Digital Media and Political Citizenship: Facebook and Politics in South Africa

Abstract

The role of the Internet in positively affecting political participation has been widely debated in scholarly research. The growth of participatory web technologies has been accompanied by a rise in online activism, raising new possibilities for online political discussion and debate between politicians and citizens . This highlights the potential role of the Internet to contribute towards public sphere debates. While challenges related to the digital divide mean that information and communications technology (ICT) and Internet penetration is still comparatively low in Africa, the rise of mobile telephony has created new possibilities for online access and digital activism. Social media in particular have been highlighted for their potential role in creating networked publics, providing citizens with political information and creating spaces for debate and deliberative dialogue. Facebook has been listed as one social networking site that can improve citizens’ political knowledge, build and maintain social capital, and activate online political discussions, which can lead to political engagement. This chapter examines the social media presence of South African politicians and political parties on Facebook, exploring their degree of engagement in political conversations with citizens. Using social network analysis methods and tools, Facebook conversations are mapped, paying close attention to strategic narratives, citizens’ participatory repertoires and the role of social media in the construction of various architectures of citizenship. The chapter draws on quantitative digital methods tools to conduct a Facebook page-like network analysis, together with qualitative discourse analysis of page content. Theoretically, the chapter draws on theories of listening in relation to deliberative democracy, following Susan Bickford’s notion of pathbuilding, through explorations of speaking and listening, voice and hearing, and interpretation/deconstruction. The chapter also explores the nature and role of emotion in social media political dialogue, to understand how citizens make sense of the political landscape.