Cumulative crises online, when user commenting bursts out as a reaction to what publics see as an improper deed, can hit any public entity, including brands. Inside such a crisis, both cumulative and micro-deliberative patterns of opinion and consensus formation may be traced. Taking into account both the classic deliberation theory and the conceptual framework of cumulative deliberation, we delineate four possible types of consensus within heated user discussions. We also hypothesize that users’ deliberative roles may include those of neutralization and catalyzation of consensus. Taking the Vkusvill retail chain crisis of 2021 as a case, we show that, in discussions polarized due to values polarization, consensus does not form in an agonistic way; consensus may only form in a cumulative way (probably one-sided) and in forms supporting exclusion, rather than inclusion of the Other. Moreover, users who try to play the roles of consensus catalyzers only add to disagreement, just as consensus neutralizers. This poses a question on the forms in which polarized cumulative crises may at all come to harmonization of views and agonistic modes of public consensus.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationICT for Intelligent Systems. ICTIS 2025. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems
Place of PublicationSingapore
PublisherSpringer Nature
Pages101–113
Number of pages13
Volumevol 1519
ISBN (Electronic)978-981-96-8901-9
ISBN (Print)978-981-96-8900-2
DOIs
StateE-pub ahead of print - 2025
Event9th International Conference on Information and Communication Technology for Intelligent Systems - Бангкок, Thailand
Duration: 4 Apr 20256 Apr 2025
https://ictisthailand.com/gallery.html

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Networks and Systems
Volume1519 LNNS

Conference

Conference9th International Conference on Information and Communication Technology for Intelligent Systems
Abbreviated titleICTIS
Country/TerritoryThailand
CityБангкок
Period4/04/256/04/25
Internet address

    Research areas

  • Agonistic public sphere, Brand crisis, Consensus, Cumulative crisis, Cumulative deliberation, Online discussion, Opinion polarization, Social media

ID: 138309731