Notes: Difference between revisions
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If we define democracy as some combination of "competition, participation, rights, and responsibilities," along with a sphere independent from government, then indicators are not good. 25% of our population elects the leaders. Putnam's thesis on the decline of civic life. So if on the one hand we have new media, and on the other, democracy, we don't have a one to one relationship. If we did, then internet connectivity should directly map democracy. | If we define democracy as some combination of "competition, participation, rights, and responsibilities," along with a sphere independent from government, then indicators are not good. 25% of our population elects the leaders. Putnam's thesis on the decline of civic life. So if on the one hand we have new media, and on the other, democracy, we don't have a one to one relationship. If we did, then internet connectivity should directly map democracy. | ||
We should have a note of skepticism. We may have changes in behavior, but are they going to aggregate up into changes in the depth and quality of democracy. Do they actuallly change the power relationships in society so that the dispossessed, the poor, have their power quotient increased, or not? | |||
Revision as of 21:47, 27 March 2008
Opening Forum
Dean Ernest J. Wilson III opened the event with a talk in the auditorium. He's excited to talk about 3 I's: International, Impact, and Innovation. We should be enthusiastic, optimistic, but also skeptical about new developments in social media. Interrogate relationship between social outcomes like equality, democracy, and the trends in technological change.
If we define democracy as some combination of "competition, participation, rights, and responsibilities," along with a sphere independent from government, then indicators are not good. 25% of our population elects the leaders. Putnam's thesis on the decline of civic life. So if on the one hand we have new media, and on the other, democracy, we don't have a one to one relationship. If we did, then internet connectivity should directly map democracy.
We should have a note of skepticism. We may have changes in behavior, but are they going to aggregate up into changes in the depth and quality of democracy. Do they actuallly change the power relationships in society so that the dispossessed, the poor, have their power quotient increased, or not?