ABSTRACT
This chapter describes how the context in which argumentation takes place can be taken into account in the analysis and evaluation of argumentative discourse. It uses Van Eemeren’s distinctions between the linguistic micro-context, situational meso-context, institutional macro-context and interdiscursive context, and proposes a set of practical questions guiding the analyst in characterising the argumentative activity type. Through case studies of the well-defined context of a medical consultation and the more loosely defined context of protests, the chapter demonstrates how the proposed framework aids in interpreting, analysing and evaluating the argumentation. Additionally, the chapter discusses methodological challenges, such as contextual ambiguity, researcher bias and the complexity of dynamic, interrelated discourses. By systematically discussing the contextual aspects of argumentative discourse that could be incorporated in the qualitative analysis of argumentation, the chapter offers a comprehensive approach to the study of argumentation in its real-world manifestations.
