Discussing Politics in a Network Community.

Mathieu Chaput
Département de communication, Université de Montréal

*Milton N. Campos
Département de communication, Université de Montréal

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     Last modified: January 19, 2006

Abstract
In this paper, we present an analysis of the process of online discussions occurring in a networked community dedicated to political issues in Quebec and Canada. Studies of the Internet and the Public Sphere have often included some consideration for argumentative discourse, but we find it to be insufficient to capture the dynamic aspect of argumentations in practice. To our view, argumentation is to be considered as a specific type of communication (Breton, 1996). We therefore developed an alternate method of analysis adapted from the theory of pragma-dialectics (van Eemeren & Grootendorst, 1984, 1992; van Eemeren, Grootendorst, Jackson & Jacobs, 1993) which consider argumentation as a critical discussion. For the purpose of the study, four discussion threads of the community called “Politiquébec” have been analysed, and results show that online discussions about politics follow a dialectical process consistent with the model of critical discussion: the dispute starts around a difference of opinion and the interlocutors advance arguments in order to convince the opponents of their points of view. However, the analyzed threads do not lead the community to disagreement resolution, suggesting concerns about the conditions of networked political argumentation to succeed. According to our data, ideological antagonisms and frequent use of argumentum ad hominem may be the principal causes for a shift from critical discussion to open quarrel, thus explaining failures in dialogue. On a more positive note, the network community offers participants the opportunity to confront others with opposing viewpoints through argumentation, which may reinforce one’s abilities to reasoning and encourages more openness toward those who share different political beliefs. This in turn could bring us one step closer to the emergence of an actual “culture of dialogue” online (Lévy, 2002).