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En las últimas décadas, las periferias rurales, semirrurales y semiurbanas han vivido una fase de declive económico y demográfico, frente al auge de las áreas urbanas. Cada país ha interpretado y gestionado estas dinámicas estructurales desde sus características institucionales. Desde una sociología macroconstructivista, el artículo compara la cohesión socio-territorial en dos casos macrorregionales en Europa: Iberia (España y Portugal) y países nórdicos (Finlandia, Suecia, Noruega y, en menor medida, Dinamarca). La efectividad de las políticas de cohesión socio-territorial y de periferias se basa en una colaboración públicocivil, y depende de dos dimensiones institucionales: el conocimiento compartido y aplicado sobre el tema; y la solidaridad nacional dentro de la identificación colectiva en el Estado-nación. En el análisis comparativo se observan diferencias significativas en la gestión institucional de la cohesión. Los países nórdicos muestran un mayor nivel de conocimiento compartido y aplicado, y de solidaridad nacional socio-territorial, a pesar de su difícil y extensa geografía. España y Portugal, en contraste, muestran un bajo nivel de conocimiento compartido y aplicado, y de solidaridad nacional socio-territorial, aunque con algunas dinámicas positivas recientes. La comparación subraya la importancia de los mecanismos cognitivos e institucionales para mejorar la cohesión socioespacial en la era del capitalismo financiero y la crisis eco-social.

This article examines the role of social media dynamics in the public exchange of information between scientists (experts), government (policy-makers), mass media (journalists), and citizens (nonexperts) during the first 4 months after the Covid-19 outbreak in the Netherlands. Over the past decade, the institutional model of science communication, based on linear vectors of information flows between institutions, has gradually converted into a networked model where social media propel information flows circulating between all actors involved. The question driving our research is, “How are social media deployed to both undermine and enhance public trust in scientific expertise during a health crisis?” Analyzing the public debate during the period of the corona outbreak in the Netherlands, we investigate two stages: the emergency response phase and the “smart exit strategy” phase, discussing how scientific experts, policy-makers, journalists, and citizens appropriate social media logic to steer information and to control the debate. We conclude by outlining the potential risks and benefits of adopting social media dynamics in institutional contexts of science communication.

En este artículo, se analiza el nivel de emotivismo en el debate político digital de Facebook en las elecciones generales españolas 2023 a partir de cuentas oficiales y verificadas de partidos, líderes políticos, medios de comunicación, usuarios y usuarias. Se han descargado 34 968 mensajes de Facebook durante el periodo oficial de campaña electoral y se ha realizado una clasificación de estos en tres grupos de agentes: partidos conectivos, medios de comunicación y otros actores de acción conectiva. Se han utilizado técnicas de big data para analizar los mensajes y se ha aplicado el NRC Emotion Lexicon para medir las emociones presentes. Los hallazgos muestran la alta congruencia afectiva debido a que los mensajes tienen bajo contenido emocional. La presencia de la emoción “me divierte” en las reacciones asciende a casi la mitad. Esto puede ser un indicador de ironía y descontento de los usuarios hacia los mensajes publicados en el proceso electoral. En los casos con baja sintonía afectiva, destaca la sobredimensionalidad de la emoción “me divierte”. Estos resultados son relevantes desde el enfoque emotivista porque arrojan luz sobre la presencia de emociones en este tipo de debates que movilizan la opinión pública y, en ocasiones, otras dinámicas negativas que se alejan del ideal democrático.

How and when did the religious category “Muslim” replace ethnic and migration related terms in the Spanish public debate? What main public issues have accumulated to signify the new category? In this article we review journalistic and academic production around a selection of events that have ignited each of the main controversies about immigrants from Muslim majority countries and their descendants in the last three decades. By focusing on what cultural tropes are mobilized to frame and interpret such events we aim to account for the sociogenesis of a category that deeply influences these migrants’ incorporation into the Spanish society.

Digital platforms have become ubiquitous arenas of public debate, changing the relationship between citizens and democratic institutions. On the one hand, digital technologies offer enhanced possibilities for citizens’ participation in public debate, but on the other, they destabilise democratic institutions. In this conceptually informed literature review, we take stock of what we know about digital public debate. To do so, we posit technological affordances – that is, technologies’ latent action possibilities – as a lens through which to study digital public debate. We establish a typology based on human-centric, issue-centric, and technology-centric forms of participation, each of which can be engaged bottom-up by citizens or top-down by democratic institutions. We illustrate the resulting six types of participation through a review of empirical studies based in the Nordic context. We summarise what we currently know about digital public debate in a key democratic dilemma: increasing digital participation goes hand in hand with decreasing institutional trust.

PurposeThis paper contains a theoretically inspired discussion of recent Norwegian controversies related to the management of public library space as a civil public sphere.Design/methodology/approachThis study engages with theories of civil public spheres and their application within a Nordic context. The theories are applied in discussions of recent controversies related to the management of Norwegian public libraries as civil public spheres, as represented in professional journals and press articles.FindingsThrough the discussion, it becomes apparent that the value of neutrality and librarians' inclusive practices on the part of societal minorities might be conflicting when managing public libraries as civil public spheres.Originality/valueThis paper engages with recent library controversies in Norway and discusses them in light of recent scholarly work on library activism in a Nordic context, as well as recent theorizations of civil public spheres in the Nordic countries. It thus connects ongoing discussions among Norwegian librarians with recent library research and ongoing theorization of civil public spheres within the Nordic model.

The legal framework for organ donation in Denmark is informed consent. But due to the unsatisfactory number of organ donors, Denmark is considering changing legislation to presumed consent. This article discusses the public debate on organ donation and presumed consent in Denmark, and asks whether the right issues are being addressed in the quest towards more available organs and better donor rates? Basing our considerations on the various arguments in the debate and on scientific findings, we question the potential benefits of presumed consent and challenge some of the assumptions and rationalizations that characterize the discussions in Denmark regarding public support, public trust and the role of the family in donation decisions.

Considerable improvements have been made to gene editing technology, which has been increasingly applied to research involving humans. Nevertheless, human heritable germline genome editing is associated with a series of potential ethical, legal, and social risks, which have generated major controversies and discussions worldwide, especially after the “gene-edited babies” incident. Influenced by this incident, China has realized the importance of ethical governance in the field of life science and technology, has accelerated legislative and policy efforts in this field, and has gradually moved toward the direction of “precautionary” ethical governance. Black letter analysis, big data public opinion analysis, and other research methods are used in this paper. This paper explores the scientific background, ethical debates, and latest developments regarding China's regulatory framework for human germline gene editing after the “gene-edited babies” controversy and provides several recommendations on the future governance system of human germline gene editing in China. This paper argues that in recent years, the ethics governance of germline genome editing in China has been accelerated and great changes have been made. However, the regulatory system for germline genome editing requires further improvement in three aspects: coordination of legislation and agencies, establishment of an ethics review system at high levels, and public participation and education. Summary Sentence Continual progress has been made in establishing a governance system of ethical issues regarding human genome editing, particularly human germline genome editing; however, further improvements are required. Graphical Abstract

This special issue brings together contribuaons from several European countries that extend our understanding of the sociogenesis of the growing use of the category \"Muslim\" as the main figure of otherness. Based on desk research, it aims at quesaoning the comparability of the category \"Muslim\" by highlighang the mainstreamed narraaves on Muslim populaaons in France, Britain, Spain and Norway. The analysis that emerges offers an opportunity to revisit the trivializaaon of the category \"Muslim\" and to quesaon the evoluaon of mulacultural socieaes that have become considerably polarized over the past decades.

Public debates structure election cycles, feature in news media, and are privileged as a form of academic exchange. Yet, public debate is poorly understood from the perspective of political theory. While theorists often talk about “public debate,” they usually mean diffuse discussion on a topic in the public sphere. This article considers how literal public debates—multisided, publicly accessible and publicly oriented performances of reason-giving—may be normatively distinct from other forms of rhetoric. Drawing on the “constructivist turn” in the scholarship on representation and the philosophy of Gadamer, I offer a hermeneutical approach for assessing public debates. I argue that public debates do not merely provide a platform for opinions to be broadcast, they also purport to provide a representative spectrum of opinions. In so doing, they help to construct the borders of the public sphere itself. I conclude by considering the significance of protest to public debate.