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2019 | Book

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Digital Political Participation, Social Networks and Big Data

Disintermediation in the Era of Web 2.0

Authors: José Manuel Robles-Morales, Ana María Córdoba-Hernández

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

Part of: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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About this book

This book explores the changes in political communication in light of the development of a public opinion mediated by web 2.0 technologies. One of the most important changes in political communication is related to the process of disintermediation, i.e. the process by which digital technologies allow citizens to compete in the public space with those agents who, traditionally, co-opted public opinion. However, while disintermediation has undeniably generated a number of advances, having linked citizens to the public debate, the authors highlight some aspects where disintermediation is moving away from a rational and inclusive public space. They argue that these aspects, related to the immediacy, polarization and incivility of the communication, obscure the possibilities for democratization of digital political communication.

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Table of Contents

Frontmatter

Chapter 1. Introduction

Abstract

This chapter introduces the fundamental concepts of the book, as well as the objectives and methods that will be used. Specifically, the authors note their interest in the study of political communication and public opinion in a context in which such communication occurs through digital technologies (social networks). They also present the concepts that obscure the communicative potential of Web 2.0 technologies. That is the polarization of communication, its incivil character and its spontaneous, fleeting and global nature. Finally, the chapter describes the case studies that will be presented, as well as the techniques and methods used. Among these, the techniques of social network analysis and big data stand out.

José Manuel Robles-Morales, Ana María Córdoba-Hernández

The Framework: Towards a Disintermediated Politics?

Frontmatter

Chapter 2. The Mediated Public Opinion: When Everything Happens Through Others

Abstract

This chapter is devoted to the definition of public opinion and the public sphere. The focus lies on the exposition of these concepts, carried out by J. Habermas (1962). Habermas’ work is used as inspiration in the authors’ critical analysis of the effects of digital technologies on public opinion and political communication. While they are particularly interested in the concepts of representative public opinion and bourgeois public opinion (as these include the negative and positive aspects of the historical evolution of public communication), they also explore the concepts introduced by Habermas to define the ideal public opinion, which are used here to analyse the extent to which digitally mediated public opinion supposes a democratic advance (if at all).

José Manuel Robles-Morales, Ana María Córdoba-Hernández

Chapter 3. The Culture of Politics on the Network

Abstract

Firstly, this chapter focuses on the description of the characteristics of traditional mediators, as well as their role in the public space. The authors refer, fundamentally, to political parties, the media and social movements. Secondly, the chapter analyses how these roles have been transformed, as well as the public space itself to give access to new mediators who, like citizens, play a central role in the public space disintermediated by digital technologies. Thus, the chapter shows the transformation process that goes from a communication system co-opted by traditional agents to a more horizontal and inclusive public space.

José Manuel Robles-Morales, Ana María Córdoba-Hernández

Chapter 4. The Political Potential of Social Networks

Abstract

This chapter delves into the concept of disintermediation and explains how disintermediation takes shape to generate communicative changes. Here, the authors refer to three specific areas of transformation: the disintermediation of agents, spaces and messages. They expose the characteristics of each of these types of disintermediation and show to what extent they are communicative innovations. Furthermore, the chapter introduces some clues that show how traditional actors, as well as the classic communication dynamics, have not disappeared, but how they try to adapt to the new communicative scenario.

José Manuel Robles-Morales, Ana María Córdoba-Hernández

Chapter 5. The Dreams of Technological Reason Generate Monsters

Abstract

Despite the important set of potential possibilities generated by digital technologies for the development of a more inclusive and horizontal public opinion, there are some relevant problems that must be addressed to understand the pros and cons of disintermediation. This chapter introduces key issues such as polarization, incivility or flaming—which can all be considered problems arising in the context of the disintermediation that obscure the possibilities generated by digital public opinion. Polarization describes the process by which agents who participate in the public sphere tend to establish communication only with those with whom they share opinions. The incivility and the flaming refer to communicative strategies that try to prevent communication between equals. In short, all these processes hinder the fulfilment of the ideals of digital public opinion.

José Manuel Robles-Morales, Ana María Córdoba-Hernández

Disintermediation in Social Networks

Frontmatter

Chapter 6. The Disintermediation of the Agents: The Case of #UnidosPodemos

Abstract

To analyse the disintermediation of agents, this chapter explores the case of the political party Podemos defined as the connective party, i.e. a new type of party that has adjusted its structure and functioning to a communicative context proper to the disintermediated society. The authors note some unfulfilled or problematic aspects of this restructuring of traditional organizations such as the administration or the parties. In fact, they argue that, far from signifying real change, the disintermediation of agents is nothing more than a readjustment to maintain traditional power relations.

José Manuel Robles-Morales, Ana María Córdoba-Hernández

Chapter 7. The Disintermediation of the Message: The Case of #BlackLivesMatter

Abstract

This chapter presents an analysis of the disintermediation of the messages. That is, a radical transformation that affects who produces and disseminates information. The authors observe an important change in how support processes are collected, as well as in the way that citizens adhere to a cause or mobilization. For this purpose, they focus on Black Lives Matters, a process of connective action that was launched to denounce the way in which African-American people were treated by the police in the United States, and to fight for the political rights of this community. The chapter highlights the most relevant aspects of this case and the disintermediation of the messages, and also explores criticisms that are related to the undesired aspects of this form of disintermediation.

José Manuel Robles-Morales, Ana María Córdoba-Hernández

Chapter 8. The Disintermediation of the Space: The Case of #BringBackOurGirls

Abstract

This chapter presents the case of Bring Back Our Girls, which refers to an international campaign to denounce the situation of a group of girls kidnapped in Nigeria by a military group. This example serves as a basis for analysing another type of disintermediation, one that affects the places where the events that motivate the digital public debate take place. The disintermediation of spaces refers to the globalizing effect of public opinion. However, it also implies a simplification of the processes and solutions to socially, politically and economically relevant problems. The authors argue that at the same time, it also means an acceleration of the communicative processes that supposes an important obstacle for the correct development of critical and inclusive public opinion.

José Manuel Robles-Morales, Ana María Córdoba-Hernández

Chapter 9. How Does Politics Work? The Big Data View

Abstract

This chapter focuses on two case studies: the public debate during the electoral campaigns in the United States and Spain in 2016. The review of both cases shows how, during the pre-electoral public debate, there is an important political polarization that leads to generate incivic behaviour. Thanks to the application of big data techniques and social network analysis, the authors further highlight the most active public actors (presumably political parties, media, etc.) that offer a more polarized view of the debate as well as those opting more for non-civic behaviours. The authors further argue for the existence of a strategy of rupture, on the part of traditional mediators, with the basic principles that should govern public opinion.

José Manuel Robles-Morales, Ana María Córdoba-Hernández

Chapter 10. Conclusions

Abstract

This chapter gathers the conclusions of this book. Starting from a structure of analysis inspired by the so-called “Coleman’s boat”, the authors show how the public opinion characteristic in the context of disintermediation is double-faced. On the one hand, the general disintermediation carries enormous potentialities related to the linking of citizens to the public debate. On the other hand, these potentialities coexist with processes that end with a public opinion that does not meet the expectations generated. This situation is, to a large extent, a consequence of the capacity of traditional mediators to adapt to the new communicative scenario without renouncing their preponderant and central position. This results in a relatively pessimistic outlook on the democratizing possibilities of digital political communication.

José Manuel Robles-Morales, Ana María Córdoba-Hernández

Backmatter

Title: Digital Political Participation, Social Networks and Big Data
Authors: José Manuel Robles-Morales
Ana María Córdoba-Hernández
Copyright Year: 2019
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Electronic ISBN: 978-3-030-27757-4
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-27756-7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-27757-4