Cultural Memory in Online Public Discourse: Between Polarization and Deliberation
In the past decade, social media and algorithm-driven content have profoundly shaped and transformed collective and cultural memory (José van Dijck, Andrew Hoskins, Taha Yasseri, Jenny Wüstenberg). Cultural memory provides a shared referential and epistemic foundation, forming the underlying basis of the public sphere in a given society and playing an essential role in shaping the quality and character of public discourse. Research has examined social media’s effect on transforming commemorative patterns, the impact of hashtag memory activism, and the rise of new transnational memories, often imbued with conspiracy theories. However, the intricate links between shared or contested memories and their connection to polarization, deliberative practices, the transformation of the public sphere, political narratives, and shifts in personal or collective identities due to social media’s influence remain insufficiently explored.
In this workshop, we bring together experts in political science, psychology, sociology, communication, cultural memory, history, computational social sciences, and artificial intelligence to exchange knowledge on this important topic, which shapes political dynamics globally, often challenging or changing existing socio-political consent. The participants will discuss theoretical perspectives on the relationship between cultural memory and democratic practices, particularly social media's impact on key functions of the public sphere, explore the role of cultural memory narratives in public discourse and their influence on political attitudes, and collective and personal identities. Special attention will be given to computational and AI-supported methods for detecting and analyzing online memories. Additionally, the workshop will focus on developing tools and guidelines to enhance deliberative practices on social media.
1. Theory: Social Media, Cultural Memory, Democratic Practices
How can the relationships between cultural memory and democratic practices be theoretically conceptualized? How does cultural memory influence societal cohesion and social consent on one hand, and polarization on the other? How does cultural memory transformation impact democratic theory and deliberation in the public sphere? How do these transformations affect the shifts in left, centrist, and right political orientations? In what ways can social media platforms encourage pluralistic interpretations of the past, aligned with the principles of liberal democracy, and how might they risk deepening existing societal divides?
Do different social media platforms (e.g. Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, TikTok) generate new forms of cultural narratives, or do they primarily reframe existing ones as shaped by traditional media? Can social media facilitate constructive dialogue on historical events or foster increasing societal and political antagonisms? Under what conditions do social media platforms preserve and revitalize cultural memory, and how do these conditions intersect with the risks of disinformation and the manipulation of historical facts? What impact do increasing levels of digital communication and the algorithmization of digital content have on the mediatization of memories? What role does the infrastructure of media technologies play in shaping media memory practices?
2. Tools and Methods
What tools and methods have been used to measure and analyze online memories? How to design and implement a new generation of research tools that enable large-scale analysis of social media and support researchers in gaining insights into the above-stated questions? Large language models and network analysis seem the most promising candidates to provide deeper insights but the challenge lies in connecting them with the underlying theoretical foundations. How can tools for measuring transformation of cultural memory be designed and utilized to integrate insights from the humanities and social sciences, ensuring they truly capture the interdisciplinary nature of the theoretical questions posed?
What additional insights can computational and AI-supported tools provide for studying changes in personal and collective identities, political attitudes, and opinion formation within the context of online memories? How can we measure the impact of the transformation of cultural memory on public deliberation in terms of the political narratives they convey? How can we conceptualize and measure the influence of social media on contemporary societal and political narratives, such as national and European ones? How can the quality of social media discourse be effectively measured in relation to integrative or contested memories?
3. Impact: Enhancing Digital Citizenship on Social Media
What responsibility do social media platforms bear in curating content related to sensitive historical events? How should we balance freedom of expression with responsible moderation? What online strategies can be employed to mitigate fragmentation and polarization? How can we develop tools and practices that promote transparency and build interpersonal trust and deliberative dialogues within the digital public sphere? How can recommendation algorithms enhance digital democracy and deliberative aspects in online discussions?
This workshop invites participants to engage in critical discussions and contribute insights that will help shape policies and practices aimed at enhancing digital citizenship, digital democracy, and deliberation in the context of evolving cultural memory narratives.