O zgodovinskih sporih in preobratih v teorijah javnega mnenja

Splichal, Slavko (author)

This paper discusses the conceptual heterogeneity in the field of 'public opinion' in the light of a distinction between positions that reflect public opinion as a democratic-emancipatory category and positions that consider public opinion from an 'anthropological' perspective - as an semi-institutional resource of social control. The paper discusses the main characteristics and implications of these two different perspectives in conceptualizing public opinion, primarily the questions of the differences between publicly expressed opinions and public opinion, subject/ivity of public opinion (public opinions vs. opinion of the public), and the controversial relation of public opinion to democracy and surveillance. The argument is made that in the two centuries following Bentham's and Kant's codification of the principle of publicity, none of the fundamental controversies has been resolved. Although the belief that the establishment of a public opinion polling industry homogenized and stablized the definition of public opinion is widely accepted by pollsters, the facts rather prove the contrary: despite the enormous quantities of money and attention devoted to public opinion polling, there are few theoretical perspectives to guide research on the role of public opinion in the political process, which is primarily a consequence of the fact that consistent and operationally valid definitions of the concept 'public opinion' are still missing. There are no signs of 'reconciliation' between normative-theoretical and empirical-statistical perspectives; on the contrary, it seems that Wilson was right when 45 years ago he stated that the differences between those who 'believe in scientific study alone' and those who see in the study of public opinion a possibility of advancement of rational and humane goals can hardly disappear

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: javno mnenje, javnost, publiciteta, demokracija, nadzorovanje, mnenjske poizvedbe
• Work type: Not categorized
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Publisher: Centro di ricerche scientifiche della Repubblica di Slovenia
• Year: 2007
• Number of pages: Str. 365-376
• Numbering: Letn. 17, št. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-59328
• UDC: 303.01:316.653
• ISSN on article: 1408-5348
• COBISS.SI-ID: 1397715
• Publication date in RUL: 10.07.2015

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Annales. anali za istrske in mediteranske študije, Series historia et sociologia
• Shortened title: Ann, Ser. hist. sociol.
• Publisher: Zgodovinsko društvo za južno Primorsko, Societá storica del Litorale, Zgodovinsko društvo za južno Primorsko, = Societá storica del Litorale, Zgodovinsko društvo za južno Primorsko, = Societá storica del Litorale, Znanstveno raziskovalno središče Republike Slovenije, = Centro di ricerche scientifiche della Repubblica di Slovenia, Zgodovinsko društvo za južno Primorsko, Univerza na Primorskem, Znanstvenoraziskovalno središče, Zgodovinsko društvo za južno Primorsko, = Societá storica del Litorale, Zgodovinsko društvo za južno Primorsko, = Societá storica del Litorale, Inštitut IRRIS za raziskave, razvoj in strategije družbe, kulture in okolja, = Istituto IRRIS di ricerca, sviluppo e strategie della societa, cultura e ambiente
• ISSN: 1408-5348
• COBISS.SI-ID: 71952128

Secondary language

• Language: English
• Keywords: public opinion, the public, publicizy, democracy, surveillance, opinion polls