runs these days, information on the Internet about the Manifesto "real-Democracy" (click here to access it) , promoted by the unemployed, poorly paid, the subcontractors, the precarious, young people ... that want change and a decent future, and that call all, as citizens (through social networks: Facebook, Tuenti, Twitter and Youtube) to go out the next day May 15 , at 18 hours, peacefully and without political symbols exclusive to be heard one voice with the slogan: " Real Democracy NOW. We are not good in the hands of politicians and bankers . "
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this regard is offered here first comment on the monograph that be published in number 71 (August 2011) of the Inter Journal of Teacher Education: Democratic education in the new scenarios citizens.
In this regard, we highlight some paragraphs one of the articles that form the above monograph (coordinated by Juan Bautista Martínez Rodríguez, professor at the University of Granada) which are authors Enrique Javier Díez Gutiérrez Eduardo Fernández Martínez Rodríguez and Rocío Anguita, who wonder:
Q " hat type of building social networks enable citizens?, will they become a facilitator of information, discussion and action involved in the defense of the rights attaching to the exercise of participatory citizenship?, "cash advance to an empowerment of individuals or, perhaps, only a strong illusion of high doses of trivialization civic engagement?
The authors note in the summary of his article, that if May 68 in Europe accounted for the emergence of youth as a new political subject, to time, the Arab riots of early 2011 likely to become symbol of the birth of another political subject: the social networks to consider then whether new forms of communication in social networks are serving to empower youth and define themselves creatively or just for positioning on a world turns faster but preserving its power lines.
For this analysis, first, the new forms of digital communication and relationship involving social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter Tuenti, and examine, to Then, if these social networks provide the information, discussion and action committed to defending the rights attaching to the exercise of citizenship participation. Finally, appreciate the impact they are having these social networks in new forms of social and political mobilization "cyber? that have emerged among young people, with a more decentralized and flexible than traditional organizations (political parties or unions) with a new type of activists with a more flexible political identification , who arrange shares without seeking to homogenize ideologies and maintaining a union ephemeral and changing through Network.
Following a summary of your article, its authors begin by noting that the development of Internet and social networking has been accompanied by a significant change office in a wide range of habits , attitudes and behaviors (Castells, 1999), which has led us to use the term Information Society and Knowledge.
Although the most common use of these social networks among young people focuses on contact and building friendships and relationships as well as entertainment and knowledge of people's lives : voyeurism 2.0? (Del Moral, 2005; Caldevilla, 2010; Sanchez and Poveda, 2010; Bringué and Sádaba, 2011), there have been few have seen the emergence of this new type of society and technologies that make it possible an important opportunity to advance the participation and social mobilization (Díez, 2003, De Moraes, 2004) and even reach the participatory self-government (Frank, 2003), since these networks are being used increasingly to share thoughts, proposals and even to call for actions or demonstrations.
His ability gearbox and the extensive network of relationships established allows an idea, comment, text, a call, a proposal can be read in hundreds of places around the world simultaneously. A few seconds later, may have been commented by multiple users or users, and in turn, a surfer has been able to consider valuable content, so it has been linked to a page springs that make the same text is read, more accessible for many more people. In summary, which arose from the need to share a thought on the part a person only a few hours ago, will have been read by hundreds of thousands of people in the network only at a later time. Another person has been wanting to share your opinion regard and, in turn, has written the first text on your Facebook, your Twitter or your Tuenti or any other network, and countless other young people suddenly can interact and complement the information generated a debate within minutes getting feedback and responses to their ideas almost immediately.
In fact, some wonder if social networks will not change relations between governments and citizens (Dujisin Araya, 2005), as has been seen in called "Arab awakening? in North Africa, where it seems that the activity of young people through social networks has had a prominent role.
in recent years are proliferating these discourses about the potential democratizing social networks (Díez Rodríguez, 2003, Putnam, 2009; Marí, 2010).
The theoretical spectrum in moving these discourses ranging from the consideration of social networks in addition to the procedures and techniques used by the representative democracy (Such as digital democracy "?) To their potential for generate new forms of citizenship on the way to a new direct democracy and participatory horizontal cut.
political analysis and potential uses of social networking is not the mechanical extension of the classical discussions on democracy and citizenship, since there are differences substantive assumptions. From the theoretical equality and technique called horizontal that between those involved in social networks, up their own questions about the power that also take a different tone, while that social networks can be seen rather as a possibility to participate and empowerment for citizenship or, on the other hand, as a manufacturer of hegemony for institutions, companies and governments that control network. Because of the interactivity own environmental comes the possibility of power generated from virtual marketing "campaigns? , through the Internet, ranging like wildfire, to new movements opinion, promoting events, creating support groups for specific causes or get create a fashion that generates the consumption of a product (Caldevilla, 2010).
In any case, the starting point of this political analysis is usually a certain idealization of the great potential of social networks revitalize the field of active social and political life, given that the Internet is opening new spaces participation, which do away with the classics, but the complement (Woolgar, 2004). As has happened in previous technological waves arise mythical discourses desirable anticipated uses of these tools in the field personal and social. Internet visions above and accompanying practices, and given performative role, require an analytical to allow explicit and problematize technological utopias promising (Mari Saez, 2010).
Faith in the goodness and potential of technologies are nothing new in our century. It is said that one of the employees of Marconi, the pioneer of communication wireless, the inventor said he once achieved the first success: we can talk to Florida?, To which Marconi answered, "but we have something to say to Florida? For that, which we address here is, as Robert Putnam asks (2009): What kind of construction of citizenship learning and enable social networking?, Are we towards effective empowerment of individuals or, perhaps, just a strong illusion of power with high doses of trivialization of civic engagement?
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Full reference to this article, here shows some paragraphs:
Enrique Javier Díez Gutiérrez, Eduardo Fernández Rodríguez and Rocío Anguita Martínez (2011). Towards a political theory of civic socialization virtual adolescence ( Towards a Theory of Political Socialization of Adolescents Virtual Civic) . Review Inter Teacher Training, 71 (25.2), August 2011 (in press).
