ABSTRACT

This study is based on the analysis of discourse relevant to an environmental policy, named the Toronto Green Standard (TGS). The study found that while the TGS is dominated by economic-focused environmental discourse, the earliest stages of TGS creation were dominated by ‘transformative’ discourses that problematized development and sought ecological protections and social equity. And while the incompatibility of policy making with transformative discourse has been noted by environmental discourse scholars, along with the compatibility of economic-focused discourse, this study highlights precise mechanisms in the institutional policy making process, which have the effect of excluding transformative discourse and prioritizing economic-focused discourse. The process whereby this discursive exclusion and prioritization takes place is referred to in this study as ‘transformative exclusion’. Despite policy maker interests in transformation, transformative exclusion has the effect of reproducing economic-focused discourse, current power relations and inequalities through environmental policy. This study introduces a new thread of importance for discourse analysis of policy, in identifying precise mechanisms of transformative exclusion within institutional policy making processes. By first identifying them, ideally these mechanisms of discursive force will be challenged, so that institutional policy may one day be welcoming to discourses of transformation.

摘要

本研究基于对环境政策相关话语的分析，名为多伦多绿色标准 (TGS)。研究发现，虽然 TGS 由以经济为中心的环境话语主导，但 TGS 创建的最早阶段由“变革性”话语主导，这些话语对发展提出问题并寻求生态保护和社会公平。虽然环境话语学者已经注意到政策制定与变革性话语的不兼容，以及以经济为中心的话语的兼容性，但本研究强调了精确的机制在制度决策过程中，这具有排除变革性话语和优先考虑以经济为中心的话语的效果。这种话语排斥和优先排序发生的过程在本研究中被称为“变革性排斥”。尽管政策制定者对转型感兴趣，但转型排斥会通过环境政策再现以经济为中心的话语、当前的权力关系和不平等。本研究为政策话语分析引入了一条重要的新线索，以确定制度政策制定过程中变革性排斥的精确机制。通过首先识别它们，理想情况下，这些话语力机制将受到挑战，以便制度政策有朝一日可能会欢迎转型话语。