The study of post-secularization through the digital social

Research output: Chapter in Book / Conference PaperChapter

Abstract

On the 8th of December 2017, Australia legalized same sex marriage (SSM). The path to toward the legalization of equality was long and arduous, with attempts to reach this decision commencing as early as 2011. An examination of the role of religion on the debate of same sex marriage within Australia was undertaken by Turner and Possamai-Inesedy in 2016. The analysis of a Governmental inquiry public submissions and transcripts not surprisingly revealed that the debate was highly contentious and polarized. Turner and Possamai-Inesedy found, however, that while the religious debate was founded on an orthodox argument with little or no attempts of translation to the secular, there was no possibility of what Habermas (2006) termed dialogic consensus. It was only when the religious voice translated its argument to a civil one that the possibility of consensus emerged. The following chapter seeks to expand the earlier stage of this research into religion in the public sphere and its impact on social issue debates and policy change to include what Possamai-Inesedy and Nixon (2017) term the digital social. The chapter will present findings from a Facebook network analysis of the two identified stakeholders in the SSM debate within Australia during the Public Hearing Debate within Australia in 2012. Although Australia has now legalized SSM, the analysis reveals that the polarization witnessed during the first stage of the study was exacerbated within the digital realm. The chapter outlines how algorithmic socialization (Possamai-Inesedy and Nixon, 2017), that is how corporations have power over what we view and have access to on their platforms, contributes to the creation and maintenance of what can be termed an 'echo chamber' within the digital social.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe Digital Social: Religion and Belief
EditorsAlphia Possamai-Inesedy, Alan Nixon
Place of PublicationGermany
PublisherDe Gruyter
Pages178-196
Number of pages19
ISBN (Electronic)9783110497014
ISBN (Print)9783110499872
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2019

Keywords

  • same-sex marriage
  • religion
  • political aspects
  • social aspects
  • social media
  • Australia

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