ABSTRACT
Communication plays a critical role in constructing humankind’s relationship to the material environment. In attempt to explain the function of communication in shaping environmental issues, scholars turn to a variety of research methods. This chapter focuses on explaining and offering examples of two common, complementary, and diverse methodologies used to analyze environmental communication: rhetorical criticism and discourse analysis. These methods enable scholars to uncover how communication socially constructs partial and politically interested understandings of environmental issues. In this chapter, we explain these methodologies and offer detailed examples of influential environmental communication research that fit within each approach. We pay particular attention to recent studies in order to highlight the ongoing developments in the field. The chapter ends with suggestions for further readings on research methods and environmental communication.
