From Habermasian Hegemony of the Public Sphere to the Plurality of Digital Spaces: A Critical Sociological Study of the Reproduction of Collective Identities and Social Relations Under the Influence of Communication Technologies

Abstract

This research seeks to deconstruct the classical theoretical assumptions about the public sphere as formulated by Habermas's theory, which presupposed the unity and centrality of social space, through a critical in-depth study of how collective identities and social relations are reshaped within the context of the digital revolution and the plurality of virtual spaces. The fundamental problematic of the research lies in the central question: How have modern communication technologies redefined the nature of the traditional public sphere, thereby leading to the fragmentation of collective identities and the reformulation of social relations in forms unforeseen in classical sociological literature?

The approach revolves around a critical hypothesis positing that the transition from a unified public sphere to multiple digital spaces was not merely a technological advancement but rather a radical epistemological transformation in the mode of identity production and mechanisms of social interaction. The importance of the research manifests itself in bridging the epistemological gap between traditional theories of the public sphere and the contemporary reality of digital social practices, particularly in the Arab and Algerian context where digital modernity intersects with traditional social structures.

The study employs a critical analytical methodology that combines theoretical examination of fundamental concepts (public sphere, collective identity, social relations) with the analysis of actual practices of individuals on social media platforms. The research utilizes multiple methodological tools including digital discourse analysis, participatory observation, and in-depth interviews with social actors.

The study defines its fundamental concepts as follows: the public sphere (as a field of social interaction liberated from domination), digital spaces (as multiple and fragmented virtual spaces), reproduction (as a dynamic process that maintains structures while transforming them), and collective identities (as fluid and unstable formations). The study has reached critical findings indicating that digital spaces did not expand the scope of democratic interaction as optimistic theories had predicted; rather, they reproduced new forms of domination, exclusion, and identity fragmentation. Furthermore, the research demonstrated that collective identities did not disappear but are continuously reformulated in multiple and contradictory ways according to different digital contexts, suggesting the continuity of social structures' influence on the digital sphere.