Rhetorical citizenship and the environment

Abstract

In this paper, I discuss rhetorical studies’ contribution to the study of environmental communication. With the concept of rhetorical environmental citizenship, I emphasize rhetorical scholarship's concern with citizens’ participation in democracy – both as recipients of and actors in environmental debates. Specifically, this approach invites analyses and evaluations of the public rhetoric of elite actors, considering how it facilitates critical engagement and reflection in matters affecting the environment. Additionally, it encourages examinations of citizens’ democratic participation, attending to how citizens perform, challenge and negotiate their membership in the community also through non-deliberative rhetorical practices.