“Parallel poleis”: Towards a theoretical framework of the modern public sphere, civic engagement and the structural advantages of the internet to foster and maintain parallel socio-political institutions

Abstract

The role of the internet in large-scale demonstrations, as witnessed in the Arab Spring, has been debated and reflects continued interest in the intermingling of social movements and digital technology. Yet behind these large photogenic events stand other less obvious social activities that may be equally profound, particularly in the form of alternative institutional frameworks that better meet the social needs of individuals than current models. We categorize these "dissident" frameworks as "parallel poleis" as developed by Czech philosopher and activist Vaclav Benda and offer two case studies to support this contention. At the heart of parallel poleis lies the notion that digital technologies are uniquely positioned to reflect and facilitate the political expressions of individuals due to low-cost transactions, ease of use and large social network reach

Mobilizing grievances in the internet age: The case of national online petitioning in South Korea, 2017–2022

“…Online platforms have been regarded as a fertile soil for citizens to freely express and share their opinions [17,38,39]. Online communication has been identified as an important vehicle for sharing and spreading grievances [16,40,41], and despite its limitations, national online petitioning has become one of the conventional and institutionalized ways of engaging in politics in contemporary democracies [3,4,13,22,23].…”

The hatred of all against all? Evidence from online community platforms in South Korea

“…With the pervasiveness of ICT and the ways it facilitates information acquisition and public discussion, social media platforms offer favorable conditions for publishing citizens' own opinions and challenging others' viewpoints, thereby broadening the basis of democratic engagement [10][11][12][13]. Some online platforms facilitated mass mobilizations and public protests, showcased by the Arab Spring and the Occupy movement, that even led to some democratic reforms [14][15][16][17][18].…”

Viešosios erdvės funkcijos informacinėje visuomenėje

“…Naujosios medijos, kurdamos vartotojams virtualią aplinką, paskatina atsirasti virtualioms simuliacinėms intervencijoms į realybės įvykius (virtualią realybę). Interneto poveikis demokratijai yra didelis, dėl interaktyviosios komunikacijos jo įtaka prilyginama naujajai demokratizacijos bangai (Bohman 2004;Langman 2005;Lagos, Coopman, Tomhave 2014). Didėjantis medijų kišimasis į politinę sritį sukėlė medijų valdomos respublikos (angl.…”