Political carnivalism and an emerging public space: examination of a new participatory culture on Twitter

Abstract

Carnivals are not only social gatherings for celebration but also arenas where people can resist dominant power with free expression of non–legitimate voices. The 2011 Seoul mayoral election has shown how political carnivalism manifests itself. During the campaign, Twitter was rife with carnivalistic postings that included humour, satire, and parody, targeting the establishment. Twitter users also satirised mainstream media for neglecting the role of leading citizens in the democratic process. Twitter was not only a place of play, but also a place to ridicule the absurdities of politicians. Political carnivalism portends a new, evolutionary form of political engagement and helps us understand the increasing complexity of citizens' political attitudes and viewpoints. The current study contributes to the literature by documenting how a leading social media, Twitter, can be effectively transformed into a democratic pubic space by allowing citizens to engage in public affairs in carnivalistic ways.

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