Jurgen Habermas was responsible for creating “the public sphere” theory in 1962. The theory was essentially a space where individual’s in society most typically the middle class could find out what was happening regarding social, cultural and political issue’s. This space also allowed individual’s to engage in common concern’s and debate on idea’s for what should be done.
Where is my public sphere?
Like most my public sphere is with friends where we share idea’s and engage in intriguing or important issue’s that we have seen or heard of via the media.
Although social media platform’s such as Facebook and Instagram have provided a new digital public sphere with little exclusion, as the platform’s enable all user’s to share their view’s and information whilst also providing a place to debate any common concern’s.
How does it operate?
When amongst friends we simply share our idea’s on issue’s. Which makes it interesting has we all share different ideologies meaning we don’t share the same view’s on certain issue’s which makes it interesting.
While online is different because social media apps again such as Facebook and Instagram produces a much greater scale of feedback where people I don’t necessarily know can share their opinion’s and value’s on important issue’s within the world.
What are the issues that come up?
The issues that come up in both my public sphere’s largely depend on the media, which provide the information whilst provoking the debate about certain issue’s
Who is included?
Generally just friends, but while on social media it enable’s most individual’s to get involved in the debate.
What role does the “media play” in all this?
The public sphere is a concept (idea) which can be seen as a metaphor for thinking about how individual human beings come together to exchange idea’s and information about what matter’s most to them in a “liberal” society. This concept has been highly theorised (applied, written about and debate) in relation to the media. Where the general consensus is the public sphere is strongly mediated due to these main two reason’s:
- The media provide us most the issue’s in which provoke debate
- People also use media platform’s to debate issue’s and idea’s
Overall the public sphere is a dynamic environment where people’s view’s, idea’s and value’s and constantly evolving in relation to what matter’s most to them in regard’s to society.
Reference’s
- Bruns, A. and Highfield, T. ‘Is Habermas on Twitter? Social media and the public sphere’, https://eprints.qut.edu.au
- Fuchs, C. “Twitter and democracy: a new public sphere?’ In social media: a critical introduction’,.
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