Fighting Doomsday : an Ecocritical Discourse Analysis of Coursebooks

Abstract: The aim of the present study is to investigate how three coursebooks used in upper secondary school in Sweden portray nature and promote agency to enact the environmental perspective as outlined by Skolverket (2022). The data for this study was obtained through a close reading of the coursebooks, and the criteria for selecting data were that the texts should touch upon subjects related to nature, sustainability and the environment. The research method employed was qualitative discourse analysis. The data was analyzed within the theoretical framework of ecocriticism as well as some concepts from climate psychology. When examining the data, it was found that nature was portrayed in mainly an anthropocentric way, but also as metaphysical one. Furthermore, the findings suggest that there is an emphasis on individual rather than collective responsibility when promoting agency to act in favor of the environment. This emphasis could potentially promote climate anxiety rather than encourage engagement and, therefore, it could ultimately undermine the environmental perspective. In conclusion, the findings suggest that there is a risk of failing the environmental perspective as stipulated by Skolverket (2022). Ultimately, this study suggests further research be carried out in the field of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) to explore the effects of promoting environmental engagement among students.