Twitter and its agonistic publics

In an article co-authored with Dr Michael Higgins (University of Strathclyde), Dr Angela Smith examines forms of political and public engagement to emerge  in Web  2.0.  Focusing on the platform  Twitter, the  authors look at both antagonistic and agonistic  types  of  political engagement. Their article discusses Twitter’s capacity for direct contact with main political party leaders as part of  an antagonistic  public discourse,  geared towards creative expressions of individualised disaffiliation. However, in interventions around @EverydaySexism, the authors find collectivising practices more in keeping with an agonistic public discourse based upon involvement and the tactical use of irony and humour. While showing that the platform provides for new forms  of antagonistic engagement  with  political  elites,  the article therefore offers  support for the view that Web  2.0 gives  rise  to  new  and  shifting formations of non-institutionally-aligned political publics.


Higgins, M. and Smith, A. 2014. 'Disaffiliation and belonging: Twitter and its agonistic publics.' Sociologia e Politiche Sociali, Vol. 17 (2): 77-89. 

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