Date of Award
Spring 6-1-2026
Document Type
Thesis (Undergraduate)
First Advisor
Christopher Sneddon
Abstract
Climate change poses a significant physical and social threat to the Southern United States. However, comparatively, climate skepticism and resistance remain. Existing scholarship often attributes this to political conservatism or absence of education. This thesis argues instead that climate denialism in the Southern U.S. is partly due to a broader crisis of communication. Focusing on Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas this study employs a qualitative mixed-method approach of extensive historical contextualization and literature review paired with archival news research and semi-structured interviews of professors and journalists. This thesis defines and develops a “Southern Identity" and a “Southern Climate Epistemology,” then investigates how climate communication can be reimagined to better resonate with Southern values and ways of knowing. This thesis proposes a three-pronged “Discourse of Care” approach that reframes climate communication around values already central to Southern communities. Ultimately, the thesis argues that effective climate communication in the Southern United States requires not only scientific accuracy but also cultural relevance and understanding.
Original Citation
Reynolds, Sophie. "Reimagining Climate Communications in the Southern United States: Towards a Discourse of Care." June 2026.
Recommended Citation
Reynolds, Sophie Manees, "Reimagining Climate Communications in the Southern United States: Towards a Discourse of Care" (2026). Environmental Studies Senior Theses. 15.
https://digitalcommons.dartmouth.edu/environmental_studies_senior_theses/15
