From the salons and coffeehouses of 18th-century Europe to the expansive digital networks of the 21st century, the public sphere has proven to be a cornerstone of democratic life. Yet, as communication landscapes shift, power dynamics evolve, and globalization, technological innovation, and ideological polarization reshape public discourse, its boundaries and functions continue to be renegotiated. These factors raise pressing questions: How do such transformations shape the pursuit of dialogue, responsibility, and sociopolitical change? What are the implications for collective deliberation, participation, and civic engagement? And how has the public sphere adapted to sustain meaningful discourse amidst these challenges?

This presentation examines evolving ecologies of the public sphere, conceptualizing these ecologies as the relationships between participants and the media environments in which their discourse unfolds. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, I explore various gatherings of the public sphere and their role in shaping public discourse. The presentation will be structured into four parts to reflect this. Part 1 will be theoretical, and introduce concepts of the public sphere as well as my conceptualization of public sphere ecologies. Parts 2-3 will survey political and cultural unfoldings of the public sphere in the twenty-first century, with a focus on digital and hybrid environments. Part 4 will introduce a broader notion of discourse and participation, which I seek to develop into a postdoctoral project.