TY - JOUR

T1 - Communication Regarding Sustainability

T2 - Conceptual Perspectives and Exploration of Societal Subsystems

AU - Newig, Jens

AU - Schulz, Daniel

AU - Fischer, Daniel

AU - Hetze, Katharina

AU - Laws, Norman

AU - Lüdecke, Gesa

AU - Rieckmann, Marco

PY - 2013/7/9

Y1 - 2013/7/9

N2 - Sustainability issues are typically characterized by high complexity and uncertainty. In light of this, communication plays a crucial role in coping with these challenges. The previous debate on sustainability communication has largely focused on how to communicate sustainability issues to others. Sustainability communication, however, involves more than sender oriented communication to persuade others (“communication of sustainability”); it also embraces processes of dialogue and discourse (“communication about sustainability”). Based on this distinction, we develop a typology of communication modes, including communication for sustainability. Inspired by the notion of functional communication systems, we explore sustainability communication in six societal subsystems, applying the typology of communication modes. Drawing mostly on examples from Germany, we find a shift from “communication of” towards “communication about” sustainability in most subsystems. While communication subsystems have a tendency towards operational closure, a variety of interlinkages exist. We discuss three key areas of “opening up” communication subsystems, leading to transdisciplinarity, societal deliberation and governance, each meeting one of sustainability’s core challenges.

AB - Sustainability issues are typically characterized by high complexity and uncertainty. In light of this, communication plays a crucial role in coping with these challenges. The previous debate on sustainability communication has largely focused on how to communicate sustainability issues to others. Sustainability communication, however, involves more than sender oriented communication to persuade others (“communication of sustainability”); it also embraces processes of dialogue and discourse (“communication about sustainability”). Based on this distinction, we develop a typology of communication modes, including communication for sustainability. Inspired by the notion of functional communication systems, we explore sustainability communication in six societal subsystems, applying the typology of communication modes. Drawing mostly on examples from Germany, we find a shift from “communication of” towards “communication about” sustainability in most subsystems. While communication subsystems have a tendency towards operational closure, a variety of interlinkages exist. We discuss three key areas of “opening up” communication subsystems, leading to transdisciplinarity, societal deliberation and governance, each meeting one of sustainability’s core challenges.

KW - Sustainability sciences, Communication

KW - Communication of. about and for sustainability

KW - Deliberation

KW - Governance

KW - Sustainability communication

KW - Transdisciplinarity

KW - Typology of communication

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84882950262&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/d9270397-f242-318f-a44b-96af423c042d/

U2 - 10.3390/su5072976

DO - 10.3390/su5072976

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 5

SP - 2976

EP - 2990

JO - Sustainability

JF - Sustainability

SN - 2071-1050

IS - 7

ER -