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SUMMARY:Electoral intrigue\, ethnic politics and the vibrancy of the Kenya
 n public sphere - Dr Stephanie Diepeveen\, Department of Politics and Inte
 rnational Studies
DTSTART:20180306T131000Z
DTEND:20180306T140000Z
UID:TALK97768@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr Arthur Dudney
DESCRIPTION:Postcolonial politics in Kenya has been dominated by protracte
 d and tense ethnic\, religious and regional divisions\, brought to the for
 e with the contentious presidential elections in August and October 2017. 
 Dominant discourses within the country present politics as a zero sum game
 \, in which the same individuals and ethnic groups continually benefit. Eq
 ually\, while politics appears as a zero sum and predicable game\, Kenya e
 spouses a vibrant and engaged citizenry that is knowledgeable and interest
 ed in public affairs. Debates over electoral politics and the actions of e
 lected leaders unfold\, within and outside of elections\, in diverse and i
 nformal spaces in everyday life\, from street corners and markets\, to ill
 icit drinking dens\, to online forums such as social media groups. Thus\, 
 on one side\, there appears to be an active\, engaged and critical public 
 sphere in Kenya. On the other side\, these active discussions seem to do l
 ittle to alter the overriding interpretation of politics along ethnic line
 s. Why does Kenya’s public sphere seem unable to alter the terms of poli
 tical debate\, despite its vibrancy and diversity across physical and onli
 ne spaces? This seminar examines the nature\, rhythm and people involved i
 n daily public discussion across different media\, interrogating how they 
 relate to the potential for continuity and change in the terms of politica
 l debate. It argues for very different reasons\, the features of debate in
  physical spaces and on social media have both developed in ways that frus
 trate the emergence of new and shared ideas.
LOCATION:The Richard King Room\, Darwin College
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