Klara Härgestam

About Klara Härgestam

I am interested in studying polarization in conversations and how to find ways to move the dialogue from that to a more nuanced tone where the people involved feel validated, heard and understood. To analyze this I am looking at the forest debate in Sweden, focusing not on the argumentation, but on the stories people tell about their relationship with the forest. 

The forest debate in Sweden is as intense as it is old. I analyze how the relationship between people and forests is being expressed, in order to understand why people take a certain standpoint in the debate. It builds on a premise that private land owners and environmentalists often are framed as enemies in the public forest debate, while my hypothesis is that there is actually a lot of common ground between them. The purpose of research is to find areas where the debate can take on a more nuanced tone by revealing common traits and complexities regarding peoples relationship with the forest. 

Environmental Rhetorics with a focus on the ongoing discussion about ecocentrism and antropocentrism in the humanities, Place based studies, and Invitational Rhetoric along with Rhetorical Listening are all important areas of focus for my research.