Theoretical Transformations: Tradition, Postmodernism and Participation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63772/jocmas.v2n1.1Keywords:
Theoretical Transformations, Tradition, Postmodernism, ParticipationAbstract
The emergence of new technologies has spawned new social movements across the globe, notably in established democracies and countries experimenting with the liberal idea. The fulcrum of this transformation is dictated by the new media's gradual possession of the centre in activating citizens' participation and ensuring publicness in our daily lives. The thrust of this transformation calls for a rethinking and shifts in theoretical arguments and postulation. As we move away from traditional approaches and understanding of political participation in the contemporary public spheres, we must begin to forge new ways of theorising on issues of participation and publicness. This shift could be anchored in what we might term civic participation -actions outside the political realm.
Downloads
Usage Statistics
- Abstract Views: 12
- PDF Downloads: 3
References
Astrom, J. (2004). Digital democracy: Ideas, intentions and initiatives in Swedish local governments. In R. K. Gibson, A. Rommele, & S. J. Ward (Eds.), Electronic democracy: Mobilization, organization and participation via new ICTs (pp. 96–115). London: Routledge.
Atton, C. (2002). Alternative media. London: Sage. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446220153
Barber, B. R. (1984). Strong democracy: Participatory politics for a new age. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Beck, U. (1992). Risk society: Towards a new modernity. London: Sage.
Beck, U. (1994). The reinvention of politics: Towards a theory of reflexive modernisation. In U. Beck (Ed.), Reflexive modernization: Politics, tradition and aesthetics in the modern social order (pp. 1–55). Stanford: Stanford University Press.
Beck, U. (2000). What is globalization?. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Bennett, W. L. (2003). Lifestyle politics and citizen-consumers: Identity, communication and political action in late modern. In J. Corner & D. Pels (Eds.), Media and the restyling of politics (pp. 138–153). London: Sage. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446216804.n8
Brady, H. E. (1997). Political participation. In R. B. Rubin, P. Palmgreen, & H. Sypher (Eds.), Communication research measures (pp. 737–800). London: The Guilford Press.
Bucy, E. P., & Gregson, K. S. (2001). Media participation: A legitimizing mechanism of mass democracy. New Media & Society, 3(3), 357–380. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/14614440122226137
Buechler, S. M. (2000). Social movements in advanced capitalism: The political economy and cultural construction of social activism. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Carpentier, N., Lie, R., & Servaes, J. (2003). Community media—Muting the democratic media discourse? Continuum, 17(1), 51–68. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1030431022000049010
Carroll, W. K., & Hackett, R. A. (2006). Democratic media activism through the lens of social movement theory. Media, Culture & Society, 28(1), 83–104. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443706059289
Cohen, J. L., & Arato, A. (1992). Civil society and political theory. Cambridge: The MIT Press.
Couldry, N. (2003). Beyond the hall of mirrors? Some theoretical reflections on the global contestation of media power. In N. Couldry & J. Curran (Eds.), Contesting media power: Alternative media in a networked world (pp. 39–54). Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield.
Dahlgren, P. (2001). The transformation of democracy? In B. Axford & R. Huggins (Eds.), New media and politics (pp. 64–88). London: Sage. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446218846.n3
Dewey, J. (1954). The public and its problems. New York: Swallow Press.
Downing, J., Ford, T. V., Gil, G., & Stein, L. (2001). Radical media: Rebellious communication and social movements. London: Sage. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452204994
Giddens, A. (1991). Modernity and self-identity. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Graham, T. (2007). What! Big Brother got to do with it? Talking politics online. Paper presented at the European Media and Communication Doctoral Summer School: Media Technology and Democracy in an Enlarged Europe.
Goldstone, J. A. (2003). Bridging institutionalised and non-institutionalised politics. In J. A. Goldstone (Ed.), States, parties, and social movements (pp. 1–24). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511625466.002
Habermas, J. (1984). The theory of communicative action: Reason and the rationalization of society (Vol. 1). Cambridge: Polity Press.
Habermas, J. (2003). Toward a cosmopolitan Europe: Making sense of the EU. Journal of Democracy, 14(4), 86–100. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.2003.0077
Hardt, H. (2004). Myths for the masses. Malden: Blackwell. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470774335
Huggins, R. (2001). The transformation of the political audience? In B. Axford & R. Huggins (Eds.), New media and politics (pp. 127–150). London: Sage. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446218846.n6
Jankowski, N. W. (2003). Community media research: A quest for theoretically grounded models. Javnost/The Public, 10(1), 5–14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13183222.2003.11008818
Livingstone, S., Bober, M., & Helsper, E. T. (2005). Active participation or just more information? Information, Communication & Society, 8(3), 287–314. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13691180500259103
Mayhew, L. H. (1997). The new public: Professional communication and the means of social influence. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511520785
Melucci, A. (1989). Nomads of the present. London: Hutchinson Radius.
Melucci, A., & Avritzer, L. (2000). Complexity, cultural pluralism and democracy: Collective action in the public space. Social Science Information, 39(4), 507–527. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/053901800039004001
Needham, C. (2004). The citizen as consumer: E-government in the United Kingdom and the United States. In R. K. Gibson, A. Rommele, & S. J. Ward (Eds.), Electronic democracy: Mobilization, organization and participation via new ICTs (pp. 43–69). London: Routledge.
Pateman, C. (1970). Participation and democratic theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511720444
Robertson, R. (1995). Globalisation: Time-space and homogeneity-heterogeneity. In M. Featherstone, L. Scott, & R. Robertson (Eds.), Global modernities (pp. 25–44). London: Sage. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446250563.n2
Rosenkrands, J. (2004). Politicizing home economics: Analysis of anti-corporate websites. In W. van de Donk, B. D. Loader, P. G. Nixon, & D. Rucht (Eds.), Cyberprotest: New media, citizens, and social movements (pp. 57–76). London: Routledge.
Schneider, M. (1997). Expanding the public sphere through computer-mediated communication: Political discussion about abortion in Usenet newsgroups. Retrieved August 30, 2010, from http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/10388
Scott, A., & Street, J. (2000). From media politics to e-protest? The use of popular culture and new media in parties and social movements. In F. Webster (Ed.), Culture and politics in the information age: A new politics? (pp. 32–51). London: Routledge.
Smith, P. J., & Smythe, E. (2000). Globalisation, citizenship and technology: The Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) meets the Internet. In F. Webster (Ed.), Culture and politics in the information age: A new politics? (pp. 183–206). London: Routledge.
Stromer-Galley, J., & Jamieson, H. K. (2001). The transformation of political leadership? In B. Axford & R. Huggins (Eds.), New media and politics (pp. 172–190). London: Sage. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446218846.n8
Tarrow, S. (1994). Power in movement: Social movements, collective action and politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Thompson, J. B. (1995). The media and modernity: A social theory of the media. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Tomlinson, J. (1999). Globalisation and culture. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Tsaliki, L. (2002). Online forums and the enlargement of public space. Javnost/The Public, 9(2), 95–112. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13183222.2002.11008802
Van Aelst, P., & Walgrave, S. (2004). New media, new movements? The role of the internet in shaping the “anti-globalisation” movement. In W. van de Donk, B. D. Loader, P. G. Nixon, & D. Rucht (Eds.), Cyberprotest: New media, citizens, and social movements (pp. 97–122). London: Routledge.
Van de Donk, W., Loader, B. D., Nixon, P. G., & Rucht, D. (2004). Social movements and ICTs. In W. van de Donk, B. D. Loader, P. G. Nixon, & D. Rucht (Eds.), Cyberprotest: New media, citizens, and social movements (pp. 1–25). London: Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203644225
Verba, S., & Nie, N. (1972). Participation in America: Political democracy and social equality. New York: Harper and Row Publishers.
Washbourne, N. (2000). Information technology and new forms of organizing? Translocalism and networks in Friends of the Earth. In F. Webster (Ed.), Culture and politics in the information age: A new politics? (pp. 129–141). London: Routledge.
Yuen, E., Burton-Rose, D., & Katsiaficas, G. (2004). Confronting capitalism: Dispatches from a global movement. Brooklyn: Soft Skull Press.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Communications, Media And Society (JOCMAS)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.