The polysemous nature of the German Verkehrswende—Exploring the role of floating signifiers in shaping mobility futures

IF 5.7 2区经济学 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions Pub Date : 2025-01-25 DOI:10.1016/j.eist.2025.100963

Sophie-Marie Ertelt , Tom Hawxwell

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The German transportation sector's negative contribution to climate change amongst broader social, environmental, and economic problems is applying evermore pressure to the prevailing automobility regime to bring about its transformation. However, the vision of this transition, referred to as the Verkehrswende or Mobilitätswende, is highly contested, with varying conceptions of different actors about the future of mobility in Germany. A discourse network analysis (DNA) is performed to examine the development of the related policy debate, identify key problem and solution framings and analyse the overall discourse evolution from 2018 to mid-2023. The findings highlight how recent exogenous events shape and reframe the discourse, inciting debates around viable mobility futures. Further, our analysis uncovers a novel discursive strategy termed repugnostic framing, through which incumbent actors aim to oppose the framings of other discursive agents, leading to increased lines of conflict and polarisation, thus possibly hindering effective policy implementation.

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德语verkehrswende的多义性——探索浮动能指在塑造未来流动性中的作用

在更广泛的社会、环境和经济问题中，德国交通部门对气候变化的负面贡献正在对现行的汽车制度施加越来越大的压力，以实现其转型。然而，这种转变的愿景，被称为Verkehrswende或Mobilitätswende，是高度争议的，不同的参与者对德国未来的机动性有不同的看法。本文采用话语网络分析（DNA）来考察相关政策辩论的发展，确定关键问题和解决方案框架，并分析2018年至2023年中期的整体话语演变。研究结果强调了最近的外部事件如何塑造和重塑了话语，引发了围绕可行的流动性未来的辩论。此外，我们的分析还揭示了一种新的话语策略，称为认知框架，通过这种策略，现任行动者旨在反对其他话语主体的框架，从而导致冲突和两极分化的增加，从而可能阻碍有效的政策实施。

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来源期刊

Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions Energy-Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

CiteScore

13.60

自引率

19.40%

发文量

审稿时长

56 days

期刊介绍： Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions serves as a platform for reporting studies on innovations and socio-economic transitions aimed at fostering an environmentally sustainable economy, thereby addressing structural resource scarcity and environmental challenges, particularly those associated with fossil energy use and climate change. The journal focuses on various forms of innovation, including technological, organizational, economic, institutional, and political, as well as economy-wide and sectoral changes in areas such as energy, transport, agriculture, and water management. It endeavors to tackle complex questions concerning social, economic, behavioral-psychological, and political barriers and opportunities, along with their intricate interactions. With a multidisciplinary approach and methodological openness, the journal welcomes contributions from a wide array of disciplines within the social, environmental, and innovation sciences.