Transnationalizing the Public Sphere

Is Habermas€s concept of the public sphere still relevant inan age of globalization, when the transnational flows of people andinformation have become increasingly intensive and when thenation-state can no longer be taken granted as the natural framefor social and political debate? This is the question posed withcharacteristic acuity by Nancy Fraser in her influential article€˜Transnationalizing the Public Sphere?€ Challengingcareless uses of the term €˜global public sphere€,Fraser raises the debate about the nature and role of the publicsphere in a global age to a new level. While drawing on therichness of Habermas€s conception and remaining faithful tothe spirit of critical theory, Fraser thoroughly reconstructs theconcepts of inclusion, legitimacy and efficacy for our globalizingtimes.

This book includes Fraser€s original article as well asspecially commissioned contributions that raise searching questionsabout the theoretical assumptions and empirical grounds ofFraser€s argument. They are concerned with the fundamentalpremises of Habermas€s development of the concept of thepublic sphere as a normative ideal in complex societies; thesignificance of the fact that the public sphere emerged in modernstates that were also imperial; whether €˜scaling up€ toa global public sphere means giving up on local and nationalpublics; the role of €˜counterpublics€ in developingalternative globalization; and what inclusion might possibly meanfor a global public. Fraser responds to these questions in detailin an extended reply to her critics.

An invaluable resource for students and scholars concerned with therole of the public sphere beyond the nation-state, this book willalso be welcomed by anyone interested in globalization anddemocracy today.