A new research paper titled “Hegemonic Practices in Multistakeholder Internet Governance: Participatory Evangelism, Quiet Politics, and Glorification of Status Quo at ICANN Meetings”, explores a dimension often overlooked in the realm of digital governance, shedding light on an intriguing aspect of multistakeholder Internet governance.
Co-authored by Human+ research fellow Dr Nicola Palladino with Dr Aaron van Klyton, Mary-Paz Arrieta-Paredes and Ayus Soomare, the paper has recently been published in an open access format on the prestigious review theinformationsociety.org.
Speaking about the work, Dr Palladino said: “In this exploratory study, we delve into the intricate world of multistakeholder arrangements, unveiling the presence and directionality of hegemonic power within stakeholder deliberations. By analysing the deliberations of ten stakeholder groups within ICANN’s policy development body, we’ve uncovered a tapestry of language that shapes power dynamics. Our methodology combines textual linguistic analysis, principal components analysis, and statistical modeling to discern the significance of key variables. Through this, we have illuminated three dominant rhetorical devices – participatory evangelism, quiet politics, and glorification of the status quo – each reinforcing the established power structure. These devices have a profound impact on Internet governance decisions, favoring some stakeholders and challenging others in their pursuit of influence. This research is a pivotal contribution to understanding the multifaceted landscape of Internet governance and the intricate dance of power that shapes it.” Read the full paper here: https://lnkd.in/eUZ5wUeC
