Constructing Controversy: The Case of the Danish Agricultural Industry
(2021) SKOM12 20211Department of Strategic Communication
- Abstract
- Due to a rising concern for the climate, more industries are becoming controversial due to their greenhouse gas intensive production. This study has looked into one of these industries, the agricultural industry in Denmark, and the controversy surrounding this industry. By adopting a critical discourse analysis (CDA) perspective, this study investigates the discursive construction of (de)legitimation of the agricultural industry employed by interest organisations. The empirical material consists of opinion editorials authored by interest organisations published in Danish national media. Findings show that the controversy is based on a discursive struggle between the environmentalist discourse and the green capitalist discourse. These... (More)
- Due to a rising concern for the climate, more industries are becoming controversial due to their greenhouse gas intensive production. This study has looked into one of these industries, the agricultural industry in Denmark, and the controversy surrounding this industry. By adopting a critical discourse analysis (CDA) perspective, this study investigates the discursive construction of (de)legitimation of the agricultural industry employed by interest organisations. The empirical material consists of opinion editorials authored by interest organisations published in Danish national media. Findings show that the controversy is based on a discursive struggle between the environmentalist discourse and the green capitalist discourse. These discourses form the basis for different strategies of discursive (de)legitimation, in which proponents of the industry focus on legitimating current practices whereas opponents of the industry focus on legitimating future practices by delegitimating current. Additionally, the actors’ discursive stance on the environment-economy axis also showed that actors near the middle employ mostly rationalisation whereas actors nearer the poles employed moralisation. Furthermore, the analysis showed that the controversy form two discourse coalitions, one consisting of those situated left from the middle and the other consisting of those right from the middle. However, contrary to previous studies, the analysis indicate that the discourse coalitions are not placed in a deadlock but in fact form actual alliances across which seem to instigate change. Thus, this study enhances the understanding of the discursive dynamics underpinning the (de)legitimation of these newer controversial industries. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9059346
- author
- Scharling Lauridsen, Josefine LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SKOM12 20211
- year
- 2021
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- critical discourse analysis, legitimacy, legitimation, strategic communication, new controversial industry, agriculture.
- language
- English
- id
- 9059346
- date added to LUP
- 2021-07-01 10:17:53
- date last changed
- 2021-07-01 10:17:53
@misc{9059346, abstract = {{Due to a rising concern for the climate, more industries are becoming controversial due to their greenhouse gas intensive production. This study has looked into one of these industries, the agricultural industry in Denmark, and the controversy surrounding this industry. By adopting a critical discourse analysis (CDA) perspective, this study investigates the discursive construction of (de)legitimation of the agricultural industry employed by interest organisations. The empirical material consists of opinion editorials authored by interest organisations published in Danish national media. Findings show that the controversy is based on a discursive struggle between the environmentalist discourse and the green capitalist discourse. These discourses form the basis for different strategies of discursive (de)legitimation, in which proponents of the industry focus on legitimating current practices whereas opponents of the industry focus on legitimating future practices by delegitimating current. Additionally, the actors’ discursive stance on the environment-economy axis also showed that actors near the middle employ mostly rationalisation whereas actors nearer the poles employed moralisation. Furthermore, the analysis showed that the controversy form two discourse coalitions, one consisting of those situated left from the middle and the other consisting of those right from the middle. However, contrary to previous studies, the analysis indicate that the discourse coalitions are not placed in a deadlock but in fact form actual alliances across which seem to instigate change. Thus, this study enhances the understanding of the discursive dynamics underpinning the (de)legitimation of these newer controversial industries.}}, author = {{Scharling Lauridsen, Josefine}}, language = {{eng}}, note = {{Student Paper}}, title = {{Constructing Controversy: The Case of the Danish Agricultural Industry}}, year = {{2021}}, }