Blogosphere: the new political arena
Michael Keren
abstract
Examining the weblogs, or blogs, of individuals from a variety of continents and cultures, this book highlights the nature of "blogosphere", the virtual public arena of the early twenty-first century, which alters the traditional world of media and politics. It characterizes this new arena by the unique combination of a fresh voice of emancipation and a deep sense of melancholy and isolationism. This journey through blogosphere highlights major forces operating in today's politics: apathy toward political affairs, resistance to globalization, and a quest for redemption through religious fundamentalism and terrorism. Michael Keren compares bloggers to terrorists, arguing that while the methods advocated by the two groups are obviously very different, they both represent a similar trend, one of diversion by respected but disenchanted citizens from the norms of civil society to a fantasy world in which the excessive use of words - or bombs - would make everybody listen.
keywords
blogosphere, blogs, weblogs
catalogue card
Title: Blogosphere: the new political arena
Author: Michael Keren
Publication: Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, c2006
Subjects: Interactive journals
ISBN: 978-0-7391-1672-2
index
Acknowledgments
1. Emancipation and Melancholy
2. Cyberspace Celebrity
3. Online Feminist
4. Iranian Girl
5. Israeli Woman
6. Canadian Baby Boomer
7. American Soldier
8. Pop Culture Princess
9. A Mother in India
10. African Exile
11. The New Political Arena
Bibliography
Index
About the Author
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