The underlying meanings shaping Environmental Communication Campaigns (ECCs) : an exploration of meta-discourse

Sammanfattning: As previous research on environmental communication campaigns (ECCs) has focused primarily on the practical design, implementation and evaluation of ECCs, the theoretical basis of ECCs in regard to the underlying meanings shaping campaigns had not previously been explored to a satisfactory extent. The aim of this study was to address this gap in the research by exploring the perspectives of individuals involved in the planning and execution of ECCs and making sense of the underlying meanings embedded in these perspectives in order to yield insights into the underlying meanings shaping ECCs. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using a qualitative content analysis guided by the concept of “meta-discourse” as the theoretical framework. The result of this study was the development of conceptual descriptions about the meanings shaping ECCs, emerging from the participants’ perspectives, in regard to concepts related to communication and behavioural change. The two concepts which were found to be attributed the most value by participants were “knowledge” and “emotions”. This study contributes to the understanding of ECCs by exploring the underlying meanings which inherently shape campaigns and factor into their outcome by informing and guiding individuals involved in the planning and execution of ECCs. The findings of this study enhance both the theory and practice of environmental communication.