Abstract
From 12 to 14 November 2018, Universidade da Beira Interior hosted the II International Conference titled: “Pathologies and Dysfunctions of Democracy in a Mediated Context: the new dystopian imaginary of the 21st century. From Orwell to Black Mirror. From Big Brother to Big Data”.
Highlights
In the twentieth century, many dystopian narratives seemed to predict pathologies of our current democracy and political communication, from populism phenomena to surveillance, counterinformation, and the so-called “fake news,” in which authors such as George Orwell, Theodor Adorno, Neil Postman, Michel Foucault, among others, stood out
There is a close link between politics and technology, and a repeated theme regarding how technology is not enslaving us or making us “worse” as humans, but with savvier audiences and rapid advancements there is a worrying effect on how its mis-(ab)use could be affecting us
In the conference there was a lot of discussion on how these sci-fi TV series were presenting neoliberalism as the dominating political structure of the western political sphere since 1980 and how the increasing inequality and reduced social mobility make people feel powerless in a system that promotes economic inequality
Summary
Many dystopian narratives seemed to predict pathologies of our current democracy and political communication, from populism phenomena to surveillance, counterinformation, and the so-called “fake news,” in which authors such as George Orwell, Theodor Adorno, Neil Postman, Michel Foucault, among others, stood out. The third golden age era of television series and contemporary cinema seem to point to a dystopian portrait of contemporary political communication and social mediation processes, from hyper-surveillance, control mechanisms, scandalogy, infotainment, self-identity to the re(emergence) of xenophobia, racism, cultural, and ethnic confrontations, and how all of these are trying to be balanced in a hyper-mediated society. There were four main topics explored throughout all the panels: (1) how new forms of fiction, whether cinema or television series, are providing to the viewer consciousness of new forms of “doing” politics and sensitize them to societal issues beyond politics; (2) our current contemporary obsession with ICT (Information, Communication, and Technology) and how texts, both written and audiovisual, are providing the audience with an imaginary of the political, social and economic repercussions and consequences of technology, when mis(-ab)used; (3) Donald Trump and his political communication and strategy campaign as a recurrent motif in most analysis, and (4) the importance of gender perspective analysis in the communication field
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
