We use cookies on this website. By continuing to use this site you accept the use of cookies.
Rethinking Democracy
The Rethinking Democracy research platform (REDEM) is a shared space for discussing questions around democracy. We consider broad issues such as what democracy actually is, how it should work, and criteria for a functioning democracy. Alongside this, we consider how democracy functions beyond formal political settings, and in other spheres of social life.
Want to join?
The Rethinking Democracy research platform is open to all researchers at Malmö University and our external stakeholders who are broadly interested in theories and practices of democracy and its discontents.
Do you want to receive news on seminars and events organized by the platform? Or perhaps you have a paper you want to present? A seminar you would like to organize or a guest speaker you would like to invite? Do not hesitate to contact us on redem@mau.se
Our research
We live in a time of democratic paradoxes. A number of democratically elected leaders in the world are challenging basic democratic norms and institutions, and subverting the language of democracy to legitimise their actions. Younger generations are less likely to vote, yet often engage with political issues more than older generations.
Corporations have gained greater rights to counter public interest regulations, but we also see new forms of consumer participation and shareholder activism. Democracy is traditionally tied to the nation state, but issues seem to increasingly require transnational and/or local action. Political parties gain votes on the basis of being ‘nationalistic’, but many of their policies impact those who are not included within the nation-state’s boundaries.
REDEM combines the disciplines of political science, history of ideas, cultural studies, media studies, linguistic studies, communication for development and urban studies. From these respective backgrounds we address questions related to the multiple crises currently facing liberal and electoral democracy, the history and future of democracy and possible ways of rethinking democratic institutions, and civic engagement in the face of growing movements of authoritarian populism.
We work across four core themes:
A political representation crisis?
This examines new ‘representation gaps’ arising from migration, transnational citizenship, linguistic exclusion and new public management practices.
Extra-institutional democracy and everyday public spheres
Looking at democracy in the everyday sphere, it focusses on traditional and social media, and economic activity as a means of contesting social and political configurations.
Conviviality – conceptual ambiguities and envisioned futures
Addresses the presence of the stranger and the radically new double demand on democracy for social justice for the recognition of difference. The lenses of three inter-related concepts are used – cosmopolitanism, conviviality and creolisation.
The global diffusion and reversal of counter-norms to liberal democracy
Investigates the global spread of the rhetoric of illiberalism, using analytical tools as theories of political rhetoric, diffusion of political ideas, and discourse analysis.
Researchers, publications and projects
The REDEM platform brings together scholars from different disciplines across the Faculty of Culture and Society and invites colleagues from other faculties interested in using the platform as a vehicle for advancing their research.
-
Staff
Jacob Lind - Project researcher
jacob.lind@mau.se -
Staff
Erin Cory - Senior lecturer
erin.cory@mau.se -
PPStaff
Peter Parker - Senior lecturer
peter.parker@mau.se -
MMStaff
Malin Mc Glinn - Senior lecturer
malin.mcglinn@mau.se -
Staff
Josepha Wessels - Senior lecturer
josepha.wessels@mau.se -
Staff
Rahel Weldeab Sebhatu - Doctoral student
rahel-weldeab.sebhatu@mau.se -
JPStaff
Jonna Pettersson - Postdoc
jonna.pettersson@mau.se -
Staff
Caroline Adolfsson - Doctoral student
caroline.adolfsson@mau.se -
Staff
Maria Wiktorsson - Vice Dean/Senior lecturer
maria.wiktorsson@mau.se -
Staff
Bo Petersson - Professor
bo.petersson@mau.se -
JWStaff
Jenny Wiik - Senior lecturer
jenny.wiik@mau.se -
Staff
Derek Stanford Hutcheson - Senior lecturer
derek.hutcheson@mau.se -
Staff
Pieter Bevelander - Professor
pieter.bevelander@mau.se -
MEStaff
Magnus Ericson - Head of department/Senior lecturer
magnus.ericson@mau.se -
Staff
Maja Povrzanovic Frykman - Professor
maja.frykman@mau.se -
Staff
Karina Vamling - Professor
karina.vamling@mau.se -
Staff
Johan Brännmark - Senior lecturer
johan.brannmark@mau.se -
AKStaff
Ane Kirkegaard - Senior lecturer
ane.kirkegaard@mau.se -
PRStaff
Per-Markku Ristilammi - Professor
per-markku.ristilammi@mau.se -
ASStaff
Anna Seravalli - Senior lecturer
anna.seravalli@mau.se -
Staff
Oscar Hemer - Professor
oscar.hemer@mau.se -
Staff
Rebecka Lettevall - Dean/Associate Professor
rebecka.lettevall@mau.se -
PHStaff
Peter Hallberg - Head of unit/Senior lecturer
peter.hallberg@mau.se -
GMStaff
Gunnhildur Lily Magnusdottir - Senior lecturer
gunnhildur.lily.magnusdottir@mau.se -
MSStaff
Michael Strange - Senior lecturer
michael.strange@mau.se -
PHStaff
Patrik Hall - Professor
patrik.hall@mau.se -
Staff
Tina Askanius - Senior lecturer
tina.askanius@mau.se -
AHStaff
Anders Høg Hansen - Senior lecturer
anders.hog-hansen@mau.se -
Staff
Daniela Debono - Senior lecturer
daniela.debono@mau.se -
AMStaff
Anders Melin - Senior lecturer
anders.melin@mau.se -
TNStaff
Tom Nilsson - Senior lecturer
tom.nilsson@mau.se -
JÅStaff
John H. S. Åberg - Senior lecturer
john.aberg@mau.se -
MKStaff
Michael Krona - Senior lecturer
michael.krona@mau.se -
Staff
Magnus Nilsson - Pro dean/Professor
magnus.nilsson@mau.se -
Staff
Astrid Hedin - Senior lecturer
astrid.hedin@mau.se
Publications
-
2021 | Article in journal
On Frogs, Monkeys, and Execution Memes
Tina Askanius
-
2020 | Report
Weaving knowledge together
Anna Seravalli
-
2020 | Article in journal
”Man ska’ jo nødigt blive en kvinde med en sag”
Jannie Møller Hartley, Tina Askanius
-
2020 | Article in journal
Kritiske perspektiver på #MeToo i Norden:
Tina Askanius
-
2020 | Chapter in book
Communicating Cosmopolitanism, Conviviality and Creolisation
Oscar Hemer
-
2020 | Chapter in book
FV19 som klimamomentum?
Julie Uldam, Tina Askanius
-
2020 | Article in journal
Combatting hate and trolling with love and reason?
Nadine Keller, Tina Askanius
-
2020 | Other
#MeToo er en vanskelig journalistisk balancegang
Jannie Møller Hartley, Tina Askanius
-
2020 | Conference paper
Market Radicalization:
Tina Askanius, Sofia Ulver
-
2020 | Chapter in book
Aistimuistot ja affektiivinen jatkuvuus humanitaarisen avun esineissä
Maja Povrzanovic Frykman
Research projects
Our research projects focus on: electoral politics; citizenship and the demos; local decision-making processes; social movements; civic engagement and everyday democracy; violent extremism and anti-democratic movements; journalism and democracy; participatory art; and new publics.
-
Research project
PHED - Precision Health and Everyday Democracy
michael.strange@mau.se -
Research project
AI and the everyday political-economy of global health
michael.strange@mau.se -
Research project
Legitimacy, urban planning and sustainability in Russia and Scandinavia (LUPSRUSS-2)
derek.hutcheson@mau.se -
Research project
Performing Integration: Participatory Art & New Publics in Malmö
-
Research project
Digital radicalization and analogue extremism? A comparative analysis of violent extremism in the takfiri and extreme-right movements
tina.askanius@mau.se