change primarily as a responsibility the company is ready to take on; Suncor Energy presents it primarily as a business risk; and Statoil as a business opportunity. In the material as a whole, however, the risk representation is the most prevalent. Research limitations/implications – The material is relatively modest; however, the three reports represent the first comprehensive accounts of how energy players fit climate considerations into their overall strategy. The analysis is based on three search terms (responsibility, risk and opportunity). Further studies should include a broader range of words that may be semantically related to each approach. Practical implications – The study can inform corporate strategy discussions and indicate the rhetorical implications of discourse-related choices in climate disclosure. Originality/value – The study deals with very recent corporate disclosure involving an emerging discourse, climate strategy reporting. As the reports represent responses to investor engagement, the findings should also be relevant for studies involving stakeholder perceptions.acceptedVersio

Le changement climatique en discours

En 2010, Brigitte Nerlich et ses collègues affirmaient : « Investigations of climate change communication cannot avoid attending to the role of language. » (Nerlich et al., 2010 : 103). Depuis ce message programmatique, les études du discours portant sur le changement climatique et l’environnement ne cessent de croître en nombre (Fløttum, 2016), et cela dans des perspectives différentes – aussi bien sur des représentations linguistiques par des acteurs divers que sur des interprétations faite..

A linguistic and discursive view on climate change discourse

Dans les débats sur le changement climatique, une multitude de voix se font entendre : différents acteurs s’attellent aux défis, définissent les priorités pour de nouvelles connaissances et fournissent un cadre pour les questions et actions clés. À qui appartiennent ces voix ? Comment traduisent-elles leurs connaissances respectives ? Afin de répondre à ces questions, il est nécessaire d’étudier comment le changement climatique, qui a son origine dans un discours scientifique « objectif », est transposé en un discours argumentatif et orienté vers l’action. Comment les acteurs construisent-ils linguistiquement leur agenda climatique ? Le projet interdisciplinaire auquel cet article est lié a pour but de dévoiler ce discours polyphonique. Dans la présente contribution sera entreprise une analyse portant sur un document produit par le Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), « Summary for policymakers », contenant les résultats principaux de l’IPCC de 2007. Ce document prend les résultats scientifiques comme point de départ et porte une attention particulière à la nécessité de l’adaptation et de l’action politique.As climate change debate is rapidly evolving, we hear a multitude of voices: different actors are getting involved around addressing the challenges, setting priorities for new knowledge, and framing key questions and actions. Whose voices are these? And how are they “translating” each other’s knowledge? In order to answer these questions, it is necessary to study how climate knowledge, which has its origin in “objective” scientific discourse, is transmitted to public and political argumentative or action-oriented discourse. How do actors at different levels construct their climate politics linguistically? The interdisciplinary research project to which this paper is related aims to unpack this polyphonic discourse. In the present contribution, an analysis of a document produced by the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is undertaken: the “Summary for policymakers” with the main IPCC findings from 2007. This document takes climate research findings as a point of departure and puts an emphasis on the need of adaptation and political action