Understanding Communication as Both Constitutive and Instrumental: Implications and Challenges for Epistemic and Identity Development in Environmental Communication Education

This article explores the conceptualization of communication as both instrumental/pragmatic and constitutive with focus on environmental communication education. Drawing on research on professional development and environmental communication practitioners, the study examines the experiences of students and graduates of a international Master's program in environmental communication based in Sweden. Drawing on seven focus groups with 25 participants, the analysis reveals that many new students struggle with the implications of understanding communication as constitutive and the related social constructionist epistemology, while graduates often face challenges in explaining their new epistemic insights to potential employers or applying them in their work. The article suggests to conceptualize understandings of communication as instrumental and constitutive in a productive, dialectical relationship and glued together by reflection - a key skill in environmental communication. The article concludes with recommendations for environmental communication education on the constitution of communication, practical experiences, reflection across the curriculum, and support for environmental communication graduates.