<b>Constructing Public Space: Global Perspectives on Social Media and Popular Contestation — Introduction</b>

Authors

  • Thomas Poell University of Amsterdam
  • José van Dijck University of Amsterdam

Keywords:

social media, activism, popular contention, public space, emotion, governmentality, technological infrastructures

Abstract

This introduction to the special section on the construction of public space in social media activism discusses (1) the types of social media practices involved in the construction of publicness during contemporary episodes of popular contention, (2) the particular political institutional contexts in which these practices are articulated, and (3) the technocommercial architectures through which they take shape. Building on the five articles in this section, we argue that public space is not readily available for today’s citizens and activists, but is conquered and constructed through processes of emotional connectivity.

Author Biographies

Thomas Poell, University of Amsterdam

Assistant Professor, New Media and Digital culture Department of Media Studies, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands

José van Dijck, University of Amsterdam

Professor of Comparative Media Studies, Department of Media Studies, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands

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Published

2016-01-06

Issue

Vol. 10 (2016)

Section

Special Sections

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