#1: Today's Public Sphere

That the public sphere is both prevalent today and incredibly value goes without saying. I think, though, that it is tough to say whether or not the existence of the public sphere is toxic or beneficial. Depending on what spheres one subscribes too, it can be either. There are so many diverse public spheres, from communities of color to feminist circles. Certain public spheres can be incredibly rewarding, especially if the discourse within is bringing people together or bringing about social change.

I wouldn't say that online platforms are functioning as public spheres, but rather as additional "venues" for public spheres to congregate, in a sense, and engage in discourse specific to the sphere's objectives/topics of conversation. Since people from all over the world can subscribe to certain public spheres, blogs and social media make it easier for discourse to take place. However, because communication is screen-to-screen rather than face to face, discourse could be distorted and public spheres can turn unhealthy. This is something that I believe we see in any political public sphere that uses discourse via the internet. So often we see a post start out with thoughtful conversation, only to evolve into a virtual screaming match between conflicting views. It is in this case where physical public spheres might actually be more effective. That said, the multiplicity of public sphere may in some way aid in making online public discourse less toxic than if there were to only be one general sphere. I believe that if there are enough sub-sects of public spheres, perhaps more meaningful discourse can take place; maybe discussions wouldn't regress into arguments if groups of individuals were subscribing to smaller or more "niche" spheres.

What comes to mind for me often, are public spheres surrounding feminism. The definitions of what feminism can differ from person to person--there exists both radical or extreme feminists and more mellow (for lack of a better term) feminists. Rather than belonging to one general feminist public sphere, where perhaps there would be more arguing than discussing, it might be more beneficial if for the sphere to have separate functioning spheres. Radical feminists could engage in discourse with other radical feminists; less extreme opinions could be shared in another sphere, etc. With the existence of multiple public spheres online becomes less conflicting and more helpful (though obviously, perfect conversation is not always guaranteed on the internet, where deciphering feedback can be harder).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Op-Ed: Your OCD is Showing

If you can’t see something, does that mean it’s not real? We’ve all heard it before. Hell, we’ve all said it ourselves. “I’m so OCD about _______.” Cue collective laughter and affirming nods. Isn’t everyone a little OCD about something? That OCD is a legitimate, mentally-crippling disorder is unquestionable. And yet here I am, advocating for its validity and insisting that we begin to take it more seriously. Just picture this: a child creeps out of bed at ten o’clock on a school night. After descending the staircase quietly, their feet pad across ice-cold hardwood. Frozen in a unique mixture of paralyzing fear and overwhelming exhaustion, the child stares at the lock on the front door. Then, following ten long seconds of stillness, the child moves toward door, touching the lock in six quick, gentle movements, and sprints back up the stairs, careful not to look back. Three. That’s the number of times this child has peeled their tiny body from the comfort of their warm bed. This child is...
Read more

#4: Po-po-po-polarization!

Say it with me: polarization is REAL. Okay, now that that is out of the way, let's get started. Yes polarization exists. Yes, it is a bad thing...BUT polarization may also be a good thing. What?? As we saw in this week's online lecture and as evidenced by Jacobs and Townsley, shows like O'Reilly Factor and Hardball are quintessential examples of why polarization is horrible. What good can come out of being cut off, attacked and/or completely dismissed while you're trying to have a thoughtful conversation? What is the point? In situations such as these, nothing is being accomplished. As a viewer, I don't feel I'm gleaning anything useful; instead, I feel like my brain is on fire. If anything, I'm horrifyingly uncomfortable or incredibly annoyed, reactions that cause me to tune out, both physically and mentally. Obviously, this isn't helping to raise political engagement. However, polarization could also be not so bad. Maybe it is within these grue...
Read more

A little somethin' somethin'

My final project centers around social media feminism and takes a look at whether feminists are more present online or in real life. To get a better sense of what is actually going on out there, I interviewed about ten feminists spanning the ages of 20 to 50, asking them a total of six questions to not onnly gage their thoughts on feminism, but to to get a sense of how they participate in feminism as a movement as well. I was really surprised at the feedback that I received, but what was most interesting was the parallels between the oldest feminists and the youngest ones. Between these two groups, there were some unexpected match ups between their definitions of feminism and whether or not the groups thought feminists were more prominent online or IRL.  Of course, there were some predictable answers, but I found it refreshing that there is less of a generational-influenced divide between older and younger feminists.
Read more