Fear of the Open: Resistances of the Public Sphere

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Morgan Wortham
Keyword(s):  
Public Sphere ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Political Dissent ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Square ◽  
Conditions Of Possibility ◽  
The Public Sphere ◽  
Rational Ground

This chapter explores the theme of the ‘outside’, and the fears, desires, drives and indeed drift it seems to inspire, in order to raise the question of agoraphobia in a number of contexts. In particular, agoraphobia is not only about recoil or retreat from public spaces: surprisingly enough, an abiding fear of the ‘open’ may in fact generate the conditions of possibility for a democratically-oriented public sphere, however fragile and contradictory they may be. Agoraphobic fear of the space of the public square, whether crowded or comparatively empty, can produce inconsistent effects, provoking reactionary paranoia as well as inspiring political dissent. But if the appeal to the ‘rational ground’ of a public sphere is at least in part based upon agoraphobic, crowd-fearing impulses, its evocation of reason and duty is exceeded and resisted by a notion of Levinasian responsibility that has been described in terms of an ‘ethical agoraphobia’. If the ‘ethical agoraphobia’ of Levinasian responsibility entails a step into the ‘open’ that cannot simply be faced fearlessly, then this surely prompts critique of recent speculative materialism as in want of an object to be scared of.

scholarly journals Art, Power and Knowledge: Claiming Public Space in Tunisia

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 250-274
Author(s):  
Charles Tripp
Keyword(s):  
Public Sphere ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Street Art ◽  
Political Dissent ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Artistic Interventions ◽  
The Public Sphere

Charles Tripp argues that through artistic interventions – graffiti, visual street art, performances, demonstrations, banners, slogans – citizens have appropriated the public sphere. Despite the monitoring of political dissent through persuasion or coercion, an activist public has created highly visible public spaces, assisted and encouraged by citizen artists. They have generated debates and have helped to give substance to competing visions of the republic.

‘Party in the street’: The partisan politics of space

2021 ◽  
pp. 239965442110338
Author(s):  
David Jenkins ◽  
Lipin Ram
Keyword(s):  
Public Sphere ◽  
Public Space ◽  
State Power ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
The State ◽  
Political Community ◽  
Democratic Legitimacy ◽  
Partisan Politics ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Public Sphere

Public space is often understood as an important ‘node’ of the public sphere. Typically, theorists of public space argue that it is through the trust, civility and openness to others which citizens cultivate within a democracy’s public spaces, that they learn how to relate to one another as fellow members of a shared polity. However, such theorizing fails to articulate how these democratic comportments learned within public spaces relate to the public sphere’s purported role in holding state power to account. In this paper, we examine the ways in which what we call ‘partisan interventions’ into public space can correct for this gap. Using the example of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM), we argue that the ways in which CPIM partisans actively cultivate sites of historical regional importance – such as in the village of Kayyur – should be understood as an aspect of the party’s more general concern to present itself to citizens as an agent both capable and worthy of wielding state power. Drawing on histories of supreme partisan contribution and sacrifice, the party influences the ideational background – in competition with other parties – against which it stakes its claims to democratic legitimacy. In contrast to those theorizations of public space that celebrate its separateness from the institutions of formal democratic politics and the state more broadly, the CPIM’s partisan interventions demonstrate how parties’ locations at the intersections of the state and civil society can connect the public sphere to its task of holding state power to account, thereby bringing the explicitly political questions of democratic legitimacy into the everyday spaces of a political community.

Digital Humour, Gag Laws, and the Liberal Security State

2017 ◽  
pp. 204-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Bessant
Keyword(s):  
Public Sphere ◽  
Political Theory ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
Political Dissent ◽  
The Public ◽  
On Line ◽  
Artistic Work ◽  
The Public Sphere

This chapter presents a case study of Facu Diaz, a Spanish satirist whose on-line ridicule of the Spanish government created a political furor that brought him before the courts. The chapter engages the problem of the criminalization of political dissent by liberal states in the digital age. The case highlights how digital media is now being used to create content for satire, as well as to replicate and infiltrate more traditional political and media forums, changing many traditional forms of political practice. The case [points to some of the central problems inherent in liberalism which may give reason to curb the enthusiasm of those who think that new digital media creates fresh opportunities for augmenting the ‘public sphere'. It is argued that liberalism as a political theory and ethos, tends to be blind to non-traditional political expressions like satire and other artistic work. In addition, the expansion of security laws in many countries suggests, liberalism's ostensible commitment to freedom needs to be reframed by recalling its historical preoccupation with security.

‘A Church in a Cinema Hall?’ Pentecostal Appropriation of Public Space in Nigeria

2012 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olufunke Adeboye
Keyword(s):  
Public Sphere ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Media Technology ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Public Sphere ◽  
The Church

AbstractOver the past two decades Nigeria has become a hotbed of Pentecostal activity. It is the view of this study that Pentecostal visibility in Nigeria has been enhanced not just by Pentecostals’ aggressive utilization of media technology for proselytization as claimed by previous scholars, but also by their appropriation of public spaces for worship. This study not only focuses on the church in the cinema hall, but also on churches in nightclubs, hotels, and other such places previously demonized as ‘abode[s] of sin’ by classical Pentecostals. This paper argues that users’ perception of public spaces having rigid meanings and unchanging usage was responsible for much of the tensions experienced. It would be more useful for academic analysts and various ‘publics’ to construe such spaces as dynamic sites, at once reflecting mutations in the public sphere, responsive to local and global socio-economic processes, and amenable to periodic reinventions and negotiations.

Publicity, Privacy, and Women's Political Action

1996 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 601-619 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynn A Stacheli
Keyword(s):  
Public Sphere ◽  
Political Action ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Women's Activism ◽  
The Public ◽  
Private Spaces ◽  
The Public Sphere ◽  
The Relationship

Interpretations of women's activism depend on the ways in which analysts conceptualize the relations between privacy, publicity, and politics, in this paper the relationship between women's standing in the public sphere and their activism is problematized. Women's activism is shaped by strategic, and sometimes opportunistic, choices to locate their activism either in public or in private spaces. These choices point to the importance of reconceptualizing publicity and privacy in ways that separate the content of actions from the spaces in which action is taken. Such a distinction creates the possibility of taking private actions into public spaces and of taking public actions in private spaces. When the content of action is separated from the spaces of action, women's activism is evaluated in terms of the efficacy of various actions in either public or private spaces, rather than in terms of women's presumed lack of access to the public sphere.

scholarly journals Relasi Laki-Laki dan Perempuan di Ruang Domestik dan Publik Menurut Pemahaman Elit Pesantren Salafiyyah di Jambi

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 161
Author(s):  
Yuliatin Yuliatin
Keyword(s):  
Public Sphere ◽  
Boarding School ◽  
Gender Issues ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Women's Leadership ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Not Given ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Public Sphere

Kajian ini hendak melihat fenomena ajaran Salafi tentang kesetaraan gender. Sebagaimana diketahui, secara umum pemahaman ajaran Salafi cenderung memandang peran perempuan secara terbatas, baik di ruang domestik dan ruang publik. Fenomena tersebut mengakar kuat hingga dipraktekkan dalam basis pendidikan pesantren Salafiyyah. Namun demikian, terjadi pergeseran paham di kalangan elit pesantren Salafiyyah di Jambi, di mana, mereka mulai memberikan ruang kepada perempuan untuk berinteraksi di ruang publik. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif, dengan pengumpulan data melalui observasi, wawancara dan dokumentasi. Fokus penelitian dilaksanakan di dua Pesantren Salafi, al Baqiyatush Shalihat di Kabupaten Tanjung Jabung Barat dan Sa’adatuddarain di Seberang Kota Jambi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan: Pertama, secara umum kaum Salafi di kedua Pesantren memahami adanya kesetaraan antara laki-laki dan perempuan. Mereka mengartikulasikan ayat-ayat al- Qur’an lebih luwes. Namun, dalam persoalan kepemimpinan perempuan, mereka masih “membatasi” dengan berasumsi bahwa Qs. An-Nisa: 34 sudah final. Kedua, terjadi perubahan dalam memahami isu gender terutama di Pesantren al Baqiyatush-Shalihat, di mana, mereka lebih moderat dengan memberikan akses kepada perempuan untuk beraktivitas di ruang publik, seperti untuk sekolah, kuliah hingga bekerja. Hal yang berbeda ditemukan di Pesantren Sa’adatuddarain. Kalangan elit pesentren belum memberikan kebebasan kepada perempuan untuk melakukan aktivitas di luar pesantren. Ketiga, pemahaman elit pesantren Salafi tidak berpengaruh di lingkungan sekitar pesantren, terbukti para perempuan di sekitar pesantren tetap aktif berkegiatan di ruang publik sebagaimana pemahaman moderasi Islam selama ini.[This study wants to look at the phenomenon of Salafi teachings on gender equality. In general, the Salafis see the role of women is limited, both in the domestic and public sphere. This phenomenon is so deeply rooted that it is practiced on the basis of the Salafiyyah Islamic boarding school. However, there was a shift in understanding among the Salafiyyah pesantren elite in Jambi, in which they began to provide space for women to interact in the public sphere. This study uses a qualitative approach and collects the data through observation, interviews and documentation. The focus of the study was conducted at two Salafi Pesantren, al Baqiyatush Shalihat in Tanjung Jabung Barat District and Sa’adatuddarain in Seberang, Jambi City. The results show that : First, in general, the Salafis in both Pesantren understand the existence of equality between men and women. They articulate verses of the Qur’an more flexible. However, in the case of women’s leadership, they still “limit” women, by assuming that the interpretation of Qs. An-Nisa: 34 is final. Secondly, there has been a change in understanding gender issues especially in al Baqiyatush-Shalihat Islamic Boarding School, where they are more moderate by giving access to women to do activities in public spaces, such as for schools, going to university and working. Different thing is found in the Sa’adatuddarain Islamic Boarding School. The elite Pesantren have not given freedom to women to carry out activities outside the Pesantren. Third, the understanding of the Salafi Pesantren elite does not affect the environment around the Pesantren. Itt is a fact that the women around the Pesantren remain active in public spaces as it is found in moderate Islam.]

scholarly journals Analyzing Simone de Beauvoir Existentialist Feminism Perspective and Its Relevance Towards Indonesian Women’s Existence in the Public Sphere of 21st Century

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yulia Rohmawati ◽  
Moses Glorino Rumambo Pandin
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Public Sphere ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Simone De Beauvoir ◽  
Journal Articles ◽  
The Public ◽  
Controversial Topic ◽  
The Public Sphere

The issue of being pro-gender is still a controversial topic to be debated in Indonesian society. However, in the 21st Century, many women have been able to break through barriers and participate in the public sphere. It is a form of self-existence as proposed by Simone de Beauvoir on existentialist feminism. Based on these problems, this study aims to find out and answer questions about how Indonesian women exist in the public sphere in the 21st Century and find out how Indonesian women exist in the public sphere through Simone de Beauvoir's existentialist feminism paradigm. The research method used is descriptive-qualitative through a literature review of 23 journal articles, websites, and data reports with a range of 2019-2021. This study found that based on Simone de Beauvoir's feminist paradigm, Indonesian women in the 21st Century are no longer a figure other than complete. Furthermore, the data collected by the researcher shows that several gender indicators have shown that Indonesian women have been able to occupy public spaces in various aspects. Based on these results, it is hoped that it can provide information about Simone de Beauvoir's existentialist feminism thought and its relevance to the existence of Indonesian women in the public sphere in the 21st Century. However, this research has limitations, those are only about women in Indonesia, and the paradigm of feminism is limited to Simone de Beauvoir's existentialist feminism.

scholarly journals Rigiditas dan Fleksibilitas Diskursus Fiqih Wanita Hizbut Tahrir

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 459-492
Author(s):  
Umi Chaidaroh
Keyword(s):  
Public Sphere ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Pivotal Role ◽  
Islamic Movements ◽  
The Public ◽  
Modern Times ◽  
The Public Sphere

Many women in modern times take part in public spaces. Moreover, women are also involved with Islamic movements which are often associated as fundamentalist movements such as Hizbut Tahrir (HT). In Indonesia, HT has a wing of women’s organization called the Muslimah Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (MHTI). Women’s activists play pivotal role in the public space to help HT achieve its goals. Fundamentalist women who work in the public sphere seem to contradict with the growing assumption asserting that Islamic fundamentalist movements are often associated with the magnitude of oppression against women. It has been, however, seems to be a paradox. Considering the aforement-ioned argument, it is important to examine the thoughts concerning women’s jurisprudence of HT. Using compara-tive approach this study focuses on written literature as the main source. The results of the study prove that the thought concerning women’s jurisprudence of HT tends to be rigid. Interestingly, however, the study also finds that within particular cases the jurisprudence shows its flexibility, but it is even can be called liberal.

Digital Humour, Gag Laws, and the Liberal Security State

2018 ◽  
pp. 1345-1358
Author(s):  
Judith Bessant
Keyword(s):  
Public Sphere ◽  
Political Theory ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
Political Dissent ◽  
The Public ◽  
On Line ◽  
Artistic Work ◽  
The Public Sphere

This chapter presents a case study of Facu Diaz, a Spanish satirist whose on-line ridicule of the Spanish government created a political furor that brought him before the courts. The chapter engages the problem of the criminalization of political dissent by liberal states in the digital age. The case highlights how digital media is now being used to create content for satire, as well as to replicate and infiltrate more traditional political and media forums, changing many traditional forms of political practice. The case [points to some of the central problems inherent in liberalism which may give reason to curb the enthusiasm of those who think that new digital media creates fresh opportunities for augmenting the ‘public sphere'. It is argued that liberalism as a political theory and ethos, tends to be blind to non-traditional political expressions like satire and other artistic work. In addition, the expansion of security laws in many countries suggests, liberalism's ostensible commitment to freedom needs to be reframed by recalling its historical preoccupation with security.

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