Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Nuclear Reaction to Climate Change? Comparing Discourses on Nuclear Energy in France and Germany

  • Chapter
Methodologie und Praxis der Wissenssoziologischen Diskursanalyse

Part of the book series: Theorie und Praxis der Diskursforschung ((TPEDF))

Zusammenfassung

Mighty voices in the international policy field continuously argue for further investment in nuclear energy as part of the low carbon power technologies that contribute to the abatement of climate change. This rationale is fundamentally challenged by an anti-nuclear movement arguing that nuclear energy as a low carbon option is a flawed argument that is employed by an industry in global decline.

This chapter has been written based on the MSc thesis „The nuclear energy discourse in France and Germany from 1988-2008”, written by Mari Roald Bern in 2009. Hence, it analyzes parliamentary debates in France and Germany on nuclear energy before the 2011 Fukushima accident. A prolongation of our work post 2011 would be highly interesting, but is beyond the scope of this paper.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 74.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    All French Parliamentarian Debates (Compte Rendu Integrale) can be downloaded from http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/13/debats. For the German Bundesag Debates see http://dip.bundestag.de

  2. 2.

    Named as such by Representative Sarre (1999)

Bibliography

  • Beck, Ulrich (2007): Weltrisikogesellschaft. Auf der Suche nach Verlorenen Sicherheit. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt

    Google Scholar 

  • Bess, Michael (1995): Ecology and Artifice: Shifting Perceptions of Nature and High Technology in Post-war France. Technology and Culture 36, 4: 830–862

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bess, Michael (2003): The light-green society: ecology and technological modernity in France, 1960 – 2000. University of Chicago Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourg, Dominique; Whiteside, Kerry H (2007): France’s Charter for the Environment: Of Presidents, Principles and Environmental Protection. Modern and Contemporary France. 15, 2: 177–133

    Google Scholar 

  • Cabedoche, Bertrand (2003): Ce Nucléaire qu’on nous montre. Construire la socialité dans le débat sur les énergies. L’Harmattan, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • Delavigne, Valerie (1994): Les discourse institutionnels du nucléaire : stratégies discursive d’euphorisation, Mots. 39: 53–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feindt, Peter H./Oels, Angela, (2005): Does discourse matter? Discourse analysis in environmental policy making. Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning, 7, 3, 161–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Finlayson, Alan (2007): From Beliefs to Arguments: Interpretative Methodology and Rhetorical Political Analysis. BJPIR: 9, Political Studies Association: 545–563

    Google Scholar 

  • Finon, Dominique (2002): The Mitigation of the French Nuclear Option. New industrial realism and technical democracy learning. To be published in Energy and Environment, Special Issue “National nuclear policies in Europe, Institute d’economie et de politique de l’energie, Grenoble

    Google Scholar 

  • Fischer, Frank (2003): Reframing Public Policy. Discursive Politics and Deliberative Practices. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Fischer, Frank/Forester, John, (1993): The Argumentative Turn in Policy and Planning. Duke University Press, Durham

    Google Scholar 

  • Flam, Helena (1994): States and Anti-Nuclear Movements, Edinburgh University Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Gamson, William A./Modigliani, Andre (1989): Media Discourse and Public Opinion on Nuclear Power: A Constructivist Approach, The American Journal of Sociology, 95, 1: 1–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hajer, Maarten A. (1993): Discourse Coalitions and the Institutionalisation of Practice: The case of Acid Rain in Britain. In: Fischer/Forester (Hrsg.): The Argumentative Turn in Policy Analysis and Planning. Duke University Press, Durham and London

    Google Scholar 

  • Hajer, Maarten A. (1995): The Politics of Environmental Discourse. Ecological Modernisation and the Policy Process, Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hajer Maarten A./Versteeg Wytske (2005): A Decade of Discourse Analysis of Environmental Politics: Achievements, Challenges, Perspectives. Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning. 7, 3: 175–184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hecht, Gabrielle (1998): The Radiance of France: Nuclear Power and National Identity after World War II, the MIT Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunold, Christian (2001): Environmentalists, Nuclear Waste and the Politics of Passiv Exclusion in Germany German Politics and Society, 19, 2001

    Google Scholar 

  • International Energy Agency (2009): How can the energy sector deliver on a climate agreement in Copenhagen. OECD Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Jasper, James M. (1990): Nuclear Politics. Princeton University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Joppke, Christian (1993): Mobilizing Against Nuclear Energy. A Comparaison of Germany and the United States, University of California Press, Berkeley

    Google Scholar 

  • Keller, Reiner (2000a): Der Müll in der Öffentlichkeit. Reflexive Modernisierung als kulturelle Transformation. Ein Deutsch-Französicher Vergleich. Soziale Welt, 51 (3) 245–266

    Google Scholar 

  • Keller, Reiner/Hirseland, Andreas/Schneider, Werner/Viehöver, Willy (Hrsg.) (2003): Handbuch Sozialwissenschaftliche Diskursanalyse. Band 2: Forschungspraxis. Opladen: Leske & Budrich

    Google Scholar 

  • Keller, Reiner (2004): Diskursforschung. Eine Einführung für SozialwissenschaftlerInnen (2nd Ed) VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, Wiesbaden

    Google Scholar 

  • Keller, Reiner (2005): Analysing Discourse. An Approach from the sociology of knowledge. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung 6 (3) Online journal, retrieved on 24.10.2008

    Google Scholar 

  • Keller, Reiner, (2008): Wissenssoziologische Diskursanalyse. Grundlegung eines Forschungsprogramms, (2nd edition), VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, Wiesbaden

    Google Scholar 

  • Kitschelt, Herbert P. (1986): Political Opportunity Structures and Political Protest: Anti-Nuclear Movements in Four Democracies British Journal of Political Science, 16, 1: 57–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kitschelt, Herbert P. (1984): Der Ökologische Diskurs. Eine Analyse von Gesellschaftskonzeptionen in der Energiedebatte. Campus, Frankfurt/NewYork

    Google Scholar 

  • Mez, Lutz/Piening, Annette (2002): Phasing-Out Nuclear Power Generation in Germany: Policies, Actors, Issues and Non-Issues. Energy and Environment, 13, 2: 161–181

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nelkin, Dorothy/Pollak, Michael (1980a): Political Parties and the Nuclear Energy Debate in France and Germany, Comparative Politics, 12, 2: 127–144

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelkin, Dorothy/Pollak, Michael (1980b): Ideology as Strategy: The Discourse of the Anti-Nuclear Movement in France and Germany, Science, Technology and Human Values, 5, 30: 3–13

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelkin, Dorothy/Pollak, Michael (1981): The Atom Besieged. Extraparliamentary Dissent in France and Germany. MIT Press Classics, ISBN-13: 978-0-262-64021-3

    Google Scholar 

  • Rein, Martin/Schön, Donald (1993): Reframing policy discourse. In: Fischer/Forester (Hrsg.): The Argumentative Turn in Policy Analysis and Planning. Duke University Press, Durham and London

    Google Scholar 

  • Rothman, Stanley/Lichter, S. Robert (1987): Elite Ideology and Risk Perception in Nuclear Energy Policy The American Political Science Review, 81, 2: 383–404

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rucht, Dieter (1994): The anti-nuclear Power Movement and the State in France. In: Flam (Hrsg.): States and Anti-Nuclear Movements, Edinburgh University Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Snow, David. A./Rochford, E. Burke/Worden, Steven K./Benford, Robert E. (1986): Frame Alignment Processes, Micromobilization, and Movement Participation. American Sociological Review, 51, 4. (Aug., 1986): 464–481

    Google Scholar 

  • Szarka, Joseph (2000): Environmental Policy and Neo-Corporatism in France, Environmental Politics, 9, 3: 89– 108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Szarka, Joseph (2003): The politics of bounded innovation: ‘new’ environmental policy instruments in France. Environmental Politics. 12, 1: 93–114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Szarka, Joseph (2004): Wind Power, Discourse Coalitions and Climate Change. European Environment 14, 317–330

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Viehöver, Willy (2004): Die Wissenschaft und die Wiederverzauberung des sublunaren Raumes. Der Klimadiskurs im Licht der narrativen Diskursanalyse. In: Keller/Hirseland/Schneider/Viehöver (Hrsg.) (2003): Handbuch Sozialwissenschaftliche Diskursanalyse. Band 2: Forschungspraxis. Opladen: Leske & Budrich

    Google Scholar 

  • Weingart, Peter/Engels, Anita/Pansegrau, Petra (2000): Risk of communication: Discourses on climate change in science, politics and the mass media. Public Understanding of Science, 9: 261–283

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Windisch, Uli (2008): Daily political communication and argumentation in direct democracy: advocates and proponents of nuclear energy. Discourse Society, 19, 1: 85–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winkel, Georg, (in print): Foucault in the Forest. A review of the use of ‘Foucauldian’ concepts in forest policy analysis. Forest policies and economics

    Google Scholar 

  • Ziegler, J. Nicholars (1995): Institutions, Elites, and Technological Change in France and Germany. World Politics, 47, 3: 341–372

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Statkraft, Oslo und Köln

    Prof. Dr. Mari Roald Bern (Umweltreferentin)

  2. Institut für Forstund Umweltpolitik, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg

    Georg Winkel (Akademischer Rat)

Authors
  1. Prof. Dr. Mari Roald Bern
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Georg Winkel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Augsburg, Deutschland

    Reiner Keller

  2. Hildesheim, Deutschland

    Inga Truschkat

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften | Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Bern, M., Winkel, G. (2013). Nuclear Reaction to Climate Change? Comparing Discourses on Nuclear Energy in France and Germany. In: Keller, R., Truschkat, I. (eds) Methodologie und Praxis der Wissenssoziologischen Diskursanalyse. Theorie und Praxis der Diskursforschung. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-531-93340-5_11

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-531-93340-5_11

  • Publisher Name: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, Wiesbaden

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-531-17874-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-531-93340-5

  • eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Science (German Language)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation