Description
Book SynopsisThis unique book presents original concepts to characterize the current crisis of democracy. Offering a comparative study of original electoral data and analysis of contemporary trends, models and theoretical frameworks, Luigi Di Gregorio argues that democracy is affected by ‘demopathy’; it is sick and is in need of therapy.
Luigi Di Gregorio explores how democratic malaise derives from the transition to postmodernity and the rise of individualization: the loss of social meaning, the end of meta-narratives, the crisis of knowledge and cognitive authorities, narcissism and new perceptions of time and space. The author argues that mass media and technological innovations are the main drivers of this change and have heightened the logic of the consumer society. The resulting psychological democracy is that of a permanent ‘pollcracy’, whose leaders are simply pursuers of public opinion. The book concludes that democracy must be defended by building a positive narrative to counterbalance the effects of these trends.
Taking a multidisciplinary approach, this book will be critical reading for scholars and students of political science, political sociology, political theory and political communication and marketing. Its broad perspective paints a big picture that will also be beneficial for political consultants and policy analysts.
Trade Review‘This work offers a convincing analysis that stresses the mutual causation between political leadership, citizens, and the media. I am confident that promising (and achievable) cures follow logically from this analysis. Demopathy and the Democratic Malaise
is an outstanding book that democrats anywhere should pay close attention to.’Table of ContentsContents: Foreword 1. Introduction to demopathy and the democratic malaise PART I SYMPTOMS 2. The contemporary crisis of democracy. Symptoms of the democratic malaise PART II DIAGNOSIS 3. The origin of the crisis. Individualized modernity and the narcissist syndrome 4. The communication and image society. The driver of the narcissist syndrome 5. Demopathy. Public emotion, pollcracy, followship PART III THERAPY 6. Towards a democracy of the imaginary. An evolutionary perspective 7. (Covid) Afterword Index
