1) The document discusses Jürgen Habermas's concept of the public sphere from his book The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere. 2) Habermas analyzed the emergence of the bourgeois public sphere in 18th century Europe as a space for public deliberation and debate separate from the state. 3) However, critiques argue the public sphere was never truly inclusive and declined due to industrial capitalism, mass media commercialization, and state interventionism limiting critical debate.

1. L2: The Public Sphere Overview Habermas and TSTotPS History/ies of the PS Structural Decline/Refeudalisation Critiques of the Habermasian PS Beyond TSTotPS The modern media and the PS The internet and PS

2. Jürgen Habermas German political philosopher/sociologist A student of the Frankfurt School of critical theory, Institut für Sozialforschung

3. The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere (TSTotPS) Ancient Greeks Deliberative democracy “that realm of social life where the exchange of information and views on questions of common concern can take place so that public opinion can be formed.”

4. History/ies of the Public Sphere Feudal society Representative publicity the royalty and aristocracy “represented their lordship not for but “before” the people” (1989: 7)

5. History/ies of the Public Sphere The rise of the bourgeois public sphere in Britain, France and Germany; 18thC Public press, coffeehouses, salons, etc.

6. History/ies of the Public Sphere Inherent exclusion, explained away by theoretical social mobility White, male, propertied Bourgeois = homme (property owners) = (human)

9. A student re-enactment of…

10. Critiques of the Habermasian Public Sphere Historical inaccuracies Over-idealisingthe internal function of the bourgeois PS Existence of multiple historical PS Unacknowledged exclusions from PS Class, gender, race Over-pessimistic about modernity and media

11. Critiques of the Habermasian Public Sphere Theoretical criticisms Many, but Fraser (1992) outlines 4 important dimensions (postmodern/feminist critique) Impossible to bracket status differentials Multiple publics and counterpublics Public ?/? Private Separation from state

13. Beyond TSTotPS Lifeworld and system Communicative siege, moving from periphery to core Ideal speech situation I’m ideal!

14. Beyond TSTotPS Overall, more optimistic about the potential for citizens to influence power Active audience theory (cultural studies) But is this optimism too simple? I’m ideal!

15. Modern media and the public sphere Overall, pessimistic view. The lifeworld can be colonised by the system: Coercion Agenda-setting Ideological power/hegemony Declining political/civic engagement

16. Modern media and the public sphere Overall, pessimistic view. Declining political/civic engagement But: thepolitical cf. the Political? And what about the internet?

17. The internet and the public sphere Techno-utopianism and –dystopianism Reality is complex Traditional big media on the Net Citizen media on the Net Digital divides Politics online The market and the internet Multiple PSs

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