LEE- Siyaset Çalışmaları-Yüksek Lisans

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http://hdl.handle.net/11527/19464

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Yazar "Adakan, Kerem Alpkaan" ile LEE- Siyaset Çalışmaları-Yüksek Lisans'a göz atma
  • Öge
    A critical consideration of the digital public sphere on the basis of the agonistic theory
    (ITU Graduate School, 2025) Adakan, Kerem Alpkaan ; Erbil, Aslı ; 419201008 ; Political Studies
    This study aims to create new theoretical expansions in the popular discussion of the digital public sphere and democratization. The relationship between democratic engagement and social media platforms as digital public spheres has been a popular topic and many writers expected that it would be easier to consolidate democratic grounds in the age of social networking sites. It was mainly due to the assumption that social and technical foundations of Web 2.0 may facilitate the free expression of ideas, participation, pluralism, and so on. However, it is argued in this study that social media platforms have severe disadvantages in promoting democratic grounds and forming public spheres as opposed to popular expectations. The relationship between social media and democratic engagement has been thought of predominantly through rationality and consensus. Such an approach disregards the importance of conflict in consolidating democratic grounds. Contemporary agonism differently focuses on power exertion and shows that democratic grounds can be consolidated by persisting conflict. Conflictual processes are crucial in preventing the monopolization of power and preserving the plurality of subjectivities. Adhering to the agonistic principles, the market-oriented logic of social media platforms and its influence on political conflict are critically evaluated in this study. This market-oriented logic is indeed diffused into design, interfaces, and the behavioral patterns of users and owners of platforms in the case of social media. Therefore, a multifaceted approach with the analysis of the socio-cultural and political implications of social network sites is presented. Social media and its potential to promote democratization have been widely mentioned through the concept of the digital public sphere so far. In the second chapter of this study, the definitions of the terms ICT, Web 2.0, and social media are given, and the concept of "the digital public sphere" which is based on Habermas's traditional "public sphere" is considered. The study describes the transformation of internet usage after Web 2.0 and shows how discussions on social media have intensified in the literature. After considering the initial approaches to this topic, in the third chapter, contemporary agonistic theory was mentioned along with its historical references. The discussion of social media as a digital public sphere continued with the new expansions that can be created by the agonistic model. Basic concepts of contemporary agonistic thought is explained with references to the leading agonistic figures. In the fourth chapter of the study, social media is criticized on the basis of agonistic thought; the commercialization of digital space, the design of social media platforms, and the surveillance culture form the main topics of discussion. Finally, the main idea that social media platforms have severe disadvantages in promoting democratic grounds is recaptured with references to antagonist polarization recurring in platforms in the fourth chapter. This chapter mainly focuses on the quality of the confrontation between poles in digital space and relevant case studies are presented to empirically support the main argument. The study considers the fluid formation of platforms, their users, and their owners. The competition and shared patterns between different platforms are also observed. Along with the human actors mentioned above, technical foundations and designs of social media platforms are regarded as actors in relational situations. In this way, a critical approach is constructed with a multilayered analysis. Some deficiencies observed in the previously presented criticism are attempted to be eliminated with this discussion.