The Stories
We Live By
A free online course
in ecolinguistics
www.storiesweliveby.org.uk
by Arran Stibbe
University of
Gloucestershire
Part 7: Convictions
Social Cognition
Linguistic Manifestation
Type
Explanation
What to look for
ideology
a story of how the world is and should be
which is shared by members of a group
a story that uses a packet of knowledge
about an area of life (a frame) to structure
another area of life
a story that uses a frame to structure a
distinct and clearly different area of life
discourses, i.e., clusters of linguistic features
characteristically used by the group
trigger words which bring a frame to mind
a story about whether an area of life is good
or bad
appraisal patterns, i.e., patterns of language
which represent an area of life positively or
negatively
forms of language which define the
characteristics of certain kinds of people
facticity patterns, i.e., patterns of linguistic
features which represent descriptions of the
world as true, uncertain or false
patterns of language which fail to represent a
particular area of life at all, or which
background or distort it
patterns of language which give prominence
to an area of life
framing
metaphor
(a type of
framing)
evaluation
identity
conviction
erasure
salience
a story about what it means to be a
particular kind of person
a story about whether a particular
description of the world is true, uncertain or
false
a story that an area of life is unimportant or
unworthy of consideration
a story that an area of life is important and
worthy of consideration
trigger words which bring a specific and
distinct frame to mind

a story about whether a particular
description of the world is true, uncertain or
false
Convictions
Description of the world
CLIMATE CHANGE IS CAUSED BY HUMANS
.
Conviction
CLIMATE CHANGE IS CAUSED BY HUMANS
IS TRUE
Facticity pattern
Conviction
Barack Obama
CLIMATE CHANGE IS CAUSED BY HUMANS
IS TRUE
The debate is
settled. Climate
change is a fact.
[gas] can power our
economy with less of
the carbon pollution
that causes climate
change
Facticity pattern
Conviction
Fraser Institute
CLIMATE CHANGE IS CAUSED BY HUMANS
IS UNCERTAIN
There are considerable
uncertainties and
scientific debate about
the causes of climate
change.
Conviction
Facticity pattern
CLIMATE CHANGE IS CAUSED BY HUMANS
IS FALSE
Donald Trump
Facticity pattern
Conviction
Webster Tarpley
CLIMATE CHANGE IS CAUSED BY HUMANS
IS ABSOLUTELY FALSE
The notion of
anthropogenic climate
change is a fraud - the
idea that the planet is
getting warmer and
that human activity is
somehow responsible
is a pseudo-scientific
fraud, it's a big lie, it's
a monstrosity
Stories influence how we:
THINK
Conviction
CLIMATE CHANGE IS CAUSED BY HUMANS
IS FALSE
TALK
Facticity pattern
and
ACT
Impact
High facticity (definitely true)
The top expert in the world stated…
Call to authority
Modal
adverbs
Abstract
nouns
Modal
auxiliaries
Mental
processes
definitely
fact
must be
know
probably
belief
may be
believe
insisted
measurements
suggest
certainly
fantasy
might be
think
lied
the figures
disprove
Bald-on-record denial
Quoting
verbs
Repertoire of
empiricism
confirmed evidence shows
that
Climate change is not caused by humans
Low facticity (definitely false)
High facticity (definitely true)
Call to authority
Bald-on-record assertion
Modal
adverbs
Abstract
nouns
Modal
auxiliaries
Mental
processes
definitely
fact
must be
know
Quoting
verbs
Repertoire of
empiricism
confirmed evidence shows
[putting it all together] The climate change
expert confirmed
that believe
she knew
the measurements
fact that
probably
belief
may be
insisted
suggest
the evidence shows climate change must
be
certainly definitely
claim
might
be caused
think by humans.
lied
figures
disprove
Low facticity (definitely false)
Stories influence how we:
THINK
TALK
and
Ideology
Discourse
a story shared by a
group
characteristic language used
by a group
HUMANS ARE FUNDAMENTALLY
SELFISH
ACT
Impact
impact on the world
Altruistic
Selfish
Low
facticity
High
facticity
“It is conceivable that Caroline started
her firm because of an altruistic desire to
provide the world with cookies … More
likely, Caroline started her business to
make money. Economists normally
assume that the goal of a firm is to
maximise profit, and they find that this
assumption works well in most cases
…Caroline’s objective is to make her
firm’s profit as large as possible.” Mankiw
HUMANS ARE FUNDAMENTALLY SELFISH
IS TRUE
EXAMPLE
MEN’S HEALTH
MAGAZINE
EAT JUNK FOOD WITH IMPUNITY… scientists
working at Italy’s University of L’Aquila have
found that you’ll get an instant boost in blood
flow with a single cuppa … So now any time can
be burger time, just so long as it’s tea time
(MH1).
JUNK FOOD IS UNHEALTHY
IS UNTRUE
High facticity
ORIGINAL
STUDY
A new study conducted at the University of
L'Aquila in Italy and supported by the Lipton
Institute of Tea, is the first to show that black
tea consumption - depending on dose simultaneously increased blood vessel
reactivity and reduced both blood pressure and
arterial stiffness, suggesting a cardiovascular
health profile that is consistent with
maintaining heart health (ML4).
Low facticity
End of Part 7
BASED ON
chapter 7 of
Stibbe, Arran (2015)
Ecolinguistics: language,
ecology and the stories we
live by. London: Routledge
CREDITS
Produced by Arran Stibbe, with the assistance of:
Charlotte Dover
Alex James
Meg Shaw
Nicole Walker
and other volunteers from the International Ecolinguistics Association
and the University of Gloucestershire.
Filming by Unit One Films, http://unit1films.co.uk
COPYRIGHT
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restriction on their subsequent re-use for
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IMAGES
Head cogs
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World
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Society
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Nature person
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Obama, Trump
and flood
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Book covers
For purposes of review and criticism
Burger and Tea
Pexels (www.pexels.com)
REFERENCES
• Obama, Barak. 2014. State of the Union
Address
• Fraser Institute: Schneider, N., 2008. Facts, not
fiction. Fraser Forum, April: p. 6–8.
• Mankiw, G., 2011. Principles of Microeconomics
(6th edition). Nashville: South-Western. p. 260
• MH1 2013. Men’s Health. UK edition. March. p.
25
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