Eager to Be in Touch with the World: The Practice and Study of Rhetoric in Scandinavia

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of the practice and study of rhetoric in Scandinavia. It describes the culture, political system, and media system of Scandinavia as a prerequisite for both the study and the practice of rhetoric in this region. The paper provides special attention to the Scandinavian researcher's sense of public obligation and to the study of egalitarianism and authenticity. The study and teaching of rhetoric in Scandinavia is multifaceted, however it is united by a common desire to be in touch with the world. The meaning of rhetoric is seen as a means to help people become active agents in their own lives, contribute to create better public debates, improve discussion, and reasoning in policymaking.

Rhetorical citizenship and the environment

“…Moreover, dealing with civic communication about collective decisions, rhetorical scholars often apply a normative view of the texts they study, “typically ascribing a potential social function to them and asking whether they are apt to have a positive or negative function in relation to concepts of democracy, societal cohesion, and the like” (Kjeldsen, 2021, p. 5). A normative tilt is also common to environmental rhetoric scholarship, as many scholars intend their research to contribute to improving the quality of public discourse and decision‐making affecting the environment (Cox, 2007; Cox & Depoe, 2015; Schwarze, 2007) and contribute to give voice to marginalized humans and non‐humans in such decision‐making processes (Peterson et al., 2007, p. 81; Pezzullo & de Onís, 2018).…”