Net-public sphere research: beyond the "first phase"

Dahlberg, Lincoln (author)

In recent years much has been said about the possibility of the Internet facilitating and extending the public sphere of informal rational-critical communication between private affairs and official decision making. However, the abundant speculation has not yet been matched by extensive empirical research. Ongoing theoretical debate about the validity and content of the public sphere conception makes empirical evaluation difficult, as does the Internetćs constitution through a vast and dynamic array of human interactions, cultural contexts, and social institutions. Despite these difficulties, a number of pioneering studies have attempted to investigate theNet-public sphere relation. In this paper I offer a critical reflection upon some of these early studies, a reflection that explores three reoccurringmethodological problems and their possible solutions, with the aim of providing strategies for developing more meaningful Net-public sphere research. These problems involve: developing a normative conception of the public sphere suitable for critical analysis; improving the transition betweentheory and empirical evaluation; and adequately explaining and extending findings. My suggested solutions include the specification of publicsphere criteria from Habermas' theory of communicative rationality; the identification of a variety of case sensitive indicators that can facilitate the transition between criteria and practice; and the suggestion that explanation and extension of findings be undertaken by way of comparative case study research.

• Language: English
• Work type: Not categorized
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Year: 2004
• Number of pages: Str. 27-44
• Numbering: Vol. 11, no. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-75329
• UDC: 316.77
• ISSN on article: 1318-3222
• COBISS.SI-ID: 23294045
• Publication date in RUL: 21.12.2015

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Javnost = The public
• Shortened title: Javnost
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis, European Institute for Communication and Culture
• ISSN: 1318-3222
• COBISS.SI-ID: 40119808

Secondary language

• Language: Unknown
• Title: Raziskovanje internetne javne sfere: onstran "prve faze"

Abstract

V zadnjem času je veliko razprav obravnavalo možnosti interneta za spodbujanjein širitev javne sfere neformalnega racionalno-kritičnega komuniciranja med javnimi zadevami in uradnim odločanjem. Teh razprav ne spremlja izčrpno empirično raziskovanje. Tako potekajoča teoretska razprava o javni sferi kot sestava interneta iz dinamičnih interakcij, kulturnih kontekstov in družbenih institucij otežujeta empirično preskušanje. Kljub tem težavam je nekaj pionirskih raziskav poskušalo razjasniti odnos med internetomin javno sfero. Avtor ponuja kritičen pogled na zgodnje raziskave, v katerem opozarja na tri ponavljajoče se metodološke probleme - normativno konceptualizacijo javne sfere, primerno za kritično analizo, izboljšanje prehoda med teorijo in empiričnim vrednotenjem ter ustreznost pojasnjevanja raziskovalnih izsledkov - in možne rešitve: specifikacijo kriterijev javne sfere na osnovi Habermasove teorije komunikativne racionalnosti, identifikacijo občutljivih indikatorjev, ki omogočajo prehod med kriteriji in prakso, ter primerjalne študije primerov.