Rebecca G. Schär (2021): An Argumentative Analysis of the Emergence of Issues in Adult–Children Discussions

Schär’s volume on adult-children argumentative discussions lies on her doctoral research conducted within the ArgImp project at the Università della Svizzera italiana, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation SNSF and supervised by Anne-Nelly Perret-Clermont, Sara Greco, Antonio Iannaccone, and Andrea Rocci. This work proposes to put the concept of issue back at the center of argumentation. The overall goal of her book is to examine the emergence of the issue in argumentative discussions between adults and children. By quoting Schär’s word (p. 136): “By analyzing the emergence of the issue, this study shed light on what happens ‘behind the scenes’ of an argumentative discussion; what happens before an argumentative discussion comes into existence, and how argumentation is established in situations that are not argumentative per se.” To be sure, others have contributed to our understanding of adult-children argumentation, yet, the reader can only be impressed by the depth and breadth of Schär’s work on this important topic. The result offers anyone interested in adult-children argumentation a strong foundation for one of today’s fundamental themes in the field.