The identity-attitude nexus in the representation of energy transition in a coal region (Sulcis, Italy): An exploration through the Structural Topic Model

Abstract

This article explores the contribution of the Structural Topic Model (STM) to study the intertwining of social representations, attitudes, and identities. We examine newspapers’ discourse on energy transition in a coal-dependent region (Sulcis, Italy), whose identity and economy are built around mining and carbon-intensive industry. Drawing upon Social Representations Theory, we combined STM and qualitative content analysis to examine how newspapers represented the energy issue in Sulcis, and how these representations (including denotative and connotative facets) differed according to the social identities’ salience. Results show that coal is legitimated by discourses making salient local identities and providing continuity in the place–identity link, with no alternative to extractivism. When the Sardinian superordinate identity becomes salient, new themes emerge (e.g., renewables) but energy transition retains ambivalent or negative connotations. Overall representations seem to replicate and reflect processes of domination and injustice hindering a just transition, potentially explaining negative attitudes and collective resistance to decarbonization.