How popular protests influence public discourse and public accountability: revisiting the theory of public spheres in South Africa
SOURCE: Politeia
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2013
TITLE AUTHOR(S): F.G.Netswera, K.G.Phago
KEYWORDS: CIVIL SOCIETY, DEMOCRACY, POST APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA, PROTEST MOVEMENTS, PUBLIC ATTITUDE
DEPARTMENT: Developmental, Capable and Ethical State (DCES)
Print: HSRC Library: shelf number 9944
HANDLE: 20.500.11910/11232
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/11232
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2013
TITLE AUTHOR(S): F.G.Netswera, K.G.Phago
KEYWORDS: CIVIL SOCIETY, DEMOCRACY, POST APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA, PROTEST MOVEMENTS, PUBLIC ATTITUDE
DEPARTMENT: Developmental, Capable and Ethical State (DCES)
Print: HSRC Library: shelf number 9944
HANDLE: 20.500.11910/11232
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/11232
If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Baudin at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za.
Abstract
This article analyses some major sociopolitical trajectories in South African society since the advent of democracy, in the light of the sociopolitical theory of 'the public sphere', which was well articulated by the German sociologist, J??rgen Habermas. The article premises that the sphere of public authority, voted into power every five years, adopts goals in pursuance of the 'public good', by assuming the enhancement of civil society, as well as fair, effective and accountable public service. However, public authority is likely to stray from this public mandate. Once in a while the public sphere, social movements and uncoordinated mobs continue to challenge and protest against major 'unilateral decisions', arrived at in the sphere of public authority. This article provides examples of the effectiveness of the 'power and decision challenge', brought about by contestations between two spheres, namely the public sphere and sphere of public authority. It concludes that the public sphere serves to provide coordinated and uncoordinated checks, aimed at the preservation of the public good.-
Related Research Outputs:
- State-civil society in post-apartheid South Africa
- Can participation make a difference?: prospects for people's participation in planning
- Quality of life among South Africans
- Civil society participation
- Democracy, civic knowledge and social issues
- Resisting ethnicity from above: social identities and democracy in South Africa
- Appraisal of the culture of governance in South Africa, 1994-1999
- Public participation in democratic governance in South Africa
- Introduction
- Foreword
- Conclusion
- Conclusion: emergent perspectives on opposition in South Africa
- Political alliances and parliamentary opposition in post-apartheid South Africa
- Developing the culture of governance and democracy in South Africa, 1994-1999
- Perceptions about democracy
- Introduction and methodology
- State of the nation: South Africa 2003-2004
- State-civil society relations in post-apartheid South Africa
- Epilogue: the lives of our future leaders
- Society: introduction