Peopling the Public Sphere

In: Peace review: the international quarterly of world peace, Band 11, Heft 1, S. 17-23

Abstract

Two thrusts in current debates regarding the nature of communication for the human species permeate virtually every discourse, whether applied to the expanding Internet, communication technologies, journalism practice, community discourse, or the creation of public spheres. In the structural thrust, human beings & their communication worlds are enslaved, & the public sphere is nothing but a pawn of that enslavement, which is increasingly controlled by capital, in particular, transnational corporations. For those writing in this thrust, hopes for the future are few. The postmodern thrust points toward human freedom, resistance, & the capacity to transcend even the most enslaving of conditions, to create rapture, bliss, & pleasure in virtually all situations. For those writing in this thrust, nothing is ever totally inscribed. The new communication technologies, in particular, the World Wide Web, are seen as sites of great hope, of emerging natural communities where like-minded people find each other & create moments of community, pleasure, & cooperation. 8 References. Adapted from the source document.