A green public sphere cultivates disagreement to provoke engagement beyond tolerance

Evidence

That sphere embodies a dual politics that is aimed both at the state and its policies, as well as the knowledge and identities in the public sphere itself. Torgerson has been the most articulate and effusive advocate of such a role of the green public sphere, arguing that the idea of this public sphere is more important, and useful, than the idea of a movement. Likewise, Dobson (2004) insists on the development of an environmental citizenship that includes diverse forms of engagement. Dialogue should be an end in itself, and not just focused on instrumental gains. As Torgerson puts it, ‘the green public sphere has a necessary commitment to debate; its inclination is not simply tolerance, but a cultivation and provocation of disagreements that will stimulate an exchange and development of differing opinions’ (Torgerson 2000: 16). — David Schlosberg, Defining Environmental Justice, 717

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines the ‘green public sphere’ as a realm valuing provoked disagreement over mere tolerance — a precise concept.
• XREF: Pairs with the agonistic pluralism frames in earlier chapters and with listening-as-method across the polyad courses. — connects to: States structurally subordinate environmental protection to economic growth imperatives — David Schlosberg, Defining Environmental Justice:…, 712; The belief that talk matters is a precondition of participatory democracy — Nina Eliasoph, “Close to home”: The work of avoiding…, 138; Media balance reproduces the shared presuppositions that bracket political disagreement (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Media balance reproduces the shared presuppositions that bracket political disagreement #contradicts (0.82)
• The belief that talk matters is a precondition of participatory democracy #expands (0.78) — Nina Eliasoph, “Close to home”, 138
• Environmental justice movements are the natural testbed for agonistic pluralist ideals #exemplifies (0.72) — David Schlosberg, Defining Environmental Justice, 630
• Public opinion resists change while conversation invites being changed #responds-to (0.72) — Jenny Odell, How to Do Nothing, 482