CfP: “CLAVIER 2023. Framing nature: discourses past and present of nature and the environment.A sustainability perspective”, University of Milan, 23-24 November 2023
CLAVIER 2023 Framing nature: discourses past and present of nature and the environment A sustainability perspective 23-24 November 2023 Università degli Studi di Milano, Department of Languages, literatures, cultures and mediations Piazza Indro Montanelli 1 Sesto San Giovanni, Metropolitan City of Milan, Italy Among the problems troubling the 21st century, particularly salient are those concerning the environment. In what is commonly referred to as the Age of the Anthropocene, the relationship between human beings and the natural world is at the heart not only of extensively debated problems such as climate change and the depletion of natural resources, (micro-)plastic pollution and the consequences of nuclear disasters, but also of issues such as the management of the global economy and the likelihood of the emergence of novel diseases, of which Covid-19 is only the latest. The very concept of environmental sustainability – quite possibly one of the defining concepts of 21st century policy thinking – revolves around this relationship, and it is on the way we understand it that our approaches to addressing environmental issues depend. This understanding is shaped by a broad array of beliefs, assumptions and convictions which vary, evolve, stratify and cross-fertilize across times and cultures, all of which come to bear – at least potentially – on contemporary environmental discourse. Indeed, the plethora of issues which fall within such discourse make for a complex scenario riddled with tensions, many of which originate from the different ways in which environmental problems are “framed,” i.e. how specific aspects of such problems are selected and given salience in discourse so as “to promote a particular problem definition, causal interpretation, moral evaluation, and/or treatment recommendation for the item described” (Entman 1993: 52). The multiple framings that can be identified differ in terms of values, priorities, perspectives and predictions – and therefore, following Entman, the remedies they suggest and the recommendations they put forth to avoid what is increasingly recognised as impending disaster. Identifying and analysing the frames deployed in environmental discourse, as well as their historical, cultural and philosophical roots, is therefore crucial not only to understand underlying assumptions about the relationship between human beings and the environment, but also to explore the way in which the need for behavioural change (or lack thereof) both on a collective and an individual level can be convincingly argued. Moreover, since framing is a decisive step in the construction of arguments which affect the outcome of a debate (van Eemeren and Houtlosser 1999), it is all the more essential to analyse its role in a form of discourse which is inevitably mobilised in the service of action (or inaction). This call for papers invites contributions on the above-mentioned topics. We are seeking research papers, case studies, and theoretical contributions that address the framings and understandings of nature and the environment across time, space, media and discourses. Potential topics for submission may include, but are not limited to: Framing (of) nature across time and space Cultural differences in framing environmental problems The role of media in shaping environmental discourse Framing climate change The politics of framing The framing of sustainability Framing environmental activism The ethics of framing with respect to nature and the environment The role of science and ideology in environmental discourse The future of environmental discourse We welcome submissions (max 300 words plus five references) from scholars and researchers in the fields of linguistics, translation, and interpreting, discourse analysis, argumentation theory, rhetoric and related disciplines, as well as from other associated fields. Interdisciplinary perspectives are especially welcome. As part of the Clavier event series, the conference will feature a special strand on corpus linguistics approaches. Proposals can be submitted for individual papers (20 minutes + 10 minutes for discussion), posters and panels. Proposals for panels for up to 5 papers (for a 2-hour session) should include a short description of the panel (150 words max) and the titles of the individual papers included in the panel. Panel organizers should pre-select panel contributions. Panels featuring more than five participants may be arranged upon request subject to space and time availability. Panel participants should also submit their proposals individually, following the Submission Guidelines and clearly indicating the title of the panel they will be presenting on. The language of the conference is English. Submission Guidelines: Proposals should be clearly structured, with theoretical contributions highlighting the innovative aspects of the proposed models, and analyses clearly outlining aim, materials, methodological approach and expected results. Please use the APA citation style for your references. All submissions should be made electronically via email to the conference email-address (Clavier2023@unimi.it), along with a cover letter indicating the author’s name, affiliation, contact information and title of contribution. In their (anonymous) submissions, authors should clearly indicate minimum 3 and maximum 5 keywords, and they should specify their preference for paper delivery or poster presentation. The latter may be especially suited to early-career researchers or to presentations of work-in- progress. Confirmed plenary speakers: Jonathan Charteris-Black, UWE Bristol Giuliana Garzone, Univeristà IULM Martin Reisigl, Universität Wien Arran Stibbe, University of Gloucestershire Conference Chair: Paola Catenaccio Organising committee Lucia Berti, Jekaterina Nikitina, Letizia Paglialunga, Massimo Sturiale Scientific Committee Cinzia Bevitori, Università di Bologna Marina Bondi, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia Nicholas Brownlees, Università degli Studi di Firenze Gloria Cappelli, Università degli Studi di Pisa Jonathan Charteris-Black, UWE Bristol Belinda Crawford, Università della Calabria Chiara Degano, Università di Roma 3 Marina Dossena, Università degli Studi di Bergamo Roberta Facchinetti, Università degli Studi di Verona Daniele Franceschi, Università degli Studi di Roma 3 Giuliana Garzone, Università IULM Kim Grego, Università degli Studi di Milano Stefania Maci, Università degli Studi di Bergamo Giovanna Mapelli, Università degli Studi di Milano Denise Milizia, Università degli Studi di Bari Renzo Mocini, Università di Roma “La Sapienza” Bettina Mottura, Università degli Studi di Milano Maria Cristina Paganoni, Università degli Studi di Milano Giuseppe Palumbo, Università degli Studi di Trieste Martin Reisigl, Universität Wien Katherine Elizabeth Russo, Università di Napoli