Strategic moral communication : A metatheoretical and methodological response to the normative perspective on strategic communication
(2023)- Abstract
- Strategic communication has long suffered from a reputation of immorality, often being conflated with derogatory terms such as sophistry and propaganda. Scholars in the social sciences have been trained to accept this moralizing idea of strategic communication as a normative point of departure, through influential theories such as Habermas’ discourse ethics and methodological approaches such as critical discourse analysis. This thesis challenges such assumptions. Shifting from a normative to an empirical stance, new perspectives on strategic dimensions in moral communication are presented. The thesis introduces ‘strategic moral communication’ as a new theory and ‘moral discourse analysis’ as a new methodology to explore such strategic... (More)
- Strategic communication has long suffered from a reputation of immorality, often being conflated with derogatory terms such as sophistry and propaganda. Scholars in the social sciences have been trained to accept this moralizing idea of strategic communication as a normative point of departure, through influential theories such as Habermas’ discourse ethics and methodological approaches such as critical discourse analysis. This thesis challenges such assumptions. Shifting from a normative to an empirical stance, new perspectives on strategic dimensions in moral communication are presented. The thesis introduces ‘strategic moral communication’ as a new theory and ‘moral discourse analysis’ as a new methodology to explore such strategic dimensions in moral discourses. This approach is used to shine new light on the present moral zeitgeist, in an analysis of the discourse around fake news which the thesis argues reflect how our time defines moral and immoral public communication. The immorality of strategic communication may appear commonsensical, but this thesis argues that it is only common sense in our contemporary moral context. While many have assumed that strategic communication is immoral, this thesis rather finds that moral communication is strategic. (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- Strategisk kommunikation har länge förföljts av ryktet att vara omoraliskt, ofta använt synonymt med nedsättande ord som sofistik och propaganda. Forskare inom samhällsvetenskapen har tränats att acceptera denna beskrivning av strategisk kommunikation som en normativ utgångspunkt, genom inflytelserika teorier som Habermas diskursetik och metodologier som kritisk diskursanalys. Denna avhandling utmanar sådana antagen. Genom att skifta från en normativ till en empirisk utgångspunkt presenteras nya strategiska dimensioner i moralkommunikation. Avhandlingen introducerar ’strategic moral communication’ som en ny teori och ’moral discourse analysis’ som en ny metodologi för att utforska dessa strategiska dimensioner i moraliska diskurser. Detta... (More)
- Strategisk kommunikation har länge förföljts av ryktet att vara omoraliskt, ofta använt synonymt med nedsättande ord som sofistik och propaganda. Forskare inom samhällsvetenskapen har tränats att acceptera denna beskrivning av strategisk kommunikation som en normativ utgångspunkt, genom inflytelserika teorier som Habermas diskursetik och metodologier som kritisk diskursanalys. Denna avhandling utmanar sådana antagen. Genom att skifta från en normativ till en empirisk utgångspunkt presenteras nya strategiska dimensioner i moralkommunikation. Avhandlingen introducerar ’strategic moral communication’ som en ny teori och ’moral discourse analysis’ som en ny metodologi för att utforska dessa strategiska dimensioner i moraliska diskurser. Detta används för att belysa den nuvarande moraliska tidsandan, i en analys av diskursen kring falska nyheter som avhandlingen menar reflekterar hur vår tid definierar moralisk och omoralisk offentlig kommunikation. Det moraliserande perspektivet på strategisk kommunikation kan uppfattas som sunt förnuft, men avhandlingen hävdar att det enbart är sunt förnuft i vår samtida moraliska kontext. Även om många utgått ifrån att strategisk kommunikation är omoralisk menar avhandlingen snarare att all moralisk kommunikation är strategisk. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/8b205e48-1fa0-4c61-91c5-64142c5fa13b
- author
- Fjällhed, Alicia LU
- supervisor
-
- James Pamment LU
- Howard Nothhaft LU
- opponent
-
- Associate Professor Widholm, Andreas, Stockholm University
- organization
- publishing date
- 2023-12
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- strategic moral communication, moral discourse analysis, discourse ethics, discourse analysis, strategic communication, ethics, morals, discourse, moral communication, moral, kommunikation, etik, diskursetik, diskurs, diskursanalys, strategisk kommunikation
- pages
- 260 pages
- publisher
- MediaTryck Lund
- defense location
- Campus Helsingborg U202
- defense date
- 2024-02-16 13:00:00
- ISBN
- 978-91-8039-908-1
- 978-91-8039-909-8
- project
- Strategic moral communication
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Disputationsdetaljer Date: 2024-02-16 Time: 13:00 Place: Campus Helsingborg U202 External reviewer(s) Name: Widholm, Andreas Title: Docent Affiliation: Stockholms universitet
- id
- 8b205e48-1fa0-4c61-91c5-64142c5fa13b
- date added to LUP
- 2023-12-07 16:36:44
- date last changed
- 2023-12-07 16:52:36
@phdthesis{8b205e48-1fa0-4c61-91c5-64142c5fa13b,
abstract = {{Strategic communication has long suffered from a reputation of immorality, often being conflated with derogatory terms such as sophistry and propaganda. Scholars in the social sciences have been trained to accept this moralizing idea of strategic communication as a normative point of departure, through influential theories such as Habermas’ discourse ethics and methodological approaches such as critical discourse analysis. This thesis challenges such assumptions. Shifting from a normative to an empirical stance, new perspectives on strategic dimensions in moral communication are presented. The thesis introduces ‘strategic moral communication’ as a new theory and ‘moral discourse analysis’ as a new methodology to explore such strategic dimensions in moral discourses. This approach is used to shine new light on the present moral zeitgeist, in an analysis of the discourse around fake news which the thesis argues reflect how our time defines moral and immoral public communication. The immorality of strategic communication may appear commonsensical, but this thesis argues that it is only common sense in our contemporary moral context. While many have assumed that strategic communication is immoral, this thesis rather finds that moral communication is strategic.}},
author = {{Fjällhed, Alicia}},
isbn = {{978-91-8039-908-1}},
keywords = {{strategic moral communication; moral discourse analysis; discourse ethics; discourse analysis; strategic communication; ethics; morals; discourse; moral communication; moral; kommunikation; etik; diskursetik; diskurs; diskursanalys; strategisk kommunikation}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{MediaTryck Lund}},
school = {{Lund University}},
title = {{Strategic moral communication : A metatheoretical and methodological response to the normative perspective on strategic communication}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/166393279/Strategic_moral_communication.pdf}},
year = {{2023}},
}