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In this article, we investigate the rhetorical uses and media frames associated with the term polarisation in Swedish print media from 2010 to 2021. We first produce a qualitative and detailed assessment of a sample of 240 articles and then proceed to a computational (word2vec) analysis of all major Swedish newspaper articles including the term (N = 32,805). We find that the term has changed its rhetorical function over time. Initially used to describe, – that is, used as a technical descriptor of events and issues in society – this use later became increasingly vague and general. Instead, it has been rhetorically used to amplify, implying a sense of urgency, conflict, or threat. Over time, the term has been used increasingly frequently, but has been applied less to Sweden and, instead, most often associated with political actors and events in the US. Moreover, we find that, for Sweden, the term polarisation was mostly related to social and political issues, whereas for the US, it carried affective associations.

This article explores the concept of joking nationalism, which captures how seriousness and silliness as public modalities interact to shape sentiment and understanding of national identity. Combining humor studies concepts with online ethnography and rhetorical analysis, we show how joking nationalism allows for reflexivity regarding national identity ambiguities, in how the Reddit community r/Sweden responded to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent Swedish NATO-application process. r/Sweden offers space for open-ended, playful, and negotiating rhetoric, aiding communal self-exploration and emphasizing reflexivity, at a time when Swedishness is challenged. While joking might signal detachment, we argue that it reflects engagement with politics and identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Northern Norrland has a long history of domestic colonialism and internal migration. However, in the latter half of the twentieth century the region has seen a decline in population, job opportunities and welfare services. This study analyses how contemporary popular music from the region represents it and reflects feelings and thoughts on life there, and how identity, moods and sentiments are constructed and attached to place to uncover the rhetoric of place-making in popular music. The analysis shows a complex relationship between the local area and the surrounding country, featuring themes of ambivalence, resistance, dualistic nostalgia and transience responding to contemporary realities of the region. The lyrical themes and rhetorical actions performed in twenty-first century popular music evinces clear connections to literary depictions of the region throughout the last hundred years, indicating a reinterpretation of cultural memory in light of present conditions. These lyrics perform a rhetoric of re-membering which serves to reinforce the bond of people to place through music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document provides an overview of 10 Ph.D. projects conducted by emerging scholars in Scandinavia, showcasing the diverse range of research in the field of rhetoric. The projects cover various topics such as accusations, anger, the body, and voice in writing, as well as the rhetoric of groups, organizations, and social movements including the EU, LGBTQ+ minorities, and climate activists. The projects also explore public debates on forestry and climate change, as well as new methods and methodologies for rhetorical research. This overview offers a glimpse into the contemporary rhetorical research scene in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. [Extracted from the article]

This document is a foreword for a special issue of the journal Res Rhetorica titled "Rhetoric in Scandinavia." It provides an overview of the growth and development of rhetoric as an academic discipline in Scandinavia over the past 50 years. The foreword highlights the presence of rhetoric sections at universities in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, the existence of the journal Rhetorica Scandinavica, and the formation of the Nordic Rhetoric Society. It discusses the cultural and linguistic connections between the Scandinavian countries and the diversity of research interests and methods within the Scandinavian rhetoric community. The foreword emphasizes the importance of fostering stronger ties between European rhetoricians and promoting integration and collaboration in research and teaching. The text also discusses the characteristics of Scandinavian rhetoric scholarship, including its unique perspective that views society and political structures as accessible and capable of improvement. It recognizes the influence of the high level of trust and small national communities in the region, as well as the prevalence of social corporatism and the public nature of academic institutions. Scandinavian rhetoric research often takes a melioristic undertone, recognizing the potential for positive change and understanding human fallibility. The text concludes by providing an overview of the articles and topics covered in this special issue on Scandinavian rhetoric research. [Extracted from the article]

Rhetorical genres play a structuring role in public discourse by framing issues and influencing argumentation norms. In public controversy, struggles for dominance between genre frameworks can accompany substantive argumentation. This article presents a case study of the interconnected controversies about the Swedish school application system and public service legitimacy following a news satire programme Svenska Nyheter episode. It introduced a web tool simplifying applications, circumventing what was argued to be segregating effects of a fragmented first-come-first-serve system. The satiric framing invited carnivalesque civic engagement, while the private school sector's response promoted a forensic debate on the programme's legitimacy, with its own invitational pull. While these competing genres dominated different institutional media arenas, they significantly blended in online civic participation. Satirising techniques were appropriated to create agency in the "serious" forensic discourse and vice versa, indicating that boundaries of carnivalesque and serious modes are not as maintained by engaged citizens as by institutional actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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