Adapting Communication Conventions: Helping Vulnerable People in Adelaide Learn About Climate Change and Adaptation
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Adapting communication conventions: Helping vulnerable people in Adelaide learn about climate change and adaptation By Robert Palmer A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Humanities, Department of Media, University of Adelaide June 2018 i Declaration I certify that this work contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in my name, in any university or other tertiary institution and, to the best of my knowledge and belief, contains no material previously published or written by another person, except where due reference has been made in the text. In addition, I certify that no part of this work will, in the future, be used in a submission in my name, for any other degree or diploma in any university or other tertiary institution without the prior approval of the University of Adelaide and where applicable, any partner institution responsible for the joint-award of this degree. I give consent to this copy of my thesis, when deposited in the University Library, being made available for loan and photocopying, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I also give permission for the digital version of my thesis to be made available on the web, via the University’s digital research repository, the Library Search and also through web search engines, unless permission has been granted by the University to restrict access for a period of time. ……………………………………………………… Robert Palmer ii Acknowledgements …I wish to acknowledge the advice and support from my supervisors Dr. Kathryn Bowd and Associate Professor Mary Griffiths from the Department of Media at the University of Adelaide. In particular, I want to thank Kathryn, and acknowledge the hard work and focused attention she paid to my work in the six months prior to submission. …I acknowledge the people living below the poverty line in Adelaide who took the survey and the expert professional participants who agreed to be interviewed. …I acknowledge the support from the Commonwealth Government for allocating me an Australian Postgraduate Award. iii Dedication I dedicate this thesis to: …My wife Melissa who agreed to let me take time out of full-time work to investigate how communications can be enhanced to help vulnerable people in Adelaide learn about climate change and adaption. It would not have been possible without her support. …My son Jack, whose positivity and tea making skills made the thesis journey a much more enjoyable experience. …My mum and dad, who are still emotionally supportive of their forty-something year old son to keep going with his education. …To all the people in Adelaide from low SES backgrounds that need to learn about the serious threat posed to their wellbeing due to climate change. I hope the findings made in this research helps you on your climate change journey. iv Table of contents Declaration .............................................................................................................................................. ii Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................ iii Dedication .............................................................................................................................................. iv Table of contents ..................................................................................................................................... v List of Figures ...................................................................................................................................... viii List of Tables ......................................................................................................................................... ix List of Maps ........................................................................................................................................... ix List of Abbreviations .............................................................................................................................. x Abstract .................................................................................................................................................. xi Chapter One ............................................................................................................................................ 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 1 Rationale for the research ................................................................................................................... 8 Thesis structure and chapter outlines ................................................................................................ 12 Chapter Two: Mediatization theory ...................................................................................................... 18 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 18 The foundations of mediatization theory .......................................................................................... 19 Using institutional mediatization theory ........................................................................................... 23 Chapter 3: Literature review ................................................................................................................. 33 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 33 Mediatization, climate change and adaptation .................................................................................. 33 The public and the public sphere ...................................................................................................... 38 The public and public sphere in a modern democracy .................................................................. 41 New media and the public sphere ................................................................................................. 48 Online opinion leaders in a modern public sphere ........................................................................ 57 Climate change and communications research ................................................................................. 61 Framing theory and climate change communications ................................................................... 65 The Information Deficit Model ..................................................................................................... 72 Uncertainty, risk and disaster management communications ....................................................... 81 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................ 95 Chapter Four: Methodology .................................................................................................................. 98 Research design .............................................................................................................................. 100 Data collection: Qualitative data ..................................................................................................... 103 Qualitative sample: Who ............................................................................................................. 104 Qualitative sample: Size ............................................................................................................. 107 Qualitative sample: Where .......................................................................................................... 109 Data collection: Quantitative data ................................................................................................... 109 v Survey Design ............................................................................................................................. 110 Quantitative sample: Who ........................................................................................................... 112 Quantitative sample: Size............................................................................................................ 114 Quantitative sample: Where ........................................................................................................ 115 Quantitative sample: When ......................................................................................................... 118 Data analysis: Qualitative data ........................................................................................................ 119 Data analysis: Quantitative data ...................................................................................................... 120 Integration ....................................................................................................................................... 121 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 122 Chapter Five: Survey Results .............................................................................................................. 123 Introduction 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