TY - JOUR

T1 - Public Sphere and Identity Politics in the Moluccan Cyberspace

AU - Bräuchler, Birgit

PY - 2004

Y1 - 2004

N2 - This paper is an attempt to bring Internet, democracy, conflict, and identity research together through a case study of the Moluccan conflict in Eastern Indonesia. The Internet provides means for parties involved to present their views of the conflict and at the same time construct imagined communities and identities, thereby extending the conflict into cyberspace. The study investigates whether the Moluccan cyberspace is used as a public sphere in the Habermasian sense. After introduction of two groups – one Christian and one Muslim oriented – presenting the Moluccan conflict online through mailing lists and a Web site, the online strategies for information and identity politics are outlined. Furthermore, interaction within and between these groups is analyzed. On the basis of this study it becomes clear that the Internet has positive aspects for the Moluccan cyberactors, like the expansion of offline communities and the establishment of solidarity networks online. Nevertheless, this strengthening of offline identities may deepen the gulf between the warring parties, the Christians and the Muslims. The “ideal public sphere” is deconstructed through the identity politics of the Moluccan cyberactors.

AB - This paper is an attempt to bring Internet, democracy, conflict, and identity research together through a case study of the Moluccan conflict in Eastern Indonesia. The Internet provides means for parties involved to present their views of the conflict and at the same time construct imagined communities and identities, thereby extending the conflict into cyberspace. The study investigates whether the Moluccan cyberspace is used as a public sphere in the Habermasian sense. After introduction of two groups – one Christian and one Muslim oriented – presenting the Moluccan conflict online through mailing lists and a Web site, the online strategies for information and identity politics are outlined. Furthermore, interaction within and between these groups is analyzed. On the basis of this study it becomes clear that the Internet has positive aspects for the Moluccan cyberactors, like the expansion of offline communities and the establishment of solidarity networks online. Nevertheless, this strengthening of offline identities may deepen the gulf between the warring parties, the Christians and the Muslims. The “ideal public sphere” is deconstructed through the identity politics of the Moluccan cyberactors.

KW - Indonesia; Maluku; Internet; democracy; Habermas; conflict; public sphere; religion; identity

M3 - Tidsskriftartikel

VL - 14

SP - 1

EP - 16

JO - Electronic Journal of Communication

JF - Electronic Journal of Communication

SN - 1183-5656

IS - 3/4

ER -