ABSTRACT
An identity is a story in people's minds about what it means to be a particular kind of person, including appearance, character, behaviour and values. A self-identity is an evolving story people tell themselves and others about what kind of person they are. The ecolinguistics investigates how language in society sets up ecologically destructive identities, how texts like the ecology of commerce can help people to resist these identities, and what alternative, more ecologically beneficial possibilities there are for re-imagining self. This chapter investigates how consumer identities are set up in lifestyle magazines, specifically Men's Health. A key role that ecolinguistics can play is in working with, encouraging and providing tools for readers to treat media texts even more critically, by considering the stories they tell within a larger ecological context. From the perspective of the ecosophy, it would be better if identity depended on actions and worldview rather than ownership of material products.
