Environmental Justice: The Link Between Social Injustices And Environmental Problems? : A Content Analysis Of Three Newspapers In Latin America

Sammanfattning: Environmental problems can have an impact on both the ecological and social spheres for people; yet, depending on social status, the impacts might be felt differently. Latin America is a continent deeply affected by environmental conflicts and inequalities, which continues to affect indigenous peoples in the region. In this study, environmental justice was used as an analytical tool to examine news articles from Ecuador's El Universo, Chile's La Tercera, and Bolivia's La Razón through a qualitative content analysis. The study's goal is to contribute to the debate on environmental justice. It will be accomplished by: (1) identifying recurring topics throughout the newspaper columns on ecology, the environment, and indigenous peoples; and (2) analyzing whether these topics can be addressed in the field of environmental justice. Because it has its roots in a social movement, the definition of environmental justice is broad and varied which is further discussed in this study.  Environmental justice is also a growing focal point within the political and academic arena that it's mentioned in this study.  The findings showed that ecological modernization, sustainable development, and attributing monetary value to nature are recurring themes. Mining, seed, and land rights are also mentioned as issues affecting indigenous peoples in the region. Finally, I argue that the results demonstrate that these issues can and should be addressed in environmental justice discussions. In this regard, I believe that environmental justice can be used to connect issues of equality, social injustice, and environmental issues. More research, however, is required before environmental justice can be considered an interdisciplinary field. Finally, I want to emphasize that environmental justice is a topic that can help to develop new perspectives in societies all over the world, motivate actors to act quickly, and connect social inequalities and environmental issues.