Public Sphere Alienation
A Model for Analysis and Critique
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7097830 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Katherine R Knobloch (corresponding author) |
| Year | 2011 |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 21-37 |
| Publication date | 2011-01-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Javnost - The Public (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1318-3222 • E-ISSN: 1854-8377 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13183222.2011.11009065 |
| OpenAlex | W2091121059 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 11 |
| References cited | 24 |
This paper reintroduces the theory of political alienation as a model for analysing and critiquing public sphere structures, arguing that commodified and professionalised media and organisational structures distance the general public from the production of public opinion and limit the public's capacity to use communication for democratic empowerment. These communication norms and practices act as a counter-force to more deliberative forms of communication and (re)create five conditions of alienation – commodification, social isolation, meaninglessness, normlessness, and powerlessness – that influence what individuals know, how they interact, and who ultimately has power in the political process. Integrating literature on public opinion, deliberative democracy, mediated communication, and collective action, this paper offers an anti-normative lens for critiquing currently existing practices and understanding how contemporary communication structures operate systemically
Alienation · Political science · Politics · Public sphere · Sociology · Law · Media Studies and Communication · Populism, Right-Wing Movements · Weber, Simmel, Sociological Theory
Who Talks and Who Listens? How Political Involvement Influences the Potential for Democratic Deliberation in Everyday Political Talk
Deliberative democracy and historical perspectives on American Indian/Alaska native political decision-making practices
The representation of public opinion in reporting poll results on environment issues
Collective Identity and Voice at the Australian Citizens’ Parliament
Political Socialization of International Students
News Media, Knowledge, and Political Interest
The internal dynamics of “scaling up” deliberative mini-publics
The “Solo of Deliberator”
Do Voters Trust Deliberative Minipublics? Examining the Origins and Impact of Legitimacy Perceptions for the Citizens’ Initiative Review
From the Secret Ballot to the Public Vote
Civic (Re)socialisation
The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion
By Popular Demand
The Internet and Democratic Citizenship
The Myth of Digital Democracy
The Rights Revolution
Bowling alone
Political Communication and Deliberation
Democratic Phoenix
A New Engagement
Les sondages et la transformation de l'opinion publique
Projections of Power
New media campaigns and the managed citizen
Information and American Democracy
A Virtuous Circle
Democracy without citizens
Making a Fragile Public
| Citations per year | 0.79 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2012 - 2026 (15) |
| Highly cited | No |