The practice and pragmatics of Scandinavian research in rhetoric. Audience studies in Scandinavian rhetorical scholarship

Abstract

This paper demonstrates the connections between certain cultural traits of Scandinavia, a scholarly interest in rhetorical practice and the workings of rhetoric, and a recent interest in audience-oriented research methods. Scandinavia is characterised by a tradition of practical rhetoric, egalitarianism, high trust, and low scores on power distance and masculinity in Hofstede’s culture comparison tool. This, I suggest, is reflected in an interest in the everyday pragmatic functions and workings of rhetoric, paving the way for the use of audience research.

Keywords

• audience studies
• egalitarianism
• everyday rhetoric
• practical rhetoric
• rhetorical reception studies