Melani Schroeter
This section explores how discourses about public discourse have been mobilised to express political discontent. Since the 1990s, we have seen the scandalisation of what has been labelled as political correctness, wokeness, and cancel culture, implying that public discourse is not as open, multi-faceted and inclusive as it should be, and that certain political points of views or groups are marginalised and excluded. While agonistic pluralism is thus heralded as an ideal for democratic society, such claims about the limitations of, and exclusion from, public discourse actually serve to undermine it. These tropes have gained firm ground in public-political discourse within the last three decades, and they continue to undermine trust in the fairness and sincerity of democratic debate and deliberation in the sense of productive agonism, instead fuelling destructive agonism. We will explore a few small case studies to see how and to what extent the claims about the purported borders of discourse and the demands for their removal do not enhance, but damage the quality of, and the belief in the efficacy of a democratic public sphere.
Short bio
Melani Schroeter is professor in German and Discourse Studies at the University of Reading, UK. Her research focuses on German public and political discourse, with a particular interest in how people use and make sense of silence. A recent research project looks into how this changes over time. Various further publications also deal with different aspects of political and media discourse.