Kristian Wedberg
forsker III
Institutt for informasjons- og medievitenskap
Retorikkgruppen
Stilling: forsker III
Telefon:
Mobiltelefon: 993 75 142 SMS
E-post: Kristian.Wedberg@uni.no
Besøksadresse: Fosswinckelsgt. 6
Literary Interventions in the Public Sphere
Case-studies of rhetorical interventions in the public sphere as performed by a selection of contemporary Norwegian intellectual writers of fiction
What, in particular, does the writer of literature bring to intellectual discourse in the public sphere? In what consists the intellectual contribution of the professional craftsman of words? What is the sociopolitical function of such public appearances?
The non-fictional texts by four contemporary Norwegian intellectual writers (Fløgstad, Johannesen, Solstad, Vold) can be regarded as rhetorical interventions with the intention of transforming the infrastructure of the public sphere. Through public appearances mediated both in writing (essays, articles, reviews), and orally (readings, musical performances), these writers interact in and with the public in such a way as to demonstrate certain communicative ideals. These ideals are intertwined with hermeneutical doctrines which, when disseminated in public discourse, have deep political implications.
The interventions in question, are brought about through a subtle dramatization of the structure and conditions inherent in what could be called the rhetorical situation, which includes the characteristics of the forum, medium, genre and socioeconomic field in which the textual performances take place.
As contributions to public intellectual discourse, these textual performances can not be termed deliberative. Still, I argue, they must be considered valuable rational contributions to democratic culture. On this point, my studies aim at contributing to a modification of a Habermasian rational-deliberative conception of the public sphere.