Green Discourse

In defining green discourse, it is first necessary to introduce the role and meaning of the term discourse. We live in a complex world, one in which we do not understand all aspects of our natural and social environment, yet are constantly bombarded with information aimed at shaping the way we understand issues and act in response. It is within this context that we are constantly required to make decisions, from the mundane, (e.g., should I drive or walk to the store?) to the exceedingly complex (e.g., is my current lifestyle sustainable?).

Acting in such an environment can feel overwhelming, so we have a tendency to develop a framework (albeit subconsciously) of ideas, perceptions, assumptions, judgments, and attitudes that we apply to help us understand the world and make decisions. It is this framework that is referred to by the term discourse (you might like to think of it as the lens through which we view the world). As John Dryzek stated, discourses “construct meanings and relationships, helping to define common sense and legitimate knowledge.”

Each discourse is shaped by key influences that affect us, including ideology, ethics, history (including our own experiences), political institutions, public perspectives, and societal trends and demographics.

There are almost an infinite number of discourses possible, as no two individuals are subject to the same experiences or interpret events and ideas in the same way. Nevertheless, because people have similar attitudes in a few core areas, we are able to group these discourses together to form a shared way of apprehending the world.

Just as individuals develop discourses to view and understand the world, so do institutions such as corporations, government, and other stakeholder groups. Indeed, it is necessary for them to do so, as without an overarching framework to guide the work of the individuals that make up the institution, it could not progress or develop along a predetermined path. Through this discussion it may be becoming apparent that there are multiple discourses that exist at any one time, and that these discourses need not be compatible. To understand the interaction between different discourses and between their proponents we can draw on the work of M. Foucault, who examined how discourses change over time within society, institutions, and disciplines. In examining why and how discourses evolve, Foucault focused attention on the role of power (who holds it and how it was applied to shape how issues are viewed).