Cirrus@Austlit

'This special issue started years ago as part of a collective reading group on the public sphere with colleagues at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. A significant portion of our initial time was dedicated to understanding Jurgen Habermas’ (1989 [1962]) foundational contributions, which established the basis for a wide-ranging and complex field of study. This field spans social and political theory, media and communication studies, sociology, and philosophy. Since then, scholars from diverse disciplines have responded to and critiqued Habermas’ concept, contributing to the development and refinement of its analytical potential by challenging the implicit normativity of Habermas’ initial notion. These critical reactions have further enriched the theoretical landscape by expanding its scope and applications. One point on which Habermas’ initial work was opened significantly related to the exclusionary nature of the historical practice described by Habermas by exposing the historical situatedness and specificity of his concept of the public sphere. (Jesse van Amelsvoort  & Margriet van der Waal)