Rhetorical argumentation in multicultural societies: Cultural diversity, globalization, and political correctness

Kraus, Manfred

doi:10.1075/aic.6.03kra

In:Let's talk politics: New essays on deliberative rhetoric
Edited by Hilde Van Belle, Kris Rutten, Paul Gillaerts, Dorien Van De Mieroop and Baldwin Van Gorp
[Argumentation in Context 6] 2014
► pp. 45–59

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Cultural diversity, globalization, and political correctness

Rhetorical argumentation in multicultural societies

Manfred Kraus

Published online: 30 April 2014

https://doi.org/10.1075/aic.6.03kra

Culture is defined by the norms, values, and beliefs a community adheres to. Arguments that in their premises, warrants, or patterns affect such values may be called culture-sensitive. Attentiveness to the audience’s background and implicitness of premises are hallmarks of rhetorical argumentation. In a globalized world, cultural communities may clash in various fields, and in cross-cultural discourse insensitivity to cultural diversity can spoil an argument. Political correctness calls for respect for otherness, yet if no cultural group must be impaired, this may stifle all argumentation. The chapter asks how rhetorical argumentation will be possible on a global scale under the impact of political correctness. By analyzing typical cases it demonstrates that pragmatic solutions are called for, which rhetoric can provide.

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