Digital Commons Network^™

Facebook As A Contemporary Public Sphere: Political Consciousness And Agency, Catherine Drake

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences Theses and Dissertations

This thesis argues that Facebook can create the conditions of possibility for a dynamic, deliberative space for human engagement which can potentially lead to the formation of globally networked, active, empowered political subjects. This thesis examines Facebook as a contemporary version of the Habermasian public sphere while tracing the development of political consciousness in a particular person at a particular moment through engagement with Facebook. By using this self-reflective approach, I critically examine my own experiences alongside public sphere and social media literature which both suggest that Facebook may offer a new way to engage politically in ways that are …