A Critical Framework for Examining Sustainability Claims of the Sharing Economy: Exploring the Tensions Within Platform Brand Discourses

2021 ◽  
pp. 027614672110603
Author(s):  
Michael Beverland ◽  
Pinar Cankurtaran ◽  
Leila Loussaïef

The sharing economy represents a market-driven response to the perceived inefficient resource use arising from materialism, and as such, offers the possibility of a more environmentally sustainable form of consumption. However, the sustainability benefits attributed to the sharing economy remain contentious and fraught with paradox. Drawing on a critical discourse analysis of three sharing economy brands (Lime, Rent the Runway and BlaBlaCar) we identify that sustainability discourses compete with claims arising from the espoused benefits of immateriality and platform brands’ desire for rapid growth. We identify and explore three platform brand discourses (disrupting unsustainable leaders, guilt-free choice, and non-commercial appeals) and their associated practices. In doing so we identify that tensions between these discourses and practices give rise to three sustainability-related contradictions: displacement of sustainable alternatives, hidden materiality, and creeping usage. Our findings contribute to our understanding of the sharing economy and its role in sustainability.

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Molek-Kozakowska

AbstractDrawing on selected approaches from pragmatics, functional linguistics, discourse space theories and evaluation theories, this article proposes a methodological framework for the study of science journalism. It presents the institutional context of science journalism, which is considered a hybrid discourse, as it combines features of science communication and of market-driven journalism, particularly the need for the coverage to meet the criteria of newsworthiness. To enable the study of how science journalists tend to engage the readers linguistically without foregoing the appearances of credibility, the article demonstrates the analytic potential of such pragmalinguistic categories as illocutionary force, reference and positioning, agency and stance, proximization and alignment, as well as emotivity and evaluation. Finally, the article illustrates the applicability of the above categories in a qualitative analysis of a special corpus of “most-read” medicine and biotechnology reports published in the online version of the popular international science magazine New Scientist. The analysis shows how to combine these categories in a productive way in order to develop a methodologically viable and theoretically grounded approach to doing (critical) discourse analysis of science journalism.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenge Chen ◽  
Tom Bartlett ◽  
Huiling Peng

Abstract In this two-part article, we analyse alternative discourses of the environment from the Shell Oil Company and Greenpeace USA and suggest ways in which elements of these antagonistic discourses might be combined in a hybrid, innovative discourse that appeals to a broad section of the public while advocating for more environmentally sustainable practices in industry. In order to develop this model we address concerns with regard to both Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), which has been said to focus on the negatives and on deconstructing ‘the discourses we dislike’, and Positive Discourse Analysis (PDA), which has been criticized for cherishing ‘the discourses we like’ without due consideration of their potential for uptake. We argue, therefore, that while each approach has its advantages, taken individually they hamper design and, following Bartlett (2018), we propose an enhanced Positive Discourse Analysis that not only identifies points of fissure in the hegemonic discourse but also seeks points of convergence that can be articulated with in a hybrid, counter-hegemonic discourse that maximizes its potential for uptake while destabilizing the prevailing discourses at precisely the fissure points identified. Part I explores the theoretical grounding for an enhanced PDA, introduces the research method and then, based on the adapted analytic framework of Stibbe (2016), makes an eco-discourse analysis of discourses by Shell Oil Company (SOC), with a focus on their discourse semantic patterns, in an attempt to showcase how hegemonic groups employ discourse strategies to serve their interests and what ecological effects such discourses may produce. In Part II (Chen et al. 2021b), a comparative analysis is conducted on the SOC discourses and the Greenpeace discourses. As well as highlighting the points of antagonism between the two discourses, an attempt is made to seek out points of convergence between progressive positions in the discourses. Part II also explores the potential fissures in the hegemonic order and discusses the design of alternative discourses thereupon. It is argued that an enhanced PDA which focuses on solutions rather than problems and collaboration rather than resistance forms a route for positive and interventionist orientations to discourse that promote social change.


Metahumaniora ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 56
Author(s):  
Indah Mustika Santhi

ABSTRAKPenelitian ini berjudul “The Media Conspiracy Behind the Death of Diana, Princessof Wales: A Study of Critical Discourse Analysis”. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menjelaskanbagaimana kematian Putri Diana direpresentasikan oleh The Daily Mail dalam artikelartikelpemberitaannya melalui dimensi tekstual dan juga memaparkan cara pandang TheDaily Mail sebagai pelaku media konspirasi pada praktik kerjanya terkait berita kematianPutri Diana dalam dimensi sosiokultural. Objek penelitian ini adalah The Daily Mail, salahsatu tabloid harian terbesar di Inggris. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalahmetode kualitatif, analisis deskriptif. Penulis menggunakan teori analisis wacana kritisFairclough (1995), disertai dengan beberapa teori pendukung lainnya, seperti teori klausasebagai representasi Halliday (2004), teori konspirasi Feaster (2008), Birchall (2006),Barkun (2003), Hodapp dan von Kannun (2008). Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukkanbahwa representasi kematian Putri Diana dalam dimensi tekstual didapat melalui prosesmaterial, proses mental, proses relasional, proses verbal, dan proses eksistensial yangterdapat dalam artikel-artikel The Daily Mail. Sementara itu, cara pandang The Daily Mailsebagai pelaku media konspirasi atas berita kematian Putri Diana didapat melalui prosestataran sosial, tataran institusional, tataran sosial pada dimensi praktik sosiokultural.Kata Kunci: Transitivitas, Analisis Wacana Kritis, Media konspirasi.ABSTRACTThis thesis is entitled “The Media Conspiracy Behind the Death of Diana, Princessof Wales: A Study of Critical Discourse Analysis”. This thesis is aimed to describe therepresentation of Princess Diana’s death and The Daily Mail’s perspective as a mediaconspiracy actor through textual and sociocultural dimension. The object of this thesis isThe Daily Mail, one of the widest national daily newspapers in England. The method that isused in this thesis is a qualitative method, a descriptive analytic method. The writer uses thecritical discourse analysis theory of Fairclough (1995) and some other supported theories,such as clause as representation theory by Halliday (2004), the conspiracy theory by Feaster(2008), Birchall (2006), Barkun (2003), Hodapp and von Kannun (2008). The result of thisresearch shows that the representation in textual dimension that appear on Princess Diana’sdeath is derived from material process, mental process, relational process, verbal process, andexistential process. While The Daily Mail’s perspective on Princess Diana’s death is derivedfrom situational level, institutional level and social level of sociocultural practice dimension.Keywords: Transitivity, Critical Discourse Analysis, Media Conspiracy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanuar Bagas Arwansyah

Abstrak: Artikel ini bertujuan menganalisis secara kritis visi dan misi 10 perguruan tinggi terbaik di Indonesia versi 4 International Colleges & Universities. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini yaitu deskriptif kualitatif. Penelitian ini merupakan analisis wacana kritis yang mengacu pada teori Michel Foucault. Teori analisis wacana Foucault mengacu pada wacana sebagai alat bagi kepentingan kekuasaan, hegemoni, dominasi budaya, dan ilmu pengetahuan. Berdasarkan hasil analisis ditemukan bahwa visi dan misi 10 perguruan tinggi tersebut mengandung unsur-unsur yang sejalan dengan fungsi wacana menurut Foucault. Hal tersebut didasari pada visi dan misi setiap perguruan tinggi yang memiliki tujuan mengembangkan institusi berkelas internasional, namun tetap dengan berdasar pada pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan yang berakar pada budaya lokal. Kata kunci: wacana, visi, misi, perguruan tinggi Abstract: This article aims to critically analyze the vision and mission of the 10 best universities in Indonesia version of 4 International Colleges & Universities. The method used in this study is descriptive qualitative. This research is a critical discourse analysis that refers to Michel Foucault's theory. Foucault's theory of discourse analysis refers to discourse as a tool for the interests of power, hegemony, cultural domination, and science. Based on the results of the analysis it was found that the vision and mission of the 10 universities contained elements that were in line with the discourse function according to Foucault. This is based on the vision and mission of each college that has the aim of developing international-class institutions, but still based on the development of science rooted in local culture. Keywords: discourse, vision, mission, college


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adib Rifqi Setiawan

The Critical Discourse Analysis is often applied to analyze political discourse including the political speech. This article analyzes Grace Natalie Louisa’s Speech, mainly in Festival 11 by Partai Solidaritas Indonesia (PSI), that is exclusively based on the perspective of Teun Adrianus van Dijk. It reveals that we can learn how to deliver our ideology to public. Moreover, we can have a better understanding of the political purpose of these speeches.


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