Deborah Martinez

Contact: elizabethdeborah.martinezaguilar(at)ru.nl

PhD candidate, Radboud University

Deborah Martínez (she/her cis) holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and a master’s in Political Journalism. As a PhD candidate, her research centers on how populist political parties in Mexico, the Netherlands, and Spain interpret sustainability. She applies qualitative discourse analysis methods, and philosophical approaches, particularly Jacques Derrida’s deconstruction. Before joining Radboud University, she worked as a journalist for several international media outlets, including The Nikkei, Russia Today, and TV Azteca. Her work has been featured in various publications such as World Politics Review, Global Times, and El Espectador. Deborah is open to collaborations with other scholars in research, conferences, and related projects. She is also available for consultation and media requests in accordance with her areas of expertise. She speaks Spanish, English, and is learning Dutch.

Populist Discourses and Sustainability: An Analysis Through Derrida’s Concept of Pharmakon

Utilizing Derrida’s concept of pharmakon—which denotes something that can simultaneously act as both remedy and poison—the project explores the dualistic role populist discourses play in sustainability. On one hand, populist discourses can amplify marginalized voices and promote democratic engagement with environmental concerns; on the other, they may exacerbate polarization, oversimplify complex issues, and undermine long-term sustainability policies and democracy. This research aims to analyze these paradoxical dynamics through a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) on previous literature in order to present a framework to characterize populist sustainability discourses. The project aims to deepen the theoretical understanding of populism’s role in sustainability by mapping how these discourses function.