“They’ll have to give up the smartphones and take notes in paper notebooks”: discourse, power, and meaning‑making in degrowth media presentations in the semi-peripheral context

Domazet, Mladen and Puđak, Jelena and Ančić, Branko (2026) “They’ll have to give up the smartphones and take notes in paper notebooks”: discourse, power, and meaning‑making in degrowth media presentations in the semi-peripheral context. Degrowth journal, 4. pp. 1-37. ISSN 2977-1951

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Abstract

This article employs a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to examine how Croatian media represented degrowth in the aftermath of the 9th International Degrowth Conference held in Zagreb in 2023. By analysing 38 articles published shortly after the event, the study identifies a polarized media landscape structured around three dominant narrative framings: traditionalist‑populist, paternalist‑denialist, and ecological‑transformative. These narratives portray degrowth as a threat to national prosperity and identity, dismissed as impractical or naïve, or framed as a legitimate response to ecological and social pressures. Situating these representations within Croatia’s semi-peripheral, post‑socialist context, the analysis shows how media framings intersect with long‑standing developmental aspirations, public attitudes toward environmental and social justice, and local political dynamics. By deconstructing the discursive strategies through which degrowth is legitimized or delegitimized, the article contributes to understanding how environmental alternatives are negotiated in public debate and highlights the importance of context-sensitive communication in efforts toward socio-ecological transformation.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Language: English.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Degrowth movement, degrowth movement, media framing, power relations, environmental politics, critical discourse analysis (CDA)
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General) H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Depositing User:	Karolina
Date Deposited:	27 Oct 2026 12:59
Last Modified:	27 Oct 2026 12:59
URI:	http://idiprints.knjiznica.idi.hr/id/eprint/1312

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