The spaces of public dissension: Reconsidering the public sphere

The centrality of consensus in contemporary inquiries into society limits our understanding of dissent and contemporary disputation. This paper raises the question of what role dissent plays in contemporary society by interrogating an exemplar of traditional social rhetoric, the public sphere. An examination of the six characteristics of the public sphere suggests that the dominance of consensus has restricted our understanding of contemporary public argument and resistance. The possibility of de-centering consensus and the public sphere and reconsidering dissension is explored.