Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Multi-sector Communications (Ph.D.)

Department

Division of Mass Communication

First Advisor

Basilio G Monteiro

Second Advisor

Mark D Juszczak

Third Advisor

Giancarlo Crocetti

Abstract

Rooted in both scholarly inquiry and lived experience in global development, this study explored how language shapes power, inclusion, and representation. It analyzed the evolution of population and development discourse in UNFPA’s State of World Population reports (1978–2024) using Fairclough’s Level 1 Critical Discourse Analysis framework. Giddens’ Structuration Theory provided a broader lens linking linguistic change to the interaction between institutional structures and human agency. A theory-based coding framework, drawing on Malthusian, Senian, Spivakian, and MDG/SDG paradigms, guided the analysis of evolving discourse. Findings revealed a layered narrative: earlier scarcity framings persisted beneath newer development language; rights and empowerment rhetoric expanded but often through managerial terms; and although inclusivity widened, marginalized voices remained mediated through institutional filters. Bridging professional insight and academic reflection, this study shows that UNFPA’s discourse not only changes records but shapes how it is conceived and pursued. By revealing tensions between empowerment and exclusion in institutional language, it highlights the transformative potential of discourse when guided by reflexivity and intent.

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