Re-constructing digital democracy: An outline of four ‘positions’

Abstract

There is currently a diversity of understandings of digital democracy being deployed within popular commentary, research, policy making, and practical initiative. However, there is a lack of resources clearly outlining this diversity; this article undertakes such an outline. It provides a reconstruction of four digital democracy positions. These four positions are referred to here as liberal-individualist, deliberative, counter-publics, and autonomist Marxist. The delineation of each position draws from critical-interpretative research and has been developed with respect to three elements: the democratic subject assumed, the related conception of democracy promoted, and the associated democratic affordances of digital media technology. The aim is to draw attention to different understandings of what extending democracy through digital media means, and to provide a framework for further examination and evaluation of digital democracy rhetoric and practice.

Contestations of resource extraction projects via digital media in two Nunavut communities

“…In this article, we examine these arguments in the context of democratic expression 2 within Inuit communities in Nunavut. We draw from the framework provided by Dahlberg (2011) who outlines four main understandings of digital democracy, which he refers to as liberal-individualist, deliberative, counterpublics, and autonomist Marxist. Our goal 1 Gibson (1977) introduced the term "affordance," which refers to a property of an object or environment that allows an individual to perform an action.…”

“…Where those who oppose uranium mining in Baker Lake feel they are not represented within the process of the NIRB, social media affords the HTO and Makita a counterpublic (Dahlberg 2011) tactic via circulation of information, expression of alternative political visions, and collaborative practices.…”

Jóvenes y participación política desde la perspectiva del Participatório

“…La participación de la esfera pública en Internet ha sido ampliamente estudiada en la investigación sobre la democracia digital durante la última década (Baber, 2003;Gomes, 2005;Dahlberg, 2011;Hansson y otros, 2014). En los últimos años hay una preocupación manifiesta por la comprensión de la participación pública en la esfera política, especialmente cuando los gobiernos se presentan como fomentadores de la democracia directa.…”

Forgetting History: Mediated Reflections on Occupy Wall Street

“…Small working groups generated ideas for presentation to the general assembly and actions to be taken were then determined by consensus, determined using hand signals, in a method that resembles the debate, deliberation and consensus formation (or contestation) process in online spaces such as message boards, Facebook groups, Twitter, wikis, and blogs (see, for example, Dahlberg, 2001Dahlberg, , 2007Dahlberg, , 2011Dahlgren, 2001;Fenton & Downey, 2003). OWS even avoided designating official spokespeople to represent the group (Bennett & Segerberg, 2016, p. 92).…”