Ecolinguistics

by Arran Stibbe

Language, Ecology and the Stories We Live By is a ground-breaking book which reveals the stories that underpin unequal and unsustainable societies and searches for inspirational forms of language that can help rebuild a kinder, more ecological world. This new edition has been updated and expanded to bring together the latest ecolinguistic studies with new theoretical insights and practical analyses. The book presents a theoretical framework and practical tools for analysing the key texts which shape the society we live in. The theory is illustrated through examples, including the representation of environmental refugees in the media; the construction of the selfish consumer in economics textbooks; the parallels between climate change denial and coronavirus denial; the erasure of nature in the Sustainable Development Goals; creation myths and how they orient people towards the natural world; and inspirational forms of language in nature writing, Japanese haiku and Native American writing. This edition provides an updated theoretical framework, new example analyses, and an additional chapter on narratives. Accompanied by a free online course with videos, PowerPoints, notes and exercises (www.storiesweliveby.org.uk), as well as a comprehensive glossary, this is essential reading for undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers working in the areas of Discourse Analysis, Environmental Studies and Communication Studies.

Genres: Linguistics, Nonfiction, Research, Language, Sociology, Ecology

248 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 2015

Reviews

[Nathaniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could do some ecolingiuistics on this and say the framing of the problem as overconsumption puts the blame on the working class when the blame should be put on the capitalists x

[Fien Vermeylen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lang, maar nodig.

[Atir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arran for president

[Mája · Rating 1 out of 5]

Jen si počkejte na to, až dopíšu diplomku a budu si sem moc vylít srdíčko nad tím, jak je tahle teorie špatná.

[Zsófia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a very useful book for me as I work in climate/biodiversity communication. The way we speak and write about these issues really influences our thinking and how we feel, and we need to be conscious about choosing expressions, active/passive voice, narratives, what we omit, and so on. Some languages are better equipped for the goal of representing nature in a more respectful and central manner, but we can do this in every language nevertheless. I'm going to keep the examples in the book in my mind for a long time.
The book is a scientific piece of work and so the way it is written is not exactly meant to entertain, that's why it took me a bit longer to get through...but the messages are very important.

[George Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our world and how we impact the world is shaped by the stories in our minds. Unfortunately, nowadays, those stories lead us to impact the environment and our fellow beings in a negative way.

Arran Stibbe's 'Ecolinguistics: Language, Ecology and the Stories We Live By', now in a revised 2021 version, helps us understand those stories and to construct new, pro-environment stories. The book is essential reading if we want to escape the Anthropocene.

[Riaz Laghari · Rating 5 out of 5]

a fantastic contribution to the academic world. It deconstructs traditional narratives and proposes new ways of viewing life and the world by developing ecosophy.

[Sally]

http://storiesweliveby.org.uk/
free online course "WHAT'S THE COURSE ABOUT? The social and ecological issues that humanity currently faces are so severe that they call into question the fundamental stories that societies are based on. Ecolinguistics provides tools for revealing the stories we live by, questioning them from an ecological perspective, and contributing to the search for new stories to live by. The course examines a wide range of texts from advertisements, lifestyle magazines and economics textbooks to surfing guides, Native American sayings and Japanese animation. In each case, the question is whether the stories that underlie texts encourage us to care about people and the ecosystems that life depends on."

Stories are the secret reservoir of values: change the stories that individuals or nations live by and you change the individuals and nations themselves (Ben Okri).