Evaluating the contemporary through the analysis of the concept ‘public’

In the important work by Micheal Warner ‘Publics and counter Publics’ explores the concept

of public sphere and provides us a sense of how to evaluate critically about the contemporary

times. The formation of public sphere and the discourses happening in and around the public

sphere, exclusivity and inclusivity happening in a public sphere due to the emergence of a

dominant class which gave rise to a counter public sphere, also the role of media and public

figure which performs the function of publicity which creates a spectacle among the media

consumers creating a collective subjectivity of desires and scattered identities. Based on this

analysis of Warner's text, evaluation of the contemporary can be done.

It begins with the creation of a public subjectivity which is different from the personal

identity and how it is being treated with relation to western political thoughts.

The imagination of the public was constructed through an understanding of print.

The dissemination of print throughout the public audience is a discourse almost like a

seminar with discussion. Idea of print was transformative. The understanding of print in this

manner was more cultural than technological. It was rooted in the republican ideals of

disinterested virtue, which gave rise for a new public consciousness. The further readings

show us that the idea of public discourse itself transformed as a form of self abstraction.

This process of self abstraction from oneself was unequally accessible, giving privilege to

those who were white, male, literate, mostly for the bourgeois class and denying privilege to

others including womens, non-whites, illiterate, etc. This dichotomy can be seen throughout

history and in contemporary times too, especially by the intervention of mass media. This

liberal logic which forces the citizens to a privileged public identity. While some can’t catch

up to that and will find themselves excluded or alienated, they will try to trade their bodies

by partaking in the consumer culture for a better version of themselves. Consumption has
formed as a counter utopia, it offers an alternative form of interaction within the public,

allowing individuals to express their identities through choices among commodities.

The contradiction between consumer capitalism’s need for differentiation and the public

sphere’s need for undifferentiated abstract subjects are highlighted in the text.

Shift from the bourgeois model of public sphere to the modern public sphere which heavily

relies on the display of bodies and images. The visibility of the public figure is the major

highlight in the modern public sphere rather than the older mode of public sphere which

valued anonymity and abstract discourses. Public figures are the bodies which have the

capacity to project to the public an image which is created through time by different mass

media broadcasting techniques to become icons embodying collective desires and different

identities. This is the influence of consumer culture and mass media, where the public

discourse is taking a form of consumption. Public figures, commodities and political

discourse are all mixed, shaping our understanding of what it means to be public. The

majority individuals who are taking part in this will find themselves in minor positions.

Shift from the representative public sphere, where public figures functioned their power

through public display, to a bourgeois public sphere where everything was seen as a rational

critical debate rather than a physical display in the public. In contemporary times there is a

return to the display of public figures which habermas calls 'refeudalization’. The public

display of public figures and their prestige is eliminating the critical debate function in the

public sphere, which again leads to the marginalisation of certain groups. The essay then

discusses the concept of egocrat and mass publicity. Egocrat, a public figure whose image

and identity are based on their power, as seen in mass media publicity. Ronald Reagan is

given as an example in the text to describe what an egocrat is, who blends political and

commodity public spheres. He completely transformed his persona into a brand, similar to a
commercial brand in the market. This shows us the mixture of political and consumerist

appeals in modern publicity. In Indian context if we look at Narendra Modi and his

advertisement campaigns, used for the publicity of a cultural nationalism implemented

intentionally to make an image of modi to something which represents as the national icon

other than the actual person himselfs. Image of Modi is now a brand, whenever the image of

modi is circulated, it now functions among the majority of the public as a national icon or a

brand which represents their religious beliefs or as a representative of the nation which they

call the bharath. They acquired this through carefully executed strategies within publication,

mostly through advertisements and even by creating a film of Modi known as ‘P M Narendra

Modi’, which helps them create a kind of feeling for him and the nation. Film is an influential

medium, here they have used it as a tool to disseminate their propaganda through the image

of Modi. The appeal of the public figures is mediated through complex interactions between

media representations and public perception. Public figures like Reagan, Modi and also other

socially active celebrities serve as major points for public identification, representing an

unrealizable public subject. This shows us that public figures are not merely individuals but

manifestations of the public’s aspirations and identities. Publicity has a performative aspect

where the public and public figures co construct each other’s identities. The media’s role is

not just to reflect public opinion but also to shape it through the careful production of

popularity. The public’s identification with popular figures, Modi or any other popular

celebrities who are socially active and other icons reveals a deeper desire for connection with

their mediated popularity. This case underscores the erotic-aggressive nature of collective

identification, where public figures become representatives for the public's fantasies and

desires. The role of media and communication channels in shaping the public sphere in the

contemporary digital age is huge. The proliferation of social media platforms and online

forums have changed the way public spheres are formed and maintained. These newer modes
of platforms changed the idea of the public sphere itself and also led to different challenges,

they provide the facility to rapidly spread the events and news happening around, also they

also can be manipulated and misinformed leading to a confused state and fragmentation of

public discourse, challenging the notion of truth itself. Even by analysing the ways in which

the public uses the communication channels, we can evaluate the health of the public

discourse, will get the sense Whether they are trying to magnify the polarisation and

misinformation.

The text also discusses the discourse on AIDS in the 1980s as a case study. Mass media

constructed the idea of excluding the infected from the sphere, creating an uninfected yet a

threatened public body. This exclusionary process shows the public sphere's tendency to

abstract away from particular bodies, making the alienation of marginalised groups.

In the contemporary Indian context, the state is circulating the idea of excluding the muslim

community from the nation through repeatedly engaging in mass dissemination. Here when

compared to the case study of AIDS from the text, it is not the creation of an uninfected yet

threatened public body but a kind of reversal is happening by creating an authoritative body,

which gains some kind of a power in their consciousness to make some other groups inferior

or alienating.

Analysis of Graffiti as a counter public art form illustrates how the marginalised voices can

challenge the normative forms of the dominant public sphere. In the context of Kerala

currently there is an uprising of hip hop/rap music, which reestablishes the dalit folk songs

and use of certain words which were considered as insignificant in the history of malayalam

language. This is a form of counter narrative challenging the dominant public sphere which

considered those as insignificant.

Take the case of farmers' protest which began in the late 2020’s against three agricultural

laws passed by the Indian government shows us the significant counter public encounters.
Farmers from different parts, haryana, uttar pradesh punjab joined the march in the outskirts

of Delhi, demanding the repeal of the laws which would threaten their livelihood and benefit

large corporations. These movements showed us the ways of traditional and digital mode of

forming a counter public resistance, farmers used social media to spread their motto which

later gained national and international attention. creating a counterpublic that challenged the

government’s agrarian policies. This new public sphere which was shaped after the coming of

social media platforms played an important role in supporting these counter narratives,

whether it is an art movement or a political movement.

The concept of public which Warner brought provides a critical framework for

understanding of how to evaluate contemporary society. By examining the dynamics of self-

abstraction, mass publicity, and collective identification, Warner reveals the inherent

contradictions and power relations within the public sphere. His analysis underscores the

importance of considering both the normative frameworks and the alternative forms of

publicity that shape our understanding of contemporary social dynamics.