Geographies of online spaces and intercultural citizenship

Abstract

In this article, we explore the potential of social media for production and distribution of ideas, public deliberation, and political participation, and as civil spaces and public platforms. We offer an analytical template for critically examining images, discursive structures, and multicultural civic participation promoted by websites aimed at diverse youth in Singapore. Focusing on the controversial issue of immigration, we examine how the issue was addressed in four different online spaces and consider how ideas of citizenship and civic participation in a multicultural society are constructed and defined. Key immigration issues include concerns about the number of immigrants from China, India, and other parts of Southeast Asia, and the consequent impact on housing, employment, and education. We critically evaluate the extent to which these issues are constrained by Singapore’s political and multicultural social context in which the government has long prescribed rules for discussing ‘sensitive issues,’ such as race and religion. We then consider the educational implications of these sites for teaching about culture and citizenship.

Keywords:

• citizenship
• social media
• civic participation
• immigration