On the Need to Rethink the Way We Understand Growth: Media Evidence on Economic Growth as an Empty Signifier

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F02819180%3A_____%2F25%3A%230000135" target="_blank" >RIV/02819180:_____/25:#0000135 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/humaff-2024-0124/html" target="_blank" >https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/humaff-2024-0124/html</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

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Result language

angličtina

Original language name

On the Need to Rethink the Way We Understand Growth: Media Evidence on Economic Growth as an Empty Signifier

Original language description

This paper argues that economic growth is an empty signifier and, on this basis, calls for a different approach to economic growth. It is based on an analysis of Czech and Slovak alternative and mainstream media, as well as interviews with journalists and columnists writing for these media. The article demonstrates that economic growth, as a media term, lacks clarity, is generally perceived positively, constitutes a systemic limit, and is surrounded by emotionally charged narratives and a chain of equivalences. Additionally, economic growth unites opposing forces in society and integrates incompatible discursive elements. It is sedimented into ob- jectivity, reinforced by a lack of knowledge about economic growth, the constraints of news and interview genres, and the subordination of critique to the expectations of readers, editors, and the ideological positioning of centrist media institutions. However, the dominance of economic growth is questioned in the interviews. Ac- cording to the respondents, reactivation is possible by including sources critical of growth in news or opinion sections or by selecting topics that conflict with the growth agenda.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

50601 - Political science

Project

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Continuities

N - Vyzkumna aktivita podporovana z neverejnych zdroju

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Human Affairs

ISSN

1210-3055

e-ISSN

1337-401X

Volume of the periodical

35

Issue of the periodical within the volume

3

Country of publishing house

DE - GERMANY

Number of pages

23

Pages from-to

469-491

UT code for WoS article

001521947100001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

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