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All you need is growth? Exploring the narratives on economic growth and sustainability in Chilean presidential speeches

Gonzalez, Vicente LU (2021) In Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science MESM02 20211
LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
Abstract (Spanish)
Pese a ser crecientemente identificadas como principales causantes de la crisis medioambiental a nivel global y de las persistentes desigualdades en el mundo, las economías basadas en crecimiento han conseguido perpetuar. Las prácticas discursivas han sido importantes para ello, fortaleciendo el paradigma del crecimiento económico y su evolución hacia un enfoque más ‘verde’. Este trabajo emplea un análisis de contenido en discursos presidenciales para analizar cómo han posicionado el crecimiento económico y la sustentabilidad los presidentes de Chile durante la última década. Los resultados indican que el crecimiento económico y el concepto de ‘desarrollo sostenible’ se plantean como panaceas universales, capaces de resolver por sí solas... (More)
Pese a ser crecientemente identificadas como principales causantes de la crisis medioambiental a nivel global y de las persistentes desigualdades en el mundo, las economías basadas en crecimiento han conseguido perpetuar. Las prácticas discursivas han sido importantes para ello, fortaleciendo el paradigma del crecimiento económico y su evolución hacia un enfoque más ‘verde’. Este trabajo emplea un análisis de contenido en discursos presidenciales para analizar cómo han posicionado el crecimiento económico y la sustentabilidad los presidentes de Chile durante la última década. Los resultados indican que el crecimiento económico y el concepto de ‘desarrollo sostenible’ se plantean como panaceas universales, capaces de resolver por sí solas los problemas sociales y medioambientales. También, se muestran como las únicas vías a seguir para lograr un futuro sostenible, eclipsando así otras posibles alternativas. Esto es logrado omitiendo sus aspectos problemáticos y asumiendo diversos factores. Además, este estudio plantea como posibles causas de esta retórica pro-status quo la hegemonía del paradigma del crecimiento y la herencia de un Chile colonial, que naturalizó las peores condiciones de vida de los pueblos aborígenes en Chile. Paradójicamente, las concepciones de vida indígena sobre la naturaleza pueden servir de ejemplo para una alternativa de cambio hacia un futuro realmente sustentable. (Less)
Abstract
Despite being increasingly identified as main drivers of the global environmental emergency and existing inequalities, growth-driven economies have managed to perpetuate. Discursive practices are central to this perpetuation, strengthening the growth paradigm and its evolution towards ‘greener’ approaches, such as ‘green growth’. This work uses content analysis on presidential speeches to assess how economic growth and sustainability have been positioned by presidents of Chile in the last decade. It reveals that economic growth and sustainable development are framed as panaceas for societal problem-solving and as the sole options for a sustainable future, consequently obscuring alternative solution paths. This is mainly achieved through... (More)
Despite being increasingly identified as main drivers of the global environmental emergency and existing inequalities, growth-driven economies have managed to perpetuate. Discursive practices are central to this perpetuation, strengthening the growth paradigm and its evolution towards ‘greener’ approaches, such as ‘green growth’. This work uses content analysis on presidential speeches to assess how economic growth and sustainability have been positioned by presidents of Chile in the last decade. It reveals that economic growth and sustainable development are framed as panaceas for societal problem-solving and as the sole options for a sustainable future, consequently obscuring alternative solution paths. This is mainly achieved through taken-for-granted assumptions and omitting problematic aspects. Possible root-causes of this pro status-quo rhetoric are the hegemony of the growth paradigm and the colonial-inherited naturalization of indigenous people’s substandard living conditions in Chile. Paradoxically, indigenous conceptions of nature can provide interesting examples to shift towards a more sustainable future. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Gonzalez, Vicente LU
supervisor
organization
course
MESM02 20211
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Sustainable development, Coloniality, Hegemony, Content analysis, Sustainability Science, Chile
publication/series
Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science
report number
2021:027
language
English
id
9047905
date added to LUP
2021-06-02 16:22:41
date last changed
2021-06-02 16:22:41
@misc{9047905,
  abstract     = {{Despite being increasingly identified as main drivers of the global environmental emergency and existing inequalities, growth-driven economies have managed to perpetuate. Discursive practices are central to this perpetuation, strengthening the growth paradigm and its evolution towards ‘greener’ approaches, such as ‘green growth’. This work uses content analysis on presidential speeches to assess how economic growth and sustainability have been positioned by presidents of Chile in the last decade. It reveals that economic growth and sustainable development are framed as panaceas for societal problem-solving and as the sole options for a sustainable future, consequently obscuring alternative solution paths. This is mainly achieved through taken-for-granted assumptions and omitting problematic aspects. Possible root-causes of this pro status-quo rhetoric are the hegemony of the growth paradigm and the colonial-inherited naturalization of indigenous people’s substandard living conditions in Chile. Paradoxically, indigenous conceptions of nature can provide interesting examples to shift towards a more sustainable future.}},
  author       = {{Gonzalez, Vicente}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science}},
  title        = {{All you need is growth? Exploring the narratives on economic growth and sustainability in Chilean presidential speeches}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}