Framing youth and socio-cultural issues in media and online discourse

This project explores the framing of youth and climate change: how frames of children are used to persuade adults about climate change, how frames of youth restrict youth access to climate change information and opportunities for participation, and even how children frame themselves and climate change differently than adults in their efforts to participate. Using the method of media frame analysis (or the exploration of media treatment of problems, casual interpretations, moral judgments, and solutions), this research examines multiple communication mediums through which children are either used or targeted for climate change messaging (social marketing, climate change curriculum and fiction, news media coverage, and online public discourse). Based on such exploration, this project establishes the following: 1) Adult-centered climate change communication commonly uses frames of children and youth as innocent, naive, and vulnerable to promote particular stances on climate action. 2) These frames are also employed to either restrict or encourage youth climate education, as well as youth participation in climate change discourse and climate action efforts. 3) In order to participate in climate change discourse and action, youth activists must simultaneously embrace and challenge these adult frames of youth. Ultimately, this research concludes that common adult frames of youth may unfairly restrict kids from both participating in discussions and decisions about climate change, or readily accessing information necessary to their understanding of an issue that could impact them greatly. Furthermore, such framing perpetuates stereotypes and policies that may limit potentially valuable and effective problem-solving partnerships between youth and adults.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical referencesby Ellen M. Malve