Invitational Rhetoric

Rhetoric not only explores communicative methods of persuasion, but also communicative methods of understanding. These methods are particularly relevant when the rhetorical situation is already characterized by a strong polarization of the participants. In technical terminology, the term "invitational rhetoric" has been established for such situations. The primary goal of "invitational" communication is the attempt to bring participants into a dialog with one another despite significant differences in opinions, positions and identity concepts.

Three key points are particularly important for inviting rhetoric:

1. communication procedures that are designed to offer perspectives without intending to enforce them;
2. communication situations that are designed in such a way that recognition and a sense of security are guaranteed at all times;
3. communication attitudes that are receptive to unexpected opportunities for cooperation or (re-)contextualization of lines of conflict.

The model of "invitational rhetoric" provides rhetorical science communication research with a previously unconsidered resource with diverse potential in theory and practice. This model is particularly suitable for finding innovative and context-sensitive approaches to the often complicated and muddled mixtures of knowledge and identity conflicts, in order to make it possible to find a "common ground" that effectively counteracts polarization and division dynamics.

The model of invitational rhetoric is put to use in the BMBF-funded project "Arguing about sex and gender. Conflict and consensus as a challenge for science communication“ (CoCoCom). Here it serves as a descriptive instrument for describing polarized communication conditions and as a theoretical basis for the development of rhetorical approaches to transform them. However, the model itself is also up for discussion: using the example of "gender", its applicability, scope and limitations will be examined and further developed.