Reframing vulnerability as a context-dependent ethical challenge in dialogic communication

Abstract Dialogic communication ethics builds on the social interaction of two individuals where both have a moral responsibility towards each other to be attentive, to listen, and to continue this open exchange of ideas and perspectives. This is already difficult to achieve in practice, as mutual goodwill and reciprocity do not come easily in every day social life; however, it can be made even more difficult by differences in social status, power, and various individual roles. This article explores two concepts—vulnerability and agency—which are relevant to better understand these practical problems. Vulnerability in a dialogic situation can be understood as the risk of being left unheard or being unable to participate in the ongoing conversations, while agency can be understood as the capacity to act and reflect on those actions. This article combines the theory of dialogic communication ethics and Margaret Archer’s morphogenetic/morphostatic approach to highlight the highly contextual nature of vulnerability.