A good public sphere is seen as the elixir of modern democracy, as it provides a forum for exchanging views and formulating opinions. Media play an important role in the structural transformation of the public sphere. The art of printing, for instance, had an enormous impact on the emergence of the modern public sphere. Therefore it is important to scrutinize the role that media play in the public sphere. What is the impact of the old and new media on the public sphere?
This is the central question addressed in this course. It aims especially to clarify the role of new media in the structural transformation of the public sphere. New media, such as e-mail and internet, provide the opportunity to create new public spheres, i.e. virtual spaces where people can deliberate more or less freely about different issues. Old media, such as the newspaper, radio and television, and new media are intertwined in many, also subtle, ways. The relation between the old and new public spheres is thus an important topic of this course.
Theories of media and the public sphere do not only provide conceptual tools for describing the means and the spaces people use when they exchange views and formulate opinions, but they also prescribe how these means and spaces should be. This course addresses some theories that help to confront the real and the ideal, i.e. the facts about the existing public spheres, with normative ideas about how they should be.New media are transforming modern politics.
The political changes in the northern part of Africa were nearly impossible without e-mail, twitter and internet. According to some scholars these media can help to solve democratic deficits and realize direct democracy. However, one can discuss if these democratic deficits can be solved and if, or in what contexts, direct democracy is desirable. Therefore the possibilities and limits of cyberdemocracy will be discussed.This course will focus on the opportunities and limits for public resistance via the internet, especially hactivism. The course consists of 4 lectures, 4 group sessions and 1 conference.
Period
23-07-2012 - 03-08-2012 (2 weeks)
Target group
Bachelor and master students of all disciplines.
Course aim
In this course, you will learn: to understand the impact of old and new media on the structural transformation of the public sphere; to reflect on core problems concerning public spheres, such as democratic deficits, unequal power relations, the impact of so-called social media, the emergence of the surveillance society, privacy, censorship, the tyranny of intimacy and the limits of hactivism; to present your ideas about a specific topic concerning new public spheres at a conference; to write a small paper (between 2000 and 3000 words).
Credits
4.0 ECTS credits
Course fee
EUR 600: Course + course materials
EUR 700: Course + course materials + social programme
Course leader
Dr. Ren Gabrils
Maastricht University + Maastricht School of Management Student Service Centre
Address: Bonnefantenstraat 2 P.O. Box 616
Postal code: 6211 KL Maastricht
City: Maastricht
Country: Netherlands
Website: www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/summerschool
E-mail: summerschool@maastrichtuniversity.nl
Phone: +31433885295
New Public Spheres
