Discourse Analysis Exposure to my graduate students of Human and Natural Resource Studies at Kathmandu University: A category utterly lacking in all environmental academic programs of Nepal but one is that is utterly necessary and contemporaneous!
2. PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Discourse, Discourse Analysis and Discourse Theory
Environment and Development Discourse (EDD)
Review of EDD Cases
HDT Discourse Analysis
Biodiversity, Conservation and Development
Development as Symbolic Violence
Ethno Political Ecology of Social Exclusion
Environment as a Emerging Dev. Discourse
Critique of Sustainable Development
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3. Discourse
Michel Foucault (1963-1971): a way in which human
sciences perceive world
Understood as a form of knowledge, universal type of
social action
Conditions are put for a statement to be interpreted as
meaningful and rational
Ernesto and Mouffe: a system of signs which are
allocated meaning through articulation.
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4. Discourse cont’d
Ideological in nature, appear as objectivity and
conceal alternative realities
Norman Fairclough: communicative act and a social
practice
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5. Discourse: Archive and Archeology
Foucault introduced the concepts of
Archives:
knowledge horizon is determined historically
framework for how ideas are produced and
sustained
how knowledge is accepted or not
Archaeology:
various forms of knowledge that we possess
limitations and possibilities, exist for creating
knowledge and generating ideas.
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6. Discourse Analysis
Study of rationality and it’s expression in a particular
historical context
How human science relates to reality in a specific
historical manner
How knowledge and production of knowledge have
changed over time
Used to establish a general theory of discourse
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7. Discourse Analysis cont’d
Approaches: Discourse analytical , theoretical and
critical
Emphasize the connection between discourse and
power
Differ in how they attach a concept of discourse to
other concepts such as: knowledge, ideology, ideas
and truth
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8. Discourse Theory
Theory that aims at a universal theory of discourses
“Sees all social phenomena as discursive
constructions, and assumes that social phenomena can
be studied by discourse analysis”
Ernesto and Mouffe advanced discourse theory by
deconstruction of other theory
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9. Environment and Development Discourse (EDD)
Economic growth/Modernization theories: enhance
economic growth, efficient production, political stability
Radical development theories: modes of production,
production relations and class structures
World system theory: unequal exchange between center
and periphery in sharing resources and decline of bio-
diversity
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10. EDD cont’d
BUT indifferent towards the environmental costs of
economic production or ecological damages caused
by capitalist production and industrial expansion
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11. EDD cont’d
Sustainable Development Model Our Common Future
Brundtland (1987)
Emphasizes relative/quality of growth
Satisfy essential needs
Ensure sustainable level of population
Conserve and enhance resource base
Reorient technology
Merge environment with economics
Restructure international economic relations
Make development more participatory
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12. Shift in Development Discourse
Biosphere Conference in Paris ( UNICEF, 1968)
UN Conference on the Human Environment
(Stockholm, 1972): integrated development, rational
planning, UNEP
Vienna Convention-Ozone layer protection (1985)
Ottawa Conference on Conservation and
Development (IUCN, 1986): Satisfaction of basic
needs, social justice, ecological integrity
Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the
ozone layer (1987)
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13. Shift in DD cont’d
Earth Summit (UNCED, 1992): UNFCCC and CBD
Non binding agreements
Rio declaration regarding SD
Agenda 21 (financial, technological and
institutional measures)
Principles of Forest Management
Convention to Combat Desertification (1994)
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14. Shift in DD cont’d
The Kyoto Protocol (1997):
establishment of ministry of environment
Creation of environment protection agencies
The global and national institution have
advocated SD based on environment principles.
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15. Reviewing Cases: Theory of Himalayan
Environment Degradation
Julie Guthman Theory as Discourse
Producing knowledge and
Producing interventions
Production of environmental interventions
intimately connected to production of knowledge
Both are fundamentally bound up with power
relations
The facts about the Himalayan Crisis were socially
constructed
Those who are in power claim as facts
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16. Case One cont’d
Construction and Deconstruction of HED
Knowledge is produced in both cases and reproduced
in multiple and complicated ways
Knowledge to support or dismantle these discourses
not only socially embedded, but connected with
power relations
The theory has transcended issues of SCIENCE
properly and entered into the realm of political and
economic discourse
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17. Case Two: Bio-diversity, Conservation and
Development in Nepal’s Terai
Katrina Brown (1998): Political Ecology Framework:
Makes inquiry on:
contextual sources of environmental change
conflict over access to resources
political ramifications of environmental change
Malthusian and Neo Malthusian theory: given
stress on population. Separate people and bio-
diversity
BNP excludes people to inhibit inside the park.
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18. Case Two cont’d
Park authorities separated the people from utilizing
forest products: thatch grass, building materials, ropes
Promotion of tourism
Stakeholders widened: local people, park authorities,
tourism entrepreneurs. I/NGOs
Policy options/solutions: “buffer zone” new
conservation paradigm
Conservation and development as synergistic approach
Local communities has no influence in policy
formulation which influences their lives.
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19. Case Three: Development as Symbolic Violence?
The case of Community Forestry
Dr. Ojha (2006): Democratic and equitable governance in
Community Forestry.
Four habitus are key actors:
Development habitus
Technocentric habitus
Feudal-political habitus
Fatalistic habitus
First three exercise symbolic violence over the last one
CF practice determined by fatalistic habitus of the local
people and technocratic habitus of the forest officials
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20. Case Three cont’d…
Symbolic violence:
Development habitus:
Global: HDT to basic needs, “livelihoods” and “forestry”
donors projects and NGOs
Local: Forestry in latter priority, privileged groups are
getting benefits
Techno-centric habitus: maximize products, elites
interests, technical knowledge mismatched with local
people needs and interests
Feudal-political habitus: guided by political will rather
than public
In some context, dominated know the symbolic violence
from dominant but they are compelled to obey the
conditions imposed by dominants.
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21. Case Four: Political Ecology of Social Exclusion:
CF case in Nepal
Nirmal Kumar B.K.: Ph. D. fellow at KU
Exclusion from CF related structure and process
could be perceived as the social exclusion.
CF process: formal institutions:
Decision making process
Benefit sharing process
Distribution of opportunities
Informal institutions:
Caste relations
Gender relations
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22. Case Four cont’d
CF Structure:
memberships
decision making body
key posts
Forest management discourse as knowledge:
State to people: Chairman forestry, Committee
forestry, Community forestry to inclusive forestry
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23. Environment as Present Development Discourse
Environment protection as global issue
Climate change as cross cutting in nature
Present focus towards climate resilient
development
Debate and discussions over green economics
Changing environmental policies
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24. Critique over Sustainable Development Model
SD is constrained by continuity for economic growth
that often causes harm to environment
Consumption centered development: excessive
consumption of resources
Indifferent towards the cultural and normative
dimension of development
Less attention towards structures of interclass and
international inequalities
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25. Critique over Sustainable Development Model
Does not addresses the implications of internal and
international power structures for the implementation
of international agreements, laws and regulations
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