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Contested Transparencies, Social Movements and the Public Sphere

Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives

Palgrave Macmillan
  • Explores the ideology and practice of transparency since the eighteenth century, focusing on the broader field of the public sphere and social movements in particular
  • Brings together research on transparency studies from a number of disciplinary perspectives, offering much-needed historical context
  • Historicizes present-day ideological concerns, in order to contribute to a better understanding of social conflict and power relations in modern societies

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in the History of Social Movements (PSHSM)

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Table of contents (11 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xvi
  2. Contested Transparencies: An Introduction

    • Dimitrij Owetschkin, Stefan Berger
    Pages 1-32
  3. Transparency and Ideology: Semantic and Historical Aspects

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 33-33
  4. Transparency and the Public Sphere

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 95-95
    2. Journalism and Transparency: A Mass Communications Perspective

      • Susanne Fengler, Dominik Speck
      Pages 119-149
  5. Transparency Conflicts and Social Movements

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 197-197
    2. The Role of Transparency in Urban Planning Processes

      • Jan Polívka, Christa Reicher
      Pages 233-251
  6. Back Matter

    Pages 253-271

About this book

This edited collection examines the multi-faceted phenomenon of transparency, especially in its relation to social movements, from a range of multi-disciplinary viewpoints. Over the past few decades, transparency has become an omnipresent catch phrase in public and scientific debates. The volume tracks developments of ideas and practices of transparency from the eighteenth century to the current day, as well as their semantic, cultural and social preconditions. It connects analyses of the ideological implications of transparency concepts and transparency claims with their impact on the public sphere in general and on social movements in particular. In doing so, the book contributes to a better understanding of social conflicts and power relations in modern societies. The chapters are organized into four parts, covering the concept and ideology of transparency, historical and recent developments of the public sphere and media, the role of the state as an agent of surveillance, and conflicts over transparency and participation connected to social movements.

Editors and Affiliations

  • Institute for Social Movements, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany

    Stefan Berger, Dimitrij Owetschkin

About the editors

Stefan Berger is Professor of Social History and Director of the Institute for Social Movements at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany. He is also Executive Chair of the Foundation History of the Ruhr and an Honorary Professor at Cardiff University, UK.

Dimitrij Owetschkin is Permanent Research Fellow at the Institute for Social Movements at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany. His recent publications cover the history of trade unions and social movements, as well as religious and church history after the Second World War. 



Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Contested Transparencies, Social Movements and the Public Sphere

  • Book Subtitle: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives

  • Editors: Stefan Berger, Dimitrij Owetschkin

  • Series Title: Palgrave Studies in the History of Social Movements

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23949-7

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: History, History (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2019

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-23948-0Published: 04 November 2019

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-23951-0Published: 04 November 2020

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-23949-7Published: 18 October 2019

  • Series ISSN: 2634-6559

  • Series E-ISSN: 2634-6567

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XVI, 271

  • Number of Illustrations: 1 b/w illustrations, 1 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: Social History, Modern History, Political History, Political Philosophy, Political Communication

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 69.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access