Online Participation: Evidence of a Change in Political Practices?

Democracy and Participation: A Review of Existing Knowledge
By Laurence Monnoyer-Smith
English

This article aims to follow the recent literature in media studies and cultural studies, which analyzes the change in political participation as the use of the Internet and Web 2.0 tools grows. In this respect, political participation is addressed through the notion of digital culture of which it is an essential component, as practices concerning content production and exchange develop online. This particular form of participatory culture challenges existing conceptions of political engagement and citizenship and takes into account other mediated forms of political speech. Thus resituated in a new sociotechnical context, the notion of political participation invites us to reconsider some pessimistic views on citizens’ political engagement.

Keywords

  • digital culture
  • Internet
  • life politics
  • post-dialogism
  • identity
  • cultural studies
  • media studies
  • reflexive modernity
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