Biodiversity as Framed in German and Swedish Upper-Secondary Biology Textbooks: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Human Agency, Responsibility and Non-human Representation through a Posthumanist Lens

Abstract

Aim: To critically analyse the discourses surrounding biodiversity and biodiversity loss in selected German and Swedish upper-secondary school biology textbooks. Theory: The study is framed by posthumanist and ecofeminist theories, as well as relational ethics, which guide the coding, analysis and interpretation of the data. Method: These theoretical lenses are operationalised through Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), treating language as a social practice that reproduces ideology. Results: Findings indicate that both German and Swedish textbooks reproduce, rather than challenge, anthropocentric and utilitarian views, reducing the value of biodiversity to ‘ecosystem services’. While Swedish textbooks superficially touch on care, they lack meaningful ethical engagement with the more-thanhuman. Similarly, German textbooks prioritise management and stewardship of nature over entanglement. Both approaches cement a hierarchy of human needs as well as upholding a nature/human dualism. The thesis concludes that facing current environmental challenges requires a radical shift in textbook design towards more relational, ethical and inclusive perspectives.