Habermas vs. Noelle-Neumann : the impact of habitus on theoretical construction of the public sphere

Wendelin, Manuel (author), Meyen, Michael (author)

The idea of the public sphere represents an important fundament of modern western self-images and is topic of communication theory. Habermas and Noelle-Neumann are two of the most renowned representatives in this field. Both developed their approaches in the same context, during the post-war era of 1960s West Germany. Nevertheless, fundamental differences exist between the two conceptualisations of the public sphere. This article seeks to make sense of these differences by comparing the authorsć biographies and suggesting that a strong connection exists between author's life experience and his or her theory. We employed a category system based mainly on the habitus-concept of Bourdieu and complemented it with the generation-approaches developed in sociology of knowledge. Our findings show that the differences in theory between Habermas and Noelle-Neumann can be understood in terms of differences in their milieu of origin and their academic socialisation. Ultimately, even more important seem to be opposite experiences of the authors with the public on the one hand and the generational gap between them on the other.

• Language: English
• Work type: Not categorized
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Year: 2009
• Number of pages: Str. 25-40
• Numbering: Vol. 16, no. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-75242
• UDC: 316.77
• ISSN on article: 1318-3222
• COBISS.SI-ID: 28491357
• Publication date in RUL: 21.12.2015

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Javnost
• Shortened title: Javnost
• Publisher: Taylor&Francis
• ISSN: 1318-3222
• COBISS.SI-ID: 40119808

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Habermas proti Noelle-Neumann: vpliv habitusa na teoretsko konstrukcijo javne sfere

Abstract

Ideja javne sfere je pomembna osnova sodobnih zahodnih samopodob in predmet komunikoloških teorij. Habermas in Noëlle-Neumannova sta dva izmed najbolj priznanih predstavnikov tega področja. Svoja pristopa sta razvila v istem družbenem kontekstu šestdesetih let prejšnjega stoletja v Zahodni Nemčiji. Kljub temu pa obstajajo temeljne razlike med obema konceptualizacijama javne sfere. Članek poskuša osmisliti razlike s primerjavo biografije avtorjev in hipotezo, da obstaja močna povezava življenjsko izkušnjo avtorja in njegovo teorijo. Uporabljen je sistem kategorizacije, ki temelji predvsem na Bourdieujevem pojmu habitusa, dopolnjenega z generacijskimi pristopi sociologije znanja. Ugotovitve kažejo, da je teoretske razlike med Habermasom in Noëlle-Neumannovo mogoče razumeti kot posledico različnega socialnega porekla in razlik v njuni akademski socializaciji. Navsezadnje sta še bolj pomembni nasprotujoči si izkušnji avtorjev z javnostjo na eni ter generacijskim prepadom med njima, na drugi strani. Ker teorije javne sfere upravičujejo idejo demokracije, je zanimiva povezava, ki kaže, da sta teoriji odvisni od družbenih okolij.