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Obligatory Participation?

At the turn of the last century, the notion of the “informed citizen” emerged in response to rising literacy rates, cheaper newspaper prices, and the expansion of the right to vote (225). With even more access to information coupled with the legitimizing of contributions to that information, what obligations do we have to be informed, participatory citizens? Jenkins comments on the role the Internet plays in the democratization of information (power). With the flattening of the hierarchies that determine rights to speak, combined with increased access to democratized mediums through which to transmit (degrees of) knowledge/truth, what duty do we have to make our ideas heard?

Submitted by Morgan S. on Thu, 2007-03-15 13:30.
Morgan S.'s blog

Egalitarian information
Amylea's picture
Submitted by Amylea on Tue, 2007-03-20 09:59.

What bothers me about the idea of the "informed citizen" as being preferable to the "aristocratic citizen" is that both limit who can be a citizen: One, of course limits by birth, while the other limits by knowledge. We Foucauldians know, however, that information is not neutral, nor is its dissemination. To argue for the informed citizen is to argue for a minimal level of education and ability--and for some in poorer areas, this may be just as impossible as changing your parentage. Is the "informed citizen" another version of a Jim Crow law, without the enforcement?


Voluntary Access?
Morgan S.'s picture
Submitted by Morgan S. on Sun, 2007-03-25 14:00.

Amy, yes, I do acknowledge that the title of informed citizen requires a “minimal amount of education and ability,” but I also think there is a voluntary component to it as well. Someone may have the means or ability to access information or education, but the means or ability does not guarantee desire to be informed. Many Americans choose not to follow politics or candidates, and they do not vote. So while I do agree that being informed requires some education/ability, I also think other variables come into play.


There's always the library
magnoliafan's picture
Submitted by magnoliafan on Thu, 2007-03-29 10:10.

I agree about most people having the ability and just needing the interest, but as I think we've seen in several postmodern texts we're reading for Thomas this semester, the importance of being informed isn't an internalized value for everyone, and it's not even something that can be explained logically (this is like Cliff's Notes Mitchell Alcorn).

L-Train


Arbitrary but Meaningful
nrivers's picture
Submitted by nrivers on Tue, 2007-03-20 10:02.

I think "informed citizenship" is important as a construct. It is certainly contested, and very well should be, but it is also invaluable for communication to take place. As Burke argues, overlap is necessary for communication, but that area of overlap is constantly shifting.