In search of the talkative public: media deliberative democracy and civic culture

Dahlgren, Peter (author)

Theories of democracy consider communicative interaction among citizens central. In recent years the idea of deliberative democracy has galvanised elements of political theory with perspectives on communication. This concept emerges to a large extent from the Habermasian trajectory and links currents from theories of civil society and citizenship. It has thus a rather forceful normative dimension. However, there are difficulties; and the aim of the article is to probe the notion of deliberative democracy by framing it in ways that may render it more useful for both theoretical and empirical work. The article begins with a quick interpretation of the theoretical background. From there the author discusses some current issues of conceptualisation, in particular if such talk should be seen as a part of everyday conversation or a special mode of interaction. These definitional issues set the stage for an examination of two recent empirical contributions. In the final section, the article attempts to situate deliberative democracy within an analytic framework of civic culture. Deliberative democracy, or more simply, discussion, becomes one of six dimensions of civic culture.

• Language: English
• Work type: Not categorized
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Year: 2002
• Number of pages: Str. 5-25
• Numbering: Vol. 9, no. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-75991
• UDC: 659.3/.4
• ISSN on article: 1318-3222
• COBISS.SI-ID: 21463645
• 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: Iskanje zgovorne javnosti: mediji, posvetovalna demokracija in državljanska kultura

Abstract

Teorije demokracije štejejo komunikacijsko interakcijo med državljani za osrednjo. V zadnjih letih je ideja posvetovalne demokracije poživila elemente politične teorije s komunikacijsko perspektivo. Ideja v veliki meri izvira iz habermasovske tradicije in povezuje teorije civilne družbe in državljanstva. Ima torej močno normativno razsežnost. Obstajajo pa tudi težave in namen članka je preskusiti pojmovanje posvetovalne demokracije z umestitvijo v okvire, ki bi ga napravili bolj uporabnega za teoretsko in empirično delo. Članek se začenja s kratko predstavitvijo teoretskega ozadja. Avtor nato razpravlja o nekaterih sodobnih vprašanjih konceptualizacije, zlasti ali naj bi bil javni govor del vsakdanje konverzacije ali posebna vrsta interakcije. Definicijska vprašanja so izhodišče za obravnavo dveh nedavnih empiričnih prispevkov. V zaključku članek umešča posvetovalno demokracijo v analitski okvir državljanske kulture. Posvetovalna demokracija ali enostavno razpravljanje postane ena izmed šestih razsežnosti državljanske kulture.