TRACING THE SOCIOLINGUISTIC PATTERNS OF POLARIZATION IN THE FACEBOOK DEBATE ON CLIMATE ACTION

Resumen

This study embarks on a comprehensive exploration of sociolinguistic dynamics within the polarized climate change discourse on Facebook, focusing on the communicational patterns across pro-climate action and anti-climate action groups. Our research objectives mainly focus on (1) understanding the variation in language codes between pro-climate action and anti-climate action groups and (2) inspecting how these linguistic nuances are perceived by the respective audiences. For this goal, we curated a comprehensive list of relevant English-speaking actors, and we collected their most recent Facebook posts relevant to the climate change discourse. After that, the data were analyzed through multiple quantitative language register markers and some engagement-related metrics. Through the analysis of the data, we identified some distinct language patterns among different sides of the debate, such as the tendency of the pro-climate action groups to resort to more scientific terms in their communication. Furthermore, audience responses to variation in the language register showed significant divergences among the two groups, with the pro-climate audience showing heightened sensitivity to shifts in language register. Our findings highlight the importance of tailoring communication strategies to promote productive discussions within the polarized climate change debate.