Argumentative interaction and actantial roles in a Reddit forum

Abstract

This article, grounded in Plantin's Dialogical Model (2008), describes the actantial roles and the rhetorical-interactional dynamics of argumentation in digital environments. To this end, it draws on Grácio's (2011; 2013) reflections on the argumentative situation, Marcuschi's (2002) postulates on digital genres, Kleiman's (2005) and Coscarelli's (2005) studies on digital literacies, as well as Minozzo's (2014) assumptions on Reddit. Methodologically, it takes as its corpus an online forum from the platform with the theme "Freedom of expression should not be absolute" and identifies the actantial roles — Proponent, Opponent, and Third Party — and the central arguments developed. The results reveal the interplay and performance of these roles, showing that argumentation constitutes a response to the other's resistance, demanding mutual justification. Anonymity and the reply structure of Reddit foster debate, but also require argumentative support to avoid downvotes. Finally, the study highlights the importance of digital literacy for critical and ethical engagement in virtual environments.