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Main PageWhat is eDemocracy.uta.fi?eDemocracy is a website where On-Line Discussions as Political Action (ONDIS) –project researchers gather information on civic participation taking place in new information networks, especially on the Internet. The researchers are especially interested in changing styles and ways of civic political action on the Net. Mirroring the current "real world" situation, two opposite discourses on citizenship and participation are dominating the discussion on civic netpolitics. They can be labelled an administrational and an actionist discourses. The first one aims to create and rationalize the practices of participation from above (e.g. the planning of land use and urban construction). The second discourse strives for bringing alternative meanings and practices from below (the criticism of 'official' influence opportunities, the inhabitants' own initiatives and plans, citizens' public action e.g. in the Internet or in other media). eDemocracy website represents these opposite discourses related research, empirical cases, projects and agencies etc. both in Finland and all over the world. eDemocracy website wants to illustrate how the styles and ways of action in civic political participation are changing from the traditional À la carte style of participation: a customer choses and orders a portion from a list drawn up by someone else, then someone other is authorised to pass on the request to a maker of the portion, then a "excited" customer awaits what kind of portion, made in which way, somebody else makes to be brought to a table; a customer himself does not influence on a final output; to the Buffet participating: an individual choses a plate, desired delicacies, however, in given table setting or the Bring-a-Dish Party participating: Do-it-yourself participants bring even necessary ingredients in addition to chosen self delicacies; in other words new types of ingredients are added to portions, which means participants innovate outputs of the politics and at the same time enjoy themselves and the good company. On this site we provide various links on the political digital communication study and Internet materials to demonstrate these political participation styles and cultures taking place on the Net. |
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