Publication
British heatwave discourse (1985–2023): from ice cream to armageddon?
In this article, Thijs van Dooremalen and Philip Smith investigate how public discourse of heatwaves have shifted in British newspaper discourse, drawing on Raymond Williams’s theory of dominant, emergent, and residual cultural patterns to analyse changes in language and interpretation over recent decades.
- Author
- Thijs van Dooremalen & Philip Smith
- Date
- 22 April 2025
- Links
- Read the full article here:
The study positions heatwaves as both meteorological anomalies and cultural events, noting their dual framing as sources of leisure and as harbingers of climate crisis. Dooremalen and Smith demonstrate that, unlike other weather phenomena, heatwaves are particularly effective for sociological research because they are widely experienced, temporally defined, and increasingly seen as intuitive symptoms of climate change. Analysing British newspaper coverage, the research finds a decisive shift: what was once an emergent discourse linking heatwaves to apocalyptic climate narratives has become dominant, even in traditionally sceptical or right-leaning outlets. This shift, occurring mainly in the last decade, reflects a broader move in public discourse from viewing heatwaves as occasions for enjoyment to framing them as urgent signals of environmental emergency.
The research concludes that while the transformation in heatwave discourse signals increased climate consciousness and demands new forms of accountability, it remains unclear whether this will translate into substantive political or behavioural change. The paper highlights the elasticity of public response and the complex interplay between natural events, cultural narratives, and societal action, ultimately affirming that discourse itself is a powerful site of social learning and transformation.