Valuing their own talk lets citizen groups grow political knowledge and broaden concern
Evidence
The activist group gradually began to value its own talk, deciding that political ideas and political knowledge are not static, but grow when people talk about them. This allowed members to generate a magical kind of grassroots power. In teaching each other to value their own talk, they broadened their circle of concern, and challenged the dominant political etiquette that demanded that citizens ”speak for themselves” and no one else, in public. — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics, 1498
Categorization
- XREF: Builds on Habermas’s public sphere and echoes the reader’s core interest in solidarity formed through positive shared talk rather than external enemies. — connects to: Accepting self-interest as public speech’s only form can be fatal for communities — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics: how Americans…, 160; Civic engagement is a mode of talk, not a subject matter — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics: how Americans…, 147; Citizens jointly create contexts for political conversation through civic practices — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics: how Americans…, 186 (+5 more)