Many social commentators are warning us about the demise of the public sphere. Our abilities to build solidarities with strangers, to arrive at shared interpretations of common interests, and to agree on the general significance of problems appears to be under threat. A growing preoccupation with private concerns is seen to pose a serious challenge to our ability to think of ourselves as a public. What precisely do the commentators fear about the undermining of a modern public sphere? How do they describe its achievements and where do they see the major threats coming from? We look at a range of views including those of Robert Putnam, Jurgen Habermas and Zygmunt Bauman. The unit is... -- Course Website
Instructor: Associate Professor Pauline Johnson
Prerequisites: 39cp
