Linnaeus Knowledge Environment: Democracy in Question

Democracy is facing new and complex challenges – from crises of trust and polarization to disinformation, global influence, autocratization, and cultural conflict. The research environment Democracy in Question brings together research on how democracy is shaped, tested, and challenged – both in the political and cultural spheres, where values, identities, loyalties, and societal visions are contested.

When democracy can not be taken for granted

Democracy as a form of governance is being challenged in many parts of the world today. Declining trust in institutions, increased polarization, corruption, and a weakened sense of societal cohesion are undermining the structures that support democratic societies. Trust in the media, political parties, and the judiciary is eroding, and more people are questioning whether the democratic system truly represents their interests.

What is a Linnaeus Knowledge Environment?

Addressing today’s societal challenges requires broad knowledge and interdisciplinary collaboration. This is why Linnaeus University brings together prominent and innovative research, education, and collaboration in what we call knowledge environments.

Our Linnaeus Knowledge Environments work across disciplines to take a multifaceted approach to the societal challenges in their respective fields.

Democracy in Question is an interdisciplinary research environment at Linnaeus University that brings together research on how democratic values and processes are being challenged – and how they can be understood, protected, and renewed. We explore the conditions for democracy in a time marked by technological transformation, cultural conflict, global crises, and shifting power relations.

Key challenges to democracy

Our research addresses a range of critical issues, including:

The cultural sphere as a site of value conflicts and identity-based tensions
The public sphere: the role of journalism, media logic, and disinformation
The role of schools and education in fostering democratic literacy
Transformations in civil society and their impact on participation, engagement, and social cohesion
The conditions and challenges of democracy in digital and global contexts
Trust and political representation
Citizenship as a foundation for inclusion and exclusion
Corruption and abuse of power
Democracy and gender equality

Knowledge for an open society

We view democracy as dynamic and multidimensional – shaped through the interaction of institutions, citizens, media, culture, and civil society. Through research, education, and collaboration, Democracy in Question aims to contribute knowledge, perspectives, and critical analysis that strengthen the resilience and relevance of democracy in our time.

More about the societal challenge

For decades, democracy has been a common foundation for politics, participation, and public dialogue in many of the world’s countries. However, in the last few years, the ability of democracy to handle societal problems has been increasingly questioned, both in the public debate and in the academic world. More and more countries are moving in an undemocratic direction and authoritarian parties and values are gaining ground. Around the world, more and more politicians and citizens are questioning the independence and impartiality of traditional media. At the same time, the tone in the public debate is becoming increasingly harsh.

A bank of knowledge

A questioning of democracy is often based on criticism of individuals' and minorities' rights in favour of populist attitudes and authoritarian and nationalist values. A Questioned Democracy analyses this process and is a bank of knowledge for those who want to protect the rights of individuals and minorities. In order to identify shortcomings, A Questioned Democracy also analyses the ability of party politics to represent citizens. One example is to study whether the democratic flow from the citizens is stopped by corruption and abuse of power in the public sector.

School has one of the most important roles in society to counteract a trend away from democracy. Therefore, the knowledge environment prioritizes research on the school's work to provide knowledge about democratic values and skills needed to live in and take part in a democratic society.

The democratic dialogue

It is becoming increasingly important to defend the democratic dialogue in a time when alternative news outlets are challenging traditional quality journalism. Rapid technology development has made it possible for actors with only small resources to spread large quantities of fake news with the aim to manipulate public opinion. On the international level, several authoritarian regimes act to affect and undermine trust in democratic processes in liberal democracies.

Democracy requires a free and independent media that can scrutinize those in power, work as a forum for public opinion, and mediate the knowledge necessary for the political participation of the citizens. Today, there is an increasing global trend of journalists being harassed and threatened.

Civil society

Increasing economic, social, and cultural divides can also lead to democracy being questioned, and groups who feel that they have been sidelined can be radicalised by anti-democratic forces. For instance, civil society has a very important role to play in counteracting alienation. One of the largest threats to the democratic society is that people’s commitment and trust is being hollowed out.

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Research

The knowledge environment A Questioned Democracy departs its extensive research from three central perspectives: representation, media, and citizen.

The representation perspective: Increased polarization and support for authoritarian values; problems of representation, for example antagonism between decision-makers and citizens and corruption.
The media perspective: The conditions for public dialogue and the reporting of political news.
The citizen perspective: Alienation and economic vulnerability as obstacles to inclusion in society and participation in the democracy.

The representation perspective

Based on the representation perspective, the environment conducts research on:

The ability of party politics to represent the citizens.
Citizens’ and political leaders’ questioning of individuals’ and minorities’ rights for the benefit of populist, authoritarian, and nationalistic values.
Corruption and abuse of power in the public sector.

The media perspective

Based on the media perspective, the environment conducts research on media’s possibility to act as the fourth estate. We study the connection between a questioned democracy and challenges for free and independent journalism by highlighting:

Threats, hate and harassment that hamper journalists’ possibilities to give an account of society.
The retreat of the daily press from the local democracy.
Alternative news outlets that challenge established mass media, in particular among young people.
Manipulation of opinion-forming, rumour-milling, mobilisation of authoritarian forces, and threats towards journalists and vulnerable groups from troll factories, fake accounts, and bots on social media.

The citizen perspective

Based on the citizen perspective, the environment conducts research on:

The ability and problems of civil society to mobilise citizens’ participation in politics and public dialogue.
The school's work with democratic values and civic competence.
The societal inclusion of citizens in different contexts of vulnerability.
Opportunities and risks with civil society developing parallel structures that replace authorities and other parts of the public sector, in particular in areas where many live in alienation.

Research environments

Education

The researchers that take part in A questioned democracy are active teachers who integrate their research in their teaching at Linnaeus University. On all academic levels, the teachers from the knowledge environment have developed new and revised established courses that problematise a questioned democracy. In connection to our students’ internships we collaborate with authorities and companies.

Collaboration

The knowledge environment A questioned democracy has a strong tradition of collaboration with the surrounding society in the form of civil society, authorities and companies.

Management team

Kristoffer Holt is manager for A Questioned Democracy.