Dramaturgical analysis

This chapter introduces Dramaturgical Analysis as a way of analysing the performative aspects of public deliberation. It outlines the key dimensions of dramaturgical analysis including scripting, setting, staging and performance, and shows how these dimensions can be used to analyse public deliberation in structured forums, the broader public sphere and in policymaking processes. Dramaturgical analysis directs the researcher’s attention to often-overlooked aspects of public deliberation, such as the performative styles of the actors involved in deliberation, the symbols and artefacts they use to stage their arguments, to reach out and persuade diverse audiences. The chapter illustrates the application of dramaturgical analysis in deliberative democracy research and presents this analysis as a particularly promising way of investigating non-verbal practices and performances in public deliberation.