Political Participation in the Social Media Moment: The Emergence of Personal Politics

Citation:

Work data:

Type of work: Masters Thesis

Categories:

e-Democracy | Participation | Politics and Political Science | Social Media & Social Software

Tags:

technopolitics

Abstract:

This thesis argues that we are moving toward a paradigm of political participation that is based on the assemblage of a personal politic, characterised by a decline in group loyalites. This indicates a shift away from traditional understandings of political participation that are referenced to the state or an institution. This thesis provides an evaluation of social media’s role in the formation of these new understandings and practices of politics and political participation. It argues that social media are part of a complex media landscape, but that they and political communication within them should be understood as a complementary rather than superseding force.