Monday, March 15, 2010

Will Facebook Remake the World?

by John Feffer from the Institute for Policy Studies.  An interesting look at the impacts of the latest communications technologies on society--it's a very mixed bag, particularly with regard to a "deliberative democracy".
Deliberative democracy involves substantive discussion of issues through community meetings, conflict resolution mechanisms, and in-depth polls. According to the Civic Practices Network, the aim is to “cultivate a responsible citizen voice capable of appreciating complexity, recognizing the legitimate interests of other groups (including traditional adversaries), generating a sense of common ownership and action, and appreciating the need for difficult trade-offs.”