Stabler week 5
From digmovements
Erselle Stabler 05/01/2008 Cyberactivism Ch. 5
Maintaining a balanced public atmosphere on the internet and web are topics of discussion these days. Scholarly expert Habermas provides the theoretical perspective that “either the internet provides citizens with a public sphere, or that it does not”. The internet is the network of computers used to create this democracy and the web provides the hypertext connect between documents, which is where most people remain. The web is the burry part between the networks, it can be confusing to decipher where one is when on the web. The people who access the internet/web will also have conflicting wants and navigation desires, which needs to be reflected upon as well.
The link between the public and private spheres needs to portray a democratic stance in order for the democratic society to have access to it. The balance of information passing through government net and the public sphere have to maintain homeostasis. If communication is inherent to humans, and the structure by which we move that communication is not, then only the true communication can hold truth. This is my summary of Habermas’s model of “communication rational (pg. 123)”.
A mediation structure of such is Habermas solution for retaining democracy within the internet/wed. Through a system of checks and balances in the government, specifically courts, senate, and House of Representatives. Whereas on the public sector a civic society must be maintained, educated, and respected to offset such powerful groups as the government. Habermas’s theory is a reflection of how we maintain democracy outside the internet/web, but with a more emergent taste of threat being as thought the lines of the web are not as clear as the rocks ground in the cement.
Assignment on Tillys questions:
1. What “claims-making performances” does your movement use?
The cooperative movement claims to meet the needs of the members involved, these needs of economical, social, cultural and the member’s aspirations. The co-ops usually have pamphlets, public board meetings, advertisement of the business. The cooperatives usually offer classes, and have associations the members agree with. They can have unions, membership organizations, and have co-ops within co-ops.
2. WUNC – worthiness, unity, numbers, commitment
- How does it explain the worthiness of its cause?
“A cooperative (also co-operative or coöperative; often referred to as a co-op or coop) is defined by the International Co-operative Alliance's Statement on the Co-operative Identity as an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise[1].”
- How does it demonstrate the unity of its followers?
The cooperative is completely comprised of its members, co-ops are owned, operated, and run by its members.
- How does it document and use its number of followers and allies?
Co-ops usually print their annual earnings, profits, and losses in co-op publications for anyone to view, including non-members. These numbers are most likely collected by the financial collector of the management team.
- How does it prove that its followers are committed?
It proves the commitment of its followers by the growth of the business. An example of excellent growth for a cooperative business would be REI- which is now a huge co-op!: “REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.) is an American consumers' cooperative that sells outdoor recreation gear and sporting goods via the Internet, catalogs, and over 90 stores in 27 states. It opens six to eight new stores each year. REI's sales exceeded US$1.18 billion in 2006.[1] Its major competitors in the U.S. include many other sporting goods retailers.”
-sources from Wikipedia
