Rhetoric

Researchers in the Section for Rhetoric are interested in the role of rhetoric in a broad range of public life and discourse: from cultural journalism to political punditry, from politicians’ speeches to protest rhetoric, from sermons to information campaigns, and from marketing to Reddit communities.

The Section for Rhetoric is a theoretically and methodologically diverse scholarly community in which communicative aspects of the human condition and society are studied and critiqued. Research in the section comprises historical as well as contemporary perspectives and takes an interest in rhetoric across digital and analogue contexts. How do rhetorical practices reflect a particular historical moment, thinking and values? How does rhetoric shape the times it is part of? How does the rhetoric of the past influence our time? How can rhetoric be a starting point for critical inquiry and innovation when it comes to societal challenges? As a research community, we strive to find answers to such questions on the assumption that symbolic action - whether in speech, writing or some other form - does something to and with us.

Researchers in the section work with various topics, for example, debate norms, rhetorical citizenship, official apologies, knowledge production, persona constructions in journalism, and the history of Danish rhetoric. Common for all researchers is a starting point in rhetorical theory and method, often in a cross-disciplinary integration with theory and methods from neighboring fields such as political theory, philosophy, linguistics, journalism and media studies, argumentation theory, anthropology, pedagogy, digital humanities, and gender studies. We work primarily with qualitative methods: textual analysis (close readings) of selected material, but we also use digital methods and do fieldwork to access more informal discourses.

The integration of rhetorical practice and theory on multiple levels is a cornerstone of the rhetorical tradition, and our teaching is committed to training students in practical communicative competencies and critical skills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Examples of topics covered among our researchers:

  • Political rhetoric and public debate
  • Citizenship and democratic participation
  • Social movements, activism, and protest rhetoric
  • Crisis rhetoric, apologia, and official apologies
  • The rhetoric of science and science activism
  • Environmental and climate rhetoric
  • Gender rhetoric
  • Fact-checking and knowledge production
  • Journalistic personas and literary journalism
  • Speech writing
  • Voice and body rhetoric
  • Christian rhetoric
  • The history of Danish rhetoric
  • Corporate rhetoric
  • New materialist rhetoric
  • Rhetorical aesthetics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Researchers

Name Title Phone E-mail
Aarup, Frederik Grønbæk Visiting PhD Student   E-mail
Bengtsson, Mette Associate Professor   E-mail
Berg, Kristine Marie Associate Professor +4535328412 E-mail
Broberg, Frida Hviid PhD Fellow   E-mail
Bruhn, Tommy Assistant Professor - Tenure Track +4535337457 E-mail
Falkenberg-Klok, Nikolaj Part-time Lecturer   E-mail
Fisker, Thore Keitum PhD Fellow +4535334934 E-mail
Hansen, Sidsel Helweg-Møller Øst Part-time Lecturer   E-mail
Isager, Christine Associate Professor +4535328115 E-mail
Kock, Christian Professor Emeritus +4535328880 E-mail
Onsberg, Merete Associate Professor Emerita   E-mail
Pedersen, Hanne Smith Part-time Lecturer +4529211423 E-mail
Pietrucci, Pamela Associate Professor +4535330924 E-mail
Roer, Hanne Associate Professor +4535329432 E-mail
Schousboe, Sabina PhD Fellow +4535329793 E-mail
Villadsen, Lisa Storm Professor +4535328885 E-mail