Public opposition describes a form of social activity that deliberately opposes establishment opinion in the public sphere in order to raise public awareness of topics, problems or social groups that appear to be neglected or oppressed. As with the public sphere, public opposition is in direct opposition to the private sphere — at its core, it is about occupying public spaces where people can gather and get informed. The development of various means of communication has decisively influenced the forms and possibilities of informational transfer.
Demonstrations are the oldest and still current means for people to draw attention to themselves, their situation or their concerns. Here, no (technological) means of communication is needed to convey messages - this can be done by shouting, chanting or displaying posters - and the messages will come across. Advocacy journalism also attempts to draw attention to topics that are underrepresented in the mass media.[1]
- ^ Coppens, Tom; Van Dooren, Wouter; Thijssen, Peter (2018). "Public opposition and the neighborhood effect: How social interaction explains protest against a large infrastructure project". Land Use Policy. 79: 633–640. doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.08.045. hdl:10067/1534240151162165141.