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Disrupted tides: Socio-ecological impact of rapid climate change on marginalized Pacific communities and the role of traditional ecological knowledge in reframing global climate discourses
Bertry, Sarah Berit Diona
Bertry, Sarah Berit Diona
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t26005_Bertry.pdf
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2026-05
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Pacific Island nations face the brunt of rapid climate change, despite contributing minimally to its causes. Marginalized communities within these nations experience compounded vulnerabilities, not only from environmental threats but from the structural imbalances in global power, knowledge production, and climate action discourse. Through a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) lens, this research analyzes the role of international climate governance in shaping or limiting local responses. The methodology used for the investigation considers different institutions (news media, governance, and academics) within both societies (Western vs Pacific Islands). The use of CDA software was crucial to identify differences between local discourse from the Pacific Islands' community in comparison to Western discourse. The results reveal specific dynamics; Pacific Islands institutions are not homogenous in their discourse framing as they target different interests. Funding—mostly provided by Western Institutions—is part of climate strategy; thus, Western discourse has control over how strategies should be framed. Thus, Pacific governance assimilates Western framing and concepts as a need to find common ground to further advance local agenda toward the safeguard of island nation's livelihood. In contrast, the dominant Western scientific paradigm has become more influenced by traditional knowledge in the past decade. However, even if TEK has been established in the academic sphere, further work is needed for its introduction into the media and the political realm. Ultimately, this research seeks to bring awareness of the changes in discourse and action necessary to effectively remedy climate change.
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Thesis (M.A.)-- Wichita State University, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Anthropology
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Wichita State University
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© Copyright 2026 by Sarah Bertry
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