Rising Cynicism and the Participation Gap

Abstract

The claim of rising cynicism towards political participation and politics as a destructive force of democracy needs to be problematized. When we talk about cynicism, what is actually meant and how is it connected to political behaviour and forms of participation? And how is cynicism manifested in the age of social media, when there is an every growing tendency to form bubbles that prevent interaction with people who do not share the same opinions and values. In this workshop we invite papers that discusses political cynicism and its democratic implications e.g. the dissatisfaction and disenchantment with political actors and institutions. Could cynicism also be seen to invoke new types of democratic capacities and forms of civic engagement? Perhaps these new mechanisms could instead of eroding actually consolidate democracy?