Environmental Discourse Analysis as Applied to Ecosystems
Environmental Discourse Analysis as Applied to Ecosystems
Environmental Sociology
FRANCYS JANE DERRICK
Environmental Discourse Analysis as Applied to Ecosystems What is an ecosystem? At first glance, this seems to be a straightforward question, one to be answered by environmental scientists. However, the concept of an ecosystem, or more specifically, the action that posits the existence of an ecosystem, raises a series of questions that challenge some basic assumptions about the environment. For instance, is an ecosystem a concrete object in the same way that a stone or a tree is? Or instead, is an ecosystem a set of interactions between such objects? While ecosystems of indeed exist, it is not without dramatic changes in our epistemology that we can speak of such objects without contradiction. Most importantly we must acknowledge that the existence of ecosystems is contingent on human society. Environmental scientists certainly play an important role in describing ecosystems and in prescribing correct management of these systems, but we miss an important aspect of humanity’s role in the environment if we see ecosystems as discrete objects that exist independent of human society. Then what is an ecosystem? An ecosystem is a concept constructed by human society that aids us in perceiving an amazingly complex structure of interactions. This construction is rooted fundamentally in our language and discourse analysis is vital to understanding what an ecosystem might be. While there are advantages to seeing the ecosystem as a concrete object, it is my intention in this paper to describe an alternative view of ecosystems that is rooted in a post-positivistic, post-modern analysis of reality. Hopefully, such analysis will also be useful in analyzing other concepts pertinent to environmental issues. To approach this alternative view, I will outline the concept of discourse as formulated by Michel Foucault, summarize the views and extensions of
Environmental Sociology
FRANCYS JANE DERRICK
Environmental Discourse Analysis as Applied to Ecosystems What is an ecosystem? At first glance, this seems to be a straightforward question, one to be answered by environmental scientists. However, the concept of an ecosystem, or more specifically, the action that posits the existence of an ecosystem, raises a series of questions that challenge some basic assumptions about the environment. For instance, is an ecosystem a concrete object in the same way that a stone or a tree is? Or instead, is an ecosystem a set of interactions between such objects? While ecosystems of indeed exist, it is not without dramatic changes in our epistemology that we can speak of such objects without contradiction. Most importantly we must acknowledge that the existence of ecosystems is contingent on human society. Environmental scientists certainly play an important role in describing ecosystems and in prescribing correct management of these systems, but we miss an important aspect of humanity’s role in the environment if we see ecosystems as discrete objects that exist independent of human society. Then what is an ecosystem? An ecosystem is a concept constructed by human society that aids us in perceiving an amazingly complex structure of interactions. This construction is rooted fundamentally in our language and discourse analysis is vital to understanding what an ecosystem might be. While there are advantages to seeing the ecosystem as a concrete object, it is my intention in this paper to describe an alternative view of ecosystems that is rooted in a post-positivistic, post-modern analysis of reality. Hopefully, such analysis will also be useful in analyzing other concepts pertinent to environmental issues. To approach this alternative view, I will outline the concept of discourse as formulated by Michel Foucault, summarize the views and extensions of
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