Environmental Communication Midterm 1

Rhetoric

the art of communicating ideas to audiences in order to facilitate free and rational choices; persuasion

How work and leisure are blurred:

Working from home--telecommuting Rise of information and communication technologies (ICTs), including internet and smartphone Health and wellness programs in the workplace "Extreme sports" (high-impact, high-risk leisure activities)

environmental ideology

a fully formed belief system concerning the natural world ´Articulates relationship with natural world that guides actions toward environment ´Ideologies become the lens through which we interpret words and behavior ´Deep-seated, not easily swayed by events ´Received from family, community, literature, film, education, culture (macro-level)

Pro-cotting is:

Buying products from companies perceived as having good environmental track records

crisis management

the use of PR to restore a company's credibility after an environmental harm or accident

Sustainable development

actions that aim to promote harmony among human beings and between humanity and nature; meets needs of the present without compromising ability of future generations to met their own needs

Work

activity we engage in involving effort or exertion, usually involving feelings of self-worth/identity, access to social life

Environment

all external conditions and factors, living and non-living (chemicals and energy) that affect an organism or other specified system during its lifetime

Buy-o-sphere

an all-encompassing physical and virtual space where we eat, drink, sleep, and live under the constant bombardment of consumer messages.

Code

arbitrary system of assigned meaning; basis for interpreting symbols

ideology

articulates a relationship to the land and its creatures, and to some extent, guides the way we act toward it

"Work-and-spend" cycle

as income rises, consumption rises, debt increases, creating a need for more income

Greenwashing

attempt to promote products and commodity consumptions as environmental or "green," while deliberately disavowing environmental impacts May include deceptive use of terms or labels on products ("organic," "non-toxic," "GMO-free," "all-natural," etc.)—minimal regulations to prevent May include under-reporting adverse environmental impacts or over-stating environmental benefits of products, services, and other corporate actions May include efforts at image enhancement (maintaining positive reputation) and image repair (responding to crisis or exposure of liability

ecocentric

can be represented by a circle, a non-hierarchical mix of interdependent relationships or a web of all life; humans are part of, but not apart from, the community of life and ecological processes that sustain all life

storytelling

capturing moments of action and character within a larger narrative of unfolding events

conservation photography

combines nature photography (ecotopic) with the proactive, issue-oriented approach of documentary photography (dystsopic) as an agent for protecting nature and improving the biosphere and natural environment

Pragmatic mode

communication in order to convey an INSTRUMENTAL PURPOSE

Constitutive mode

communication in order to shape, order, or negotiate meaning, values, and relationships

Carbaugh

communication is the principal vehicle by which humans both shape and share intersections between the "natural" and "cultural"

cultural approach

communication names and gives meaning to physical and cultural spaces

Green marketing

corporation's attempt to associate its products, services, or identify with environmental values and images Purposes include: Product advertising Image enhancement Image repair

condensation symbol

creating vivid and immediate emotional connection based on a combination of visual elements, packing a lot of intense meaning into a single frame or video vignette, providing possibilities for a variety of responses at the same

forms of corporate advocacy

crisis management issues management image management (enhancement/repair) product advertising

dystopic

depicting landscapes and habitats no longer unspoiled but marred or threatened by traces of human intervention -Photographic plea: images of beautiful, pristine places that are threatened or have been destroyed -Environmental nightmare: apocalyptic visions of what is to come if economic growth and human activity continues unchecked -Plea and nightmare juxtaposed: both beauty and threat depicted in the same image

ecotopic

depicting natural landscapes (flora, fauna, people) in ways that highlight beauty, majesty, wonder

toxic sublime

depiction of beauty within a destroyed landscape or location in order to stimulate awe, wonder, horror Plays on tensions between beauty and ugliness, magnitude and insignificance, known and unknown, inhabitation and desolation

3 Naming Functions:

depictive, social, cultural

stranger in a strange land:

develop understanding of new and different situations, communities, people, environments

location of conflicting values/practices

diagnose and respond to underlying conflicts and contradictions within or between communities or cultures

verification

documenting or witnessing something taking place example: horses running in a race, an astroid, a criminal in action

genres of environmental visual rhetoric

ecotopic and dystopic

Communication

exchange of symbols for the purpose of conveying meaning--includes what we express, how we express it, and with what consequences

Neoliberalism

global model of market-driven rationalization favoring individual responsibility and human capital as organizing

Culture

highly situated, socially constructed, mutually acted, and individually applied communication practices and related behaviors; sets of practices, norms, expectations, behaviors that are consequential for individuals, community, and surrounding environments

Environmental belief system =

historical/cultural context + childhood experiences + sense of place (Corbett)

anthropocentric

human centered

Schema/role-based:

individuals are a composite of roles/positions played in various social settings and different points in time ("we wear many hats")

schema

individuals are a composite of roles/positions played in various social settings and different points in time ("we wear many hats")

Developmental

individuals grow and develop over time based on exposure to education and other environmental and social factors and needs

Developmental self

individuals grow and develop over time based on exposure to education and other environmental and social factors and needs

Naming

labeling something; differentiating one thing from another based on observable characteristics, previous associations or experiences; creating nomenclature or classification system "The way we know and control"

Social status

marketplace speaks not only to individuals' desires, but to product's value in social realm; products mark social differences

Sacred dimension

material wealth is product of hard work and sign of God's favor upon individuals

Frame of acceptance:

more or less organized system of meanings by which a thinking person gauges the historical situation and prepares a response in relation to it; an individual's perspective, point of view, or orientation developed and expressed through symbols how we express our environmental point of view

4 functions of environmental communication

naming, interpretation, policy, poetry

Commodity

nature is an object of value to be bought and sold on the market. Land, water, air, products with so-called natural ingredients, other experiences--everything is for sale, with value determined by perceived "natural-ness"

Necessity/availability of credit

need to establish credit history, low monthly payments, debt servicing

Demonic other or avenging angel

Everything happens for a reason. Events should be understood or "read" for larger meaning.´"Natural" events" (disasters and good things) occur to people because of divine plan or inspiration.

Symbol

non-verbal or verbal signs; basic materials of expression

Discourse

ongoing interaction and/or discrete artifacts(works, objects, bodies) that point people toward meanings and actions

unrestrained individualism

Humans are the most important and dominant entity in the natural world and resources exist entirely for humans' unlimited use Decisions about resource use should be made only in accordance to immediate human desires and wants Natural resources = standing reserve whose purpose is to serve humans (instrumental belief system)

Functions

operations selected to achieve a particular outcome or goal--what is accomplished

Artifice, self-conscious cultural construction:

If humans can't restore nature to its original condition or "get back to nature," the next best thing is to create natural places and scenes that represent ideal or culturally crafted ways of thinking about and interacting with nature.

Cultivation theory

our beliefs, attitudes, and values are influenced by exposure to dominant and consistent messages over time

How work and leisure are merging:

Many "leisure" activities involve exertion or effort Many of us consider a goal of working to be the enjoyment of "time off," space and freedom to enjoy leisure (ex: working for the weekend, vacay) Many leisure activities involve financial costs (fees, tickets, equipment, training, etc.)

cultural (a naming function)

pertaining to a larger context of meaning-making (ex: some slang term for Burnet)

social (a naming function)

pertaining to prior experiences of individuals or groups (ex: where we do yoga on saturday)

depictive (a naming function)

pertaining to some aspect of physical world, positional (ex: burnet woods)

Context

physical setting, scene, situation, participants

Adam Smith

popularized "the invisible hand" the idea that an individual who "intends only his own gain is led by an invisible hand to promote the public interest"

perspective

presenting a new or different way of seeing something, a new vantage point or angle

Poetry

presenting ways of seeing, feeling, or being in relationship to one's natural surroundings through a variety of artistic forms (discursive and non-discursive); suggesting alternative consciousness concerning self and other "The way we express the inexpressible"

Free markets:

private marketplace is self-regulating and ultimately promotes social good

Virtual reality

Natural scenes can be created and experienced in simulated or alternative worlds or environments via computer screens, augmented reality, and even virtual reality devices.

Naive reality

Nature "is what it is": material substance with no larger or transcendent meaning or value

Contested terrain:

Nature is messy, uncertain, contingent—and that is okay. People are as well. ´One situation may present multiple alternatives, each of which m3ay prove to be fruitful for humans and their surroundings. Equifinality.

Planned obsolescence

products are designed with a limited life-span, consumers are encouraged to buy the "latest" and "greatest"; "use-value" becomes "exchange-value"

Depoe—environmental communication as "nexus"—meanings?

Nexus: a means of connection; a link or tie; a connected series or group; the core center

Interpretation:

providing information, explanation, education about various processes and systems; interactions between humans and non-humans; accounting for stability, evolution, and change within an ecosystem; natural history "The way we translate what we know"

Garrett Hardin

published "The Tragedy of the Commons" in the journal Science in 1968; argued that rational people will exploit shared resources (commons). ´Focuses on over-population and over-use of commonly held resources ´Offers critique of unrestrained individualism, move toward conversationism

the pragmatic and constitutive modes of expression—the naming, shaping, orienting, and negotiating—of our ecological relationships in the world, including those with non-human systems, elements, and species

Pezzullo and Cox's definition of Env. Comm:

Terministic screen:

the influence of one symbolic choice on subsequent symbolic choices, as well as on attitudes and behavior ex: Climate emergency

7 sins of greenwashing

Sin of the Hidden Trade-off. Sin of No Proof. Sin of Vagueness. Sin of Worshiping False Labels. Sin of Irrelevance. Sin of Lesser of Two Evils. Sin of Fibbing.

Leisure:

rest, activity we engage in by choice, can involve no, low, or higher economic costs, produces intrinsic satisfaction, positive state of mind

environmental self

That part of the self (schema) that is grounded in beliefs associating self with surrounding environment Exposure to/experiences in particular locations within the natural world (sense of place) Visions of environment harvested by media portrayals Views of environment expressed via interpersonal networks

Cox

served three times as president of the Sierra Club; he is one of the nation's leading scholars in environmental communication

examples of buy-o-sphere

service station kiosks, shopping malls, commercial television, social media platforms, sports spectacles and sponsorships

Policy

shaping practical actions (individual- and community-level) with respect to human impacts on land, water, air, and other resources; includes understandings of public opinion, legislation, conflict, and power "The way we tame the unmanageable"

psychoanalytic

The self include elements of conscious thought and behavior and unconscious/repressed thought and behavior

Symbol

something (word, phrase, image) that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention

example of conservation photography

"Witness" documentary www.conservationphotographers.org International League of Conservation Photographers

Mass marketing of alternative culture

"green" or lower-impact products and services signal virtuous behavior

Aldo Leopold "The land ethic"

-Elevates land and biota (species) to stakeholder status in resource management decisions -Example of values-driven ideology

Moral imperative:

-Nature is a source of good things. So things that are "natural" or good; things that are "unnatural" or not good. -Human value systems should be derived from or patterned after plant and animal behaviors.

Eden

-Nature was once pure and unspoiled. It has been damaged or contaminated by human activity. Old Testament narrative. -Humans should strive to "get back to nature," the natural state of affairs the preceded human activity. They will become purified and nature will be restored.

preservationism

-Supports not only conserving resources for humans to use, but also actively preserving them beyond value to humans -"Value" of nature is articulated in various ways (scientific, aesthetic) -Scientific/ecological (Value as storehouse of data, gene pools, undiscovered medicines, ecological services are valued) -Aesthetic (Value as place of wonder, awe, beauty; Therapeutic value- escape, solitude, renewal) -Religious (Nature as temple or cathedral; Nature as sacred)

sense of place

-feelings about environment based on what is salient about a particular place (Cantrill) -geographic setting combined with the particular experiences of the perceiver -affective bonds between individuals and particular places that vary in intensity and duration

conservationism

-nonhuman entities only have are valuable only in their potential as resources for human use -Wise use or management of resources, including a limited amount of government intervention, is required to insure sustainability of resources over time against individual behaviors that might be overly selfish -Utilitarianism: greatest good for greatest number

3 ways to build Env. Comm. into a productive nexus:

1. Publishing scholarship grounded in a variety of methods, perspectives, and academic traditions 2. Maintaining an Editorial Board with both diverse backgrounds and an interest in making connections across disciplines 3. Promoting interaction between academic scholars and those who practice environmental communication in the field, including community members, industry professionals, gov. Officials, and others

Bill Nye video 5 reasons why climate is changing

1. The atmosphere is thin; 60 mi. 100 km. to outer space 2. There are 7.3 people breathing and burning 3. The heat energy in the atmosphere is changing things, not just getting warmer 4. Because of this warmth, it is making the ocean bigger 5. The main thing is the speed which is the rate at which things are changing

our environmental belief systems are formed and shaped by:

1. childhood experiences 2. a sense of place 3. historical/cultural contexts

3 macro-frames toward environment:

1. nature as resource 2. nature as object 3. nature as spirit

the 5 ideologies

1. unrestrained individualism 2. conservationism 3. preservationism 4. ethics and values-driven 5. transformative

Symbolic and material dimensions of "environment"

What different aspects of the environment symbolize vs. what they actually physically are. (What we come to know as the "environment" has both material and symbolic dimensions that exist in a relationship of reciprocal influence.)

Depoe's 3 propositions about environmental communication

What we come to know as the "environment" has both material and symbolic dimensions that exist in a relationship of reciprocal influence All communication is environmental. All communication takes place in a particular location, and it involves people defining and interpreting that location so as to create a sense of place for and about the interaction Environmental communication matters

Modes of expression

ways of communicating with one another to accomplish particular purposes

transformative ideologies

´Humans and non-human species have an equal right to exist and thrive in the global eco-system ´Seek to transform harmful anthropocentric relations by building and nurturing more ecocentric relationships ´Transcendent or multi-generation conceptions of time and space ´Seek new or drastically revised social institutions that reverse harmful effects of human power and dominance over the natural world

Environmental Self and Sense of Place (Cantrill, 1998)

´Key idea: "perceptions of our environment serve as potent mediators in the process of attending to environmental communication" (p. 302) ´In other words: the key to identifying effective communication strategies can be found in the identification of meanings assigned to a local natural environment ´What we think and feel about particular places influences the degree to which we are willing to act on behalf of those places

Green product advertising: 3 strategies

´Nature as backdrop ´Nature as product ´Nature as process

ethics and value driven ideologies

´Non-human entities have value that goes beyond utilitarian, scientific, aesthetic, or religious worth to possessing intrinsic value ´Humans have moral and ethical duties to (some) non-human entities, which have a "right" to exist ´Humans are part of a biotic community, but traditional hierarchy is only modified slightly Includes land-based ethics and animal rights

Devall & Sessions "deep ecology"

´Offers critique of "shallow ecology" that pushes human-centered technological fixes and regulations ´Proposes radical new ethic based on principles of self-realization and biocentric equality