Environmental Discourses and Discourse Coalitions in the Reconfiguration of Peru's Environmental Governance

Abstract

Environmental discourses are considered precursors to policy decisions as they delimit the range of policy options. The mass media are an important arena for those discourses and the discourse coalitions engaged in struggles to define policy and political issues. The study of such discourses requires an expansion to contexts outside developed countries, but within the influence of global forces, especially in how dominant global discourses influence national policy making. This article focuses on the competing discourses in the debate about the creation of the Peruvian Ministry of the Environment as portrayed by the media and the actors involved in the process. The results show a debate dominated by neoliberal discourses of administrative rationalism and economic rationalism, intertwined with the environmental requirements of a free trade agreement between Peru and the USA. In this case, democratic and environmental justice concerns—from both indigenous rights and anti-hegemonic perspectives—were marginalized. The study presents the operationalization of theoretical categorizations of environmental discourses within the concepts of storylines and discourse coalitions.

Keywords:

• Environmental Discourses
• Environmental Justice
• Discourse Coalitions
• Mass Media
• Ministry
• Peru

Acknowledgements

Portions of this article were presented at the International Communication Association Annual Meeting, June 23, 2010, Singapore. A component of this research was funded by the National Science Foundation (Grant no. SES-0962505). We also want to thank Stacey Sowards and two anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments on a previous draft of this article.

Notes

1. See http://www.tlcPeru-eeuu.gob.pe/index.php or http://www.ustr.gov/trade-agreements/free-trade-agreements/Peru-tpa

2. El Presidente de la República del Perú, 2008 Decreto Legislativo que Aprueba la Ley de Creación, Organización y Funciones del Ministerio del Ambiente D.L. 1013 [The President of the Republic of Peru, 2008 Legislative decree that approves the Law of Creation, Organization and Functions of the Ministry of the Environment D.L. 1013].

3. La Primera, 2008, “Improvisación en creación de ministerio de Medio Ambiente” [Improvisation in the creation of the Ministry of the Environment], February 7, page unknown.

4. Perú21, 2008, “Dudan de efectividad del Ministerio del Ambiente” [Doubts about the effectiveness of the Ministry of the Environment], April 10, page unknown.

5. Gestion, 2007, “SNMPE ahora respalda creación de Ministerio del Medio Ambiente” [Society of Mining and Petroleum now supports creation of Ministry of the Environment], January 2, page unknown.

6. La República, 2007, “José de Echave: Medio ambiente o ambiente entero” [José de Echave: Half environment or whole environment], December 25, page unknown.

7. Correo, 2007, “Nuevo ministerio no puede crearse a través de facultades” [New ministry cannot be created through faculties], December 22, page unknown.

8. Proyecto de Ley que Crea el Ministerio del Ambiente y Recursos Naturales [Legislative Project that Creates the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources] N°215/2007-CR.

9. El Comercio, 2008, “Ministerio del Medio Ambiente no fiscalizaría el sector minero” [Ministry of the Environment would not control the mining sector], January 10, page b1.

10. El Peruano, 2008, “Brack afirma que actividad ilegal es un “cancer” que se extiende por todo el país” [Brack says that illegal activity is a “cancer” that spreads across the country], February 11, page unknown.

11. La Razón, 2007, “Ministerio del Medio Ambiente es para taparle la boca a ONGs” [Ministry of the Environment is to cover NGOs mouth], December 29, page unknown.

12. El Peruano, 2008, “Nuevo ministerio no debe preocupar” [New ministry should not be a concern], January 16, page 4.

13. La Razón, 2008, “Mala gestión ambiental le cuesta al Perú US $ 2 mil millones anuales” [Environmental mismanagement costs Peru U.S. $2 billion per year], February 23, page unknown.

14. La Primera n/a, 2008, “Hombre de Majaz en nuevo ministerio” [Majaz man in new ministry], January 16, page unknown.

15. La Razón, 2008, “Presentan proyecto de ley del Ministerio de Medio Ambiente” [Legislative project for Ministry of the Environment is presented], March 7, page unknown.

16. La República, 2008, “Preocupación por fiscalización ambiental” [Concern for environmental inspection], April 9, page unknown.

17. Expreso, 2008, “El padre Arana es un antiminero recalcitrante” [Father Arana is a recalcitrant anti-miner], March 31, page unknown.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Bruno Takahashi

Bruno Takahashi is Assistant Professor at the School of Journalism and the Department of Communication at Michigan State University

Mark Meisner

Mark Meisner is the Executive Director of the International Environmental Communication Association