Title: Mobile democracy discourse in a Turkish experiment

Authors: Nurcan Törenli; Zafer Kıyan; Hakan Yüksel

Addresses: Faculty of Communication, Ankara University, Cemal Gürsel Caddesi, 06590 Cebeci, Ankara, Turkey. ' Faculty of Communication, Ankara University, Cemal Gürsel Caddesi, 06590 Cebeci, Ankara, Turkey. ' Faculty of Communication, Ankara University, Cemal Gürsel Caddesi, 06590 Cebeci, Ankara, Turkey

Abstract: This study aims to explore the opportunities and constraints of mobile democracy initiatives. It focuses on the activities of the Mobile Democracy Platform (MDP), which works together with 20 municipalities in Turkey. From a critical perspective, it puts forward the way the MDP executives conceptualise and legitimise mobile democracy at discursive level. The study also criticises the approaches that consider democracy with an accent on participation and subsequently regard technology as the basis of an advanced democracy. The supply side of the subject, namely the MDP and its activities, is examined; however, the user side is deliberately not taken into consideration given the specific scope of the study.

Keywords: mobile democracy; m-democracy; mobile phones; cell phones; e-participation; electronic participation; online participation; ICT; information society; techno-political paradigm; online referendum; Turkey; local administration; municipalities; cell broadcast.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEG.2012.047442

International Journal of Electronic Governance, 2012 Vol.5 No.1, pp.50 - 62

Received: 01 Jul 2011
Accepted: 08 Mar 2012
Published online: 21 Jun 2012 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article