In this paper I conduct a media analysis based on the discourse theory of Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouddes. I analyze op-ed articles about the planning of a mine in Rönnbäck, Västerbotten, published in the national Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter and the local Västerbotten newspaper Västerbottens-kuriren. The aim is to examine the discourses that appear around the mine, especially connected to development and perceptions of nature. I found three main discourses: the socio-economic discourse, the environmental discourse and the discourse on ideology and rights. The dominant perception of development was about the economy and the need for work-opportunities. There was a conflict, between the company Nickel Mountain Group AB and the opponents to the mine, concerning the best way to reach this development goal. The mine’s opponents also presented a view of development in which a pristine environment was a central aspect of quality of life. Connected to this view was concern about losing that which exists today. The environment was seen partly from an economic perspective but there was also a view of nature as something with intrinsic value. In the discussion I highlight some of the points of conflict I found: socio-economic benefits, democratic process and rights. I suggest that an open and broader debate concerning the meaning of these terms is important. I also point out the importance of including the prior assumptions and difference in powerposition of the different actors, given that their opportunities and view of reality are affected by this.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:umu-109195 |
| Date | January 2015 |
| Creators | Tillö, Petronella |
| Publisher | Umeå universitet, Sociologiska institutionen |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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