PEDAGOŠKI INŠTITUTDržavljanstvo lahko opredelimo na več načinov, npr. v smislu statusa, pravic ali identitete. Lahko pa ga analiziramo tudi kot diskurzivno prakso. V predavanju bom zagovarjala pomen retoričnega pristopa k preučevanju državljanstva.
Koncept retoričnega državljanstva ponuja krovni izraz za preučevanje načinov javnega udejstvovanja – kako diskurzivno “delamo” družbo. Osrednja vloga retorike pri razumevanju nekaterih državljanskih dinamik nam omogoča preučevanje diskurzivnega oblikovanja in udejanjanja državljanstva: Kako javni diskurz prispeva k oblikovanju državljanskih norm in kako člani družbe udejanjajo in izpodbijajo ideje o tem, kaj pomeni demokratično državljanstvo?
Retorično državljanstvo kot konceptualni okvir za preučevanje diskurza v civilni sferi omogoča stik med različnimi znanstvenimi področji, vključno s študijami javne argumentacije in razpravljanja na eni strani ter študijami retoričnega delovanja na drugi strani. Zaradi svojega zanimanja za elitni in ljudski javni diskurz spodbuja preučevanje različnih modalitet – od govorov politikov, prek spletnih debatnih forumov, časopisov, do dogodkov javnega dialoga in izmenjav v družabnih medijih. Z drugimi besedami, koncept združuje preučevanje državljanskega diskurza z aktivnega ali participatornega vidika, tj. diskurzivnih manifestacij državljanov, in preučevanje diskurza, ki so ga državljani neposredno deležni. Prvi pristop obravnava dostop državljanov do državljanskega diskurza in načine njihove udeležbe v njem: Kateri glasovi so slišani in kako sodelujejo v javni sferi? Drugi pristop se ukvarja z javnim diskurzom, ki se včasih imenuje javni diskurz od zgoraj navzdol, npr. z diskurzom politikov: Ali nam pomaga kritično oceniti njihovo politiko in tako določiti lastno stališče? V tem pogledu je poznavanje argumentacije ključno za kritično vrednotenje. Retorično državljanstvo se navsezadnje sprašuje o primernost posameznih javnih izjav in koliko le-te prispevajo h konstruktivnemu državljanskemu medsebojnemu delovanju.
Rhetorical citizenship: A conceptual frame for studying the discursive crafting and enactment of citizenship
Citizenship can be characterized in many ways, e.g., in terms of status, rights, or identity. But it can also be analysed as a discursive practice. In this talk I argue for the relevance of a rhetorical approach to the study of citizenship.
The concept of rhetorical citizenship offers an umbrella term for the study of modalities of public engagement – how we discursively ‘do’ society. Centring rhetoric in our understanding of some civic dynamics allows us to study the discursive crafting and enactment of citizenship: How does public discourse contribute to the shaping of civic norms and how do members of a society enact and challenge these ideas about what democratic citizenship entails?
As a conceptual frame for the study of discourse in the civic realm rhetorical citizenship allows different strands of scholarship to come into contact, including studies in public argumentation and deliberation on the one hand and studies in rhetorical agency on the other. With an interest both in elite and vernacular public discourse, it invites study of multiple modalities – from politicians’ speeches over newspapers’ online debate fora to public dialogue events and further into social media exchanges. In other words, the concept brings together the study of civic discourse from an active or participatory angle, i.e., citizens’ own discursive manifestations, and the study of the discourse to which citizens are recipients. The former is concerned with citizens’ access to and modes of participation in civic discourse: Which voices are being heard and how do they engage the public sphere? The latter with what is sometimes called top-down public discourse, e.g., politicians’ discourse: Does it help us critically assess their policy and thus determine our own stance? In this regard, knowledge of argumentation is key for critical evaluation. Rhetorical citizenship ultimately asks how suited particular public utterances are to contributing to constructive civic interaction.
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