Discourses of Cycling, Road Users and Sustainability: An Ecolinguistic Investigation (Postdisciplinary Studies in Discourse)

"Read this book if you'd like to know why cycling is not promoted enough, in spite of all the evidence we already have on how beneficial it is. It's about the language." --Esther Anaya Boig, Imperial College London, UK "As a transport mode, cycling has many benefits and yet is in many countries bedevilled by stigma and stereotyping. This makes it a fruitful topic for critical discourse analysis, as in this fascinating discussion of documents ranging from European policy papers to newspaper articles on a road traffic collision." --Rachel Aldred, University of Westminster, UK This book employs a Critical Discourse Studies (CDS) framework to examine cycling mobility, marking a new turn in ecolinguistic discourse analysis. The author focuses specifically on environment-related arguments concerning the promotion of higher levels of cycling, mainly as a means of transport, and investigates the "US vs. "THEM" narratives present in many discourses about road users. Analysing newspaper articles, institutional documents and spoken interviews, the author searches for a positive new discourse that would inspire and encourage cycling as a habitual means of transport, rather than simply exposing ecologically destructive discourse. The book will be of interest to discourse and ecolingusitics scholars, as well as contributing to the lively debate about how to increase cycling in fields such as sustainability, sociology, transport planning and management. M. Cristina Caimotto is Assistant Professor of English Linguistics and Translation at the University of Turin, Italy. Her research interests include political discourse and environmental discourse, with a focus on ideology. She is also a cycling advocate. Preface 7 Acknowledgments 9 Contents 11 List of Figures 13 List of Tables 14 Chapter 1 Introduction 15 Abstract 15 References 23 Chapter 2 Discourse Practices and Power 26 Abstract 26 References 40 Chapter 3 History, Urban Planning and Controversies 43 Abstract 43 3.1 History and Narratives 45 3.2 Urban Planning and Cycling Policies 49 3.3 Environmental Politics and Bikelash 51 3.4 Controversial Issues 55 3.5 Concluding Remarks 58 References 59 Chapter 4 Stigmatisation in Newspapers 62 Abstract 62 4.1 Discourse and the Denial of Racism 65 4.2 Headlines 67 4.3 Discursive Moves in Discrimination Against Cyclists 71 4.4 Concluding Remarks 80 References 82 Chapter 5 London Mayor’s Transport Strategy 86 Abstract 86 5.1 Linguistic Features and Corpus-Aided Methods 87 5.2 Three Key Themes 90 5.3 Positive Discourse Analysis 93 5.4 The Issue of Choice 97 5.5 The Issue of Business and Growth 102 5.6 Concluding Remarks 106 References 107 Chapter 6 Marketisation in European Documents 110 Abstract 110 6.1 Limits to Growth and Sustainable Development 111 6.2 Growth and Economic Advantages in EU-Related Documents 115 6.3 Lexical Choices and Metaphors from the World of Business 118 6.4 Reframing Strategies and Concluding Remarks 122 References 124 Chapter 7 The Words of People Who Cycle 127 Abstract 127 7.1 The Cycling Cultures Project and Our Approach 128 7.2 ‘Cyclists’ and Other Road Users 129 7.3 Culture, Identity and Lifestyle 134 7.4 Hints for Motivational Campaigns 138 7.5 Concluding Remarks 142 References 142 Chapter 8 Positive Discourse Strategies and Concluding Remarks 144 Abstract 144 References 150 Glossary 151 Index 153 This book employs a Critical Discourse Studies (CDS) framework to examine cycling mobility, marking a new turn in ecolinguistic discourse analysis. The author focuses specifically on environment-related arguments concerning the promotion of higher levels of cycling, mainly as a means of transport, and investigates the “US vs. “THEM” narratives present in many discourses about road users. Analysing newspaper articles, institutional documents and spoken interviews, the author searches for a positive new discourse that would inspire and encourage cycling as a habitual means of transport, rather than simply exposing ecologically destructive discourse. The book will be of interest to scholars of discourse and ecolinguistics, as well as contributing to the lively debate about how to increase cycling in fields such as sustainability, sociology, transport planning and management. Front Matter ....Pages i-xv Introduction (M. Cristina Caimotto)....Pages 1-11 Discourse Practices and Power (M. Cristina Caimotto)....Pages 13-29 History, Urban Planning and Controversies (M. Cristina Caimotto)....Pages 31-49 Stigmatisation in Newspapers (M. Cristina Caimotto)....Pages 51-74 London Mayor’s Transport Strategy (M. Cristina Caimotto)....Pages 75-98 Marketisation in European Documents (M. Cristina Caimotto)....Pages 99-115 The Words of People Who Cycle (M. Cristina Caimotto)....Pages 117-133 Positive Discourse Strategies and Concluding Remarks (M. Cristina Caimotto)....Pages 135-141 Back Matter ....Pages 143-146