The Digitised Public Sphere: Re-Defining Democratic Cultures or Phantasmagoria?

Abstract

Does an increasingly interconnected world provide new opportunities for civil society to enhance democratic practice -or are human relationships diminished and emptied of their vitality as carefully constructed online profi les proliferate? Debates have emerged about the effi cacy of a digital democracy and its ramifi cations for public politics. This paper follows the specifi c argument concerning some of the claims from online proponents of the potential of the Internet to create a more informed and accountable democratic culture. It is concerned with questions of the transmission of values and some of the cognitive aspects of this technology. Some techno-futurists are in no doubt concerning the political implications of a more interconnected age; others are more sanguine about the intrusiveness of this new technology. For example, there are numerous claims concerning the potential for Internet-based forums to enrich democratic practice, of breaking-down sovereign borders and establishing a pluralistic transnational global public sphere. On the other hand, political realists are skeptical of new communications technology and its potential to transform democratic life, which is still essentially embedded in the polity of nation states. This paper does not add to this burgeoning literature, but rather focuses on "democratic values" by posing questions about "digital democracy" and whether or not this new technology is leading to greater levels of public participation, social inclusion and empathy.The article concludes with questions and considerations about language, thought and judgment, and whether or not this latest transformation of the public sphere and new experimentation with novel forms of communicative action, fundamentally alter our traditional conceptions of the intersubjective basis of political reasoning.

Young adults and the digital public sphere: a cross-cultural perspective

“…It would be hasty to bemoan students on the fact that they are not more international in their exchanges on political issues since it may be just as important (if not more so in some cases) to first understand one's own society and become concretely involved in its development. However, such data serve to temper the optimism that is often expressed about the "global or transnational citizen" (Marden, 2011;Trenz, 2009). Once again, we observe that more men than women availed themselves of this feature in all the geographical areas.…”

Os jovens adultos e a esfera pública digital: uma perspetiva intercultural

“…Seria precipitado lamentar o facto de os estudantes não serem mais internacionais nas suas interações sobre questões políticas, uma vez que pode ser igualmente importante (senão mais importante, nalguns casos) compreender primeiro a sua própria sociedade e envolver-se concretamente no seu desenvolvimento. Contudo, estes dados permitem moderar o otimismo muitas vezes expresso acerca do "cidadão global ou transnacional" (Marden, 2011;Trenz, 2009). Uma vez mais, observamos que foram mais os homens que recorreram a esta função do que as mulheres, independentemente da área geográ-fica.…”