Casual Democracy
News, Participation, and Deliberation in Local Communities Dominated by Social Media
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Beschreibung
This open access book asks how the retreat of local journalism and the advance of social media platforms reshapes democracy at the grassroots level. It presents a unique ethnographic exploration of two distinct communities—Frederiksberg in Denmark and Ringwood in England—and introduces the concept of "casual democracy" as a provocative new way to think about the fluid, informal, and often unpredictable nature of local public spheres increasingly dominated by platforms like Facebook. Through immersive fieldwork and insightful analysis, the book examines how these communities navigate the ethical, epistemic and democratic norms of deliberation. At its heart, this book grapples with the vital consequences for democratic participation and deliberation when platforms redefine the public realm. Blending rigorous scholarship with engaging narrative storytelling, Casual Democracy is essential reading not just for academics, but for anyone concerned with the future of local democracy and the health of public discourse in the digital age.
Steen Steensen (PhD) is Research Dean at the Faculty of Social Sciences and professor of journalism at the Department of Journalism and Media Studies, Oslo Metropolitan University in Norway. He holds a visiting professorship at Bournemouth University in the UK and an adjunct professorship at Kristiania University College in Norway. Steensen is the author of numerous journal articles and books concerning the development of news, journalism and public discourse in digital times, and he is a former journalist and feature writer for Norwegian newspapers and magazines.
This open access book asks how the retreat of local journalism and the advance of social media platforms reshapes democracy at the grassroots level. It presents a unique ethnographic exploration of two distinct communities—Frederiksberg in Denmark and Ringwood in England—and introduces the concept of "casual democracy" as a provocative new way to think about the fluid, informal, and often unpredictable nature of local public spheres increasingly dominated by platforms like Facebook. Through immersive fieldwork and insightful analysis, the book examines how these communities navigate the ethical, epistemic and democratic norms of deliberation. At its heart, this book grapples with the vital consequences for democratic participation and deliberation when platforms redefine the public realm. Blending rigorous scholarship with engaging narrative storytelling, Casual Democracy is essential reading not just for academics, but for anyone concerned with the future of local democracy and the health of public discourse in the digital age.
This book is open access, which means that you have free and unlimited access Investigates the functioning of local public spheres in places where local journalism has lost much of its significance Analyses two local communities in the UK and one in Denmark where local news no longer facilitate the public sphere Suggests that communities left behind by local journalism risk becoming casual democracies
Autor*in
Steen Steensen
Themen in »Casual Democracy«
Open Access algorithmic logic ethical relativism democratic participation deliberative democracy informed citizenship
Stimmen zu »Casual Democracy«
“Casual Democracy offers an innovative, insightful and civically crucial exploration of the many ways that social media platforms challenge the optimal functioning of democracy, as well as the diverse approaches citizens take in response. Focusing on two communities – one in Denmark and the other in Britain – no longer adequately served by traditional news providers, the author provides a richly contextualised consideration of the impact of this “platformisation” on a grassroots public sphere. His immersive auto-ethnographic approach yields a book full of observational details that are informative, engaging, memorable – and ultimately disturbing.” (Jane B Singer, PhD, Professor Emerita of Journalism City St George’s, University of London)
“What happens to democratic life when social media become the main platforms for debate? Casual Democracy answers this question through a rich ethnographic study of two communities – one in the UK and one in Denmark – showing the concrete challenges to deliberation when Facebook takes the place of the local newspaper. Written in an engaging and accessible style, Casual Democracy is an instant classic and an exceptional scholarly achievement.” (Karin Wahl-Jorgensen, Professor at Cardiff University and President of ICA)
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