Call for Research Proposals: Civic Discourse and the Public Sphere in the Age of the Internet
The background to this project is a concern about preserving the potential of the Internet and new media technologies to foster open communication practices vital to sustaining a healthy public sphere essential for democracy. Our concerns about internet civility are not just limited to the political sphere. Indeed, the most egregious attacks on internet civility have been outside the political arena in on web forums such as JuicyCampus and social networking sites such as Facebook. In some ways similar to todays blogosphere the early press in the United States was a no-holds-barred free for all that provided as much misinformation in the political sphere as it did information. Out of that realm evolved a set of rules that demonstrated a deep and abiding commitment to the freedom of the press and its role in a democratic state. Those rules enhanced credibility as well as a sense that it was safe to participate. Is it possible to structure a set of rules without crippling the ability of the web to act as a force of free speech and democracy? Is online discourse the same as offline discourse? What are the tensions and boundaries in defining the similarities, differences and intersections between the two? This project is designed to identify research areas that can help answer these questions. To answer these and related questions, we seek insights from the past (historians), case studies from the present (political scientists, sociologists), lived experience of practitioners (bloggers, journalists, and students), interpretations of current frameworks and limits (lawyers, politicians, and policy makers) and people who can help us see daily practices in their broadest ethical dimensions (ethicists).
We seek proposals to address these questions in a year-long project to be completed by March 2011. Proposals should include a title page with abstract, curriculum vitae (maximum 2-pages) of the applicant(s), and a two-page (maximum 3-page) narrative of the project description, goals, methods, and anticipated outcomes. A project budget should be on a separate page. Funding is available to a maximum of $2,500 for seven possible awards.
