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Public Sphere

  • In: Encyclopedia of Identity
  • Edited by: Ronald L. Jackson II & Michael A. Hogg
  • Subject:Self & Identity, Identity, Self & Identity

A general definition of the public sphere is a realm within which individuals discuss the public good. Many scholars insist that a public sphere is a necessary element of democratic society, a realm wherein citizens can freely engage in discourse without interference from the state and its agents. However, public sphere is a term that has inspired much debate and multiple, sometimes competing, definitions and applications. Interest in theories of the public sphere was revived in the wake of the cold war and the demise ...

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