Ecological Stylistics: Ecostylistic Approaches to Discourses of Nature, the Environment and Sustainability

virdis daniela francesca

First

2022-01-01

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Abstract

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 terms and theories in the disciplines of ecolinguistics (ecosophy, beneficial, ambivalent and destructive discourses) and stylistics (foregrounding, point of view, metaphor) which are applied in this ecostylistic analysis; it also 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 (WWF)). 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; it also aims to promote a beneficial use of language and of these beneficial discourses and strategies among the general public. Furthermore, and above all, this book reminds all of 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 such neighbouring areas as discourse analysis, environmental communication and environmental humanities.