PhD Seminar : The Public Sphere: History and Theory

Today, public debate is becoming increasingly strained in liberal democracies across the globe. Political polarization, the rise of social media and so-called echo chambers have helped upset established norms governing conversations in the public sphere. But are we justified in viewing these recent developments as a form of decay? Was the public exchange of opinions necessarily less polarized and more deliberative in the past?

In this seminar we will approach the topic of the public sphere from the perspective of intellectual history, exploring both theoretical perspectives, such as Jürgen Habermas’ classic The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere, and empirical case-studies from Norway and beyond. Invited speakers and commentators are the professors Jostein Gripsrud and Eivind Tjønneland from the University of Bergen, and Dr. Cesare Cuttica from Université Paris 8.

Professor Eivind Tjønneland

Professor Jostein Gripsrud

Dr. Cesare Cuttica

 

PhD-candidates attending the seminar will be asked to submit an essay or a text from their dissertations relevant to the subject. The essay/text should be 10 pages long. Attending candidates will be asked to read and comment on the texts from the other participants.

The seminar will feature introductory lectures by Tjønneland, Gripsrud and Cuttica as well as a joint presentation by the organizers, Professor Ellen Krefting and Associate Professor Håkon Evju. The rest of the seminar will be devoted to presentations and discussions of the texts submitted by the participants.

 

Registration deadline is 1. February 2019. Please register by sending an e-mail to hakon.evju@ifikk.uio.no. The seminar is open to all PhD candidates in intellectual history or related fields. A reading list will be distributed following the registration deadline.

 

The seminar will give PhD candidates 3 ECTS points.

 

Max number of participants: 12.

 

Deadline for submission of text/essay: 1. March 2019.

Published Jan. 11, 2019 12:01 PM - Last modified Jan. 23, 2019 9:18 AM