ECOLOGICAL STYLISTICS : ecostylistic approaches to discourses of nature, the environment and... sustainability

This book reflects the cutting edge in ecostylistic approaches to nature, the environment and sustainability as represented in contemporary non-literary discourse. Firstly, the book presents the ecolinguistic and stylistic terms and theories applied in this ecostylistic analysis (ecosophy, beneficial, ambivalent and destructive discourses; and foregrounding, point of view, metaphor), and reviews the most recent literature in the field of ecostylistics. Secondly, the book examines the occurrences of five marker words (nature, environment, ecosystem, ecology, sustainability) on the websites of five environmental organisations and agencies (Forestry England, Greenpeace International, National Park Service, Navdanya International, World Wide Fund for Nature). The main research purpose of this study is to identify beneficial discourses in the environet and to investigate the beneficial ecostylistic strategies utilised to produce them. Above all, this book reminds us humans that we do not stand apart from nature: we are a part of it. The book will be of interest to scholars of stylistics, ecolinguistics and ecocriticism, as well as scholars of discourse analysis, environmental communication and environmental humanities. Acknowledgements Contents 1 Introduction: Towards an Ecological Stylistics 1.1 Background, Main Research Purpose and Contents 1.2 Data and Methodological Notes 1.3 The Ecosophy of This Research Notes References 2 Ecostylistics, Ecolinguistics and Stylistics: A Theoretical Overview 2.1 Ecolinguistics 2.1.1 Ecolinguistics and Discourse 2.1.2 Beneficial Discourses 2.1.3 Ambivalent Discourses 2.1.4 Destructive Discourses 2.2 Stylistics 2.2.1 Foregrounding 2.2.2 Point of View 2.2.3 Metaphor 2.3 Ecostylistics Notes References 3 Nature 3.1 Definition and Evaluation 3.2 “Nature” in WWF’s Words 3.2.1 Ecostylistic Analysis 3.2.2 Summary and Evaluation References 4 Environment 4.1 Definition and Evaluation 4.2 “Environment” in Greenpeace’s Words 4.2.1 Ecostylistic Analysis 4.2.2 Summary and Evaluation References 5 Ecosystem 5.1 Definition and Evaluation 5.2 “Ecosystem” in Forestry England’s Words 5.2.1 Ecostylistic Analysis 5.2.2 Summary and Evaluation References 6 Ecology 6.1 Definition and Evaluation 6.2 “Ecology” in National Park Service’s Words 6.2.1 Ecostylistic Analysis 6.2.2 Summary and Evaluation References 7 Sustainability 7.1 Definition and Evaluation 7.2 “Sustainability” in Navdanya’s Words 7.2.1 Ecostylistic Analysis 7.2.2 Summary and Evaluation References 8 Summary and Concluding Remarks 8.1 Summing It All Up 8.2 Beneficial Foregrounding Strategies 8.3 Beneficial Point of View Strategies 8.4 Beneficial Metaphorical Strategies 8.5 A Language of Connection References 9 Appendix: Checklists for Foregrounding, Point of View and Metaphor 9.1 Checklist 1: Foregrounding 9.2 Checklist 2: Point of View 9.3 Checklist 3: Metaphor References Index This book reflects the cutting edge in ecostylistic approaches to nature, the environment and sustainability as represented in contemporary non-literary discourse. It starts by presenting the ecolinguistic and stylistic terms and theories applied in this ecostylistic analysis, then examines the occurrences of five marker words (nature, environment, ecosystem, ecology, sustainability) on the websites of five environmental organisations (Forestry England, Greenpeace International, National Park Service, Navdanya International, WWF). This book will be of interest to scholars of stylistics, ecolinguistics and ecocriticism, as well as discourse analysis, environmental communication and environmental humanities. Daniela Francesca Virdis is an Associate Professor of English Language at the University of Cagliari, Italy