Weder F – PCST Network

#finaltrashtination

2021 PCST Conference (virtual) Weder F

Author: Franzisca Weder – University of Queensland, School of Communication and Arts, Australia

In this presentation, my current ecoculture jam #finaltrashtination is presented as higher education assignment and intervention in science communication that carry the potential to provide learners with the tools to use communication frameworks and acts not only to critique the abovementioned status quo but also to collaboratively generate transformation (Milstein & Pulos, 2015, p. 395; Woodside, 2001; Nome, 20012; Dery, 1999). Such acts of jamming dominant environmentally destructive ways of being integrate a variety of interesting communication strategies to engage the public in raising awareness about environmental problems, as well as solutions, using creative means to “create cracks in underlying systems of power, and to promote unsettling moments of reflection and debate” (Milstein & Pulos, 2015, p. 397; de Certau, 1988). The ecoculture jam presented with a short film took place at a European University, where the University’s 2-week-plastic waste was unfurled in front of the University’s main entrance and then built into walls in the front hall. People entering the University were asked to take some waste and help to “build the wall”, additionally conversations were stimulated. Herewith, the ecoculture jam stimulated a “crack” in existing patterns of behavior and consumption as well as reflections of (un)sustainable behavior.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Visual presentation
Theme: Transformation

May 28, 2021

Sustainability as Cognitive Friction: A narrative approach to understand moral dissonance of sustainability and harmonization strategies

2021 PCST Conference (virtual) Weder F

Author: Franzisca Weder – University of Queensland, School of Communication and Arts, Australia

Co-authors:

Stella Lemke – Lübeck University, Germany
Amornpan Tungarat – Alpen-Adria University Klagenfurt, Austria

In increasingly global hyperconsumption cultures, sustainability is not only a wicked problem (Weder et al., 2019; Davis et al., 2018; Murphy, 2012) but also a welcome vehicle for corporations to communicate about the advantages of products and services, often in misleading (Cox, 2013, p. 289) and “greenwashing” ways (Elving et al., 2015). As well, in news reporting, sustainability is increasingly used as master frame, buzzword, or catchphrase (Weder et al., 2019) without explanation, direction, context of sustainability as transformation or, therefore, impact on individual behaviour.

Narratives represent storied ways of knowing and communicating, thus, have always been a key feature in media and communication research. In our contribution, a new version of a narrative inquiry is introduced to capture reflections on experiences of sustainability as well as individual assessments of (un)sustainable behavior over time. We perceive storytelling as an action, as act of problematization which uncovers cognitive dissonances that appear on an individual level dealing with sustainability as process of societal transformtion and related communication. Using Rory’s Story Cubes® (dice with pictograms), we stimulated 35 interviewees from various cultural backgrounds (Asian, European, Anglo-American) to “story” and tell sustainability related life events into order and meaning. Our evaluation of the interviews focused on the story as a whole, which was then linked to the individual biographical background to understand motives for and moral conflicts about (un)sustainable behavior. As well, it was possible to trace back the origin of the dissonances in the abovementioned lack of information and ‘overmoralization’ of sustainability in news reporting and marketing communication.

In this paper, we want to put the innovative form of a narrative inquiry up for discussion for scinece communication research in better understanding individual perceptions of sustainability and cognitive friction occurring in relation to sustainability related issues.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Insight talk
Theme: Transformation

May 28, 2021

Metaphors for the “žcommons” in the media

2018 PCST Conference – Dunedin, New Zealand Weder F

Author: Franzisca Weder – University of Queensland, School of Communication and Arts, Australia

Co-author:
Nikolá Dobric – Alpen-Adria University of Klagenfurt

What a nice title: Communicating the Sustainable Development Goals – For Everyone![1] However, not only the United Nations offer tools, means and workshops like this to communicate sustainability and the related 17 “goals”. National and international consultants advice to tell the “sustainability story”, use “pics more than words” or other strategies to “associate your brand with sustainability”. Nevertheless, coming from a science communication perspective, we seem to just beginning to get to grips with the gravity of the challenge of communicating sustainability.

At this stage, we’re “trapped” in a pilot study on value-based messages about environmental goods (air, water and soil) in the media and how they change as they travel in the public sphere, understood as „sphere of influence created when different individuals engage each other in communication – through conversation, argument, debate, and questions – about subjects of shared concern or that affect a wider community” (Cox, 2013, p. 6). Therefore, we would love to put our idea and first insights from the pilot study up for discussion at PCTS and learn about arguments and metaphors for the “commons” (in general and related to the SDGs) in the scienctific, political, and economic discourse as well as in the media – and about the differences across cultures.

[1] http://www.un.org/webcast/pdfs/160421pm-sdgs-com.pdf, 28.09.2017.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Idea in progress
Theme: Stories
Area of interest: Comparing science communication across cultures

April 7, 2018

Public problematization of water supply and the risk of scarcity

2018 PCST Conference – Dunedin, New Zealand Weder F

Author: Franzisca Weder – University of Queensland, School of Communication and Arts, Australia

Co-author:
Denise Voci – Alpen-Adria University of Klagenfurt

By 2025, half of the world’s population, which is 1.8 billion people, will be living in water-stressed areas and an estimated two-thirds of the world population will be confronted with the unavailability of sufficient (drinking) water to meet their own needs (WHO, 2015; UN, 2014). Water supply and water scarcity are complex, sometimes abstract, global as well as very specific, local and regional problems, which often have invisible symptoms and require long-term solutions.

As often mentioned in the sustainability debate (see Dade & Hassenzahl, 2013; Allen, 2016; Godeman & Michelsen as an example), the key to sustainable development is that an issue is problematized in the public and stakeholders are involved in consumption/use, maintenance, cost recovery, and continuing support to realize sustainable resource management.

Whereas dry countries and regions (USA/California, Southern & Western Europe or Australia) are constantly facing water scarcity as one of the major effects of climate change, water-rich countries (Central Europe, Canada or New Zealand) seem to be not directly affected by physical scarcity of water. But interistingly enough, there seems no difference regarding the degree of problematization and therewith awareness of water scarcity as a “problem”.

The question for us is how to stimulate the power of public deliberation and conversations about enablers and barriers of sustainable water supply with evidence based information & data – even in countries where water scarcity is not an experienced reality yet or strategically kept away from the public agenda?

In our visual talk we will offer a video clip with some “impressive” bits of qualitative interviews which were conducted in Australia & across Europe in 2015-2017 with farmers, irrigators, politicans, activists, scientists and lay persons, pointing out the problem of individual numbness as well as unconsciousness in water consumption and conservation and the missing link to sustainability.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Visual talk
Theme: Society
Area of interest: Investigating science communication practices

April 7, 2018

Reflexivity on contradictions

2018 PCST Conference – Dunedin, New Zealand Weder F

Author: Franzisca Weder – University of Queensland, School of Communication and Arts, Australia

Co-author:
Larissa Krainer – Alpen-Adria University of Klagenfurt

With our presentation, we discuss how and how much “sustainability communication” challenges so far debated concepts of science communication. We put journalists, bloggers and communication strategists on the stage and ask for the potential as well as barriers of communicating sustainability in the media.

The state of art in science communication as well sustainability science right now includes remarkable breadth (Krcmar et al., 2016). However, this creates complicated challenges for those interested in sustainability communication (Dade & Hassenzahl, 2013; Allen, 2016). Sustainability communication requires a transdisciplinary approach (Godeman & Michelsen, 2011) which implies critical methods (Downing et al., 1995) like intervention research (Lerchester & Krainer, 2016) and story tracking with narrative interviews (Weder, 2017). Thus, we asked journalists, blogger and PR people in Central Europe (n = 25, 2009; n = 50, 2017) to tell the stories they relate to sustainable development and discuss the potential and barriers in communicating about and for sustainable development.

The interviewees point out economic interest of media corporations, short-term orientation and local interests as the main barriers in communicating an issue like sustainability. Their stories show that science communication in today’s public media needs critical journalism with a deeper understanding of ethics. Here, sustainability related issues can acts as “best practices” by showing contradictions in our society and critique of our social order.

By knowing about the selectivity of the interviewed communicators as the major limitation of our study, the sustainability issue seems to challenge science communication and related research. It not only marks a new type of “content” that has to be communicated. Journalists in particular realize that with their reporting on sustainability related issues and by offering reflexivity on existing paradoxes and contradictions, they contribute to sustainable development as well.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Individual paper
Theme: Stories
Area of interest: Building a theoretical basis for science communication

April 7, 2018

#finaltrashtination

Sustainability as Cognitive Friction: A narrative approach to understand moral dissonance of sustainability and harmonization strategies

Metaphors for the “žcommons” in the media

Public problematization of water supply and the risk of scarcity

Reflexivity on contradictions

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