Motions in Pictures: From Habermas’s Informal Political Sphere to Formal Politics in the Films <i>Footloose</i>, <i>Land and Freedom</i> and <i>The Beguiled</i>
This article analyses three historical fiction films, <i>Footloose, Land and Freedom</i> and <i>The Beguiled</i>, to help illuminate aspects of politics and political theory. We study them to explore the relationship between Habermas’s concepts of the lifeworld and political...
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2024-11-01
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| author | Jane Thomas Sean Tunney |
| author_facet | Jane Thomas Sean Tunney |
| author_sort | Jane Thomas |
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| description | This article analyses three historical fiction films, <i>Footloose, Land and Freedom</i> and <i>The Beguiled</i>, to help illuminate aspects of politics and political theory. We study them to explore the relationship between Habermas’s concepts of the lifeworld and political spheres, which analysts have critiqued as opaque. Drawing on Habermas’s theory of communicative action, we debate prevailing understandings of the implications of his work for deliberative democracy via an exploration of the films. By expanding the definition of the term ‘motion’ (otherwise known as ‘draft resolution’), we relate this concept to these Habermasian themes. Thus, this paper analyses feature film case studies as they incorporate motions into fictionalised accounts. We suggest that focusing on these movies’ motions, embedded in unfolding narratives, can help reconceive Habermas’s work to illustrate fluidity in how people and ideas may move between informal and more formal spheres. Ultimately, by showcasing the importance of motions in political participation, via these movies, we advance the idea that motions may be seen as part of a ladder of involvement, providing further opportunities for encouraging participation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cd7808aed5d54fe09ef0683f95a85abe |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-0787 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Humanities |
| spelling | doaj-art-cd7808aed5d54fe09ef0683f95a85abe2025-08-20T02:56:07ZengMDPI AGHumanities2076-07872024-11-0113615210.3390/h13060152Motions in Pictures: From Habermas’s Informal Political Sphere to Formal Politics in the Films <i>Footloose</i>, <i>Land and Freedom</i> and <i>The Beguiled</i>Jane Thomas0Sean Tunney1School of Education, Sport and Health Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton BN1 9PH, UKSchool of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, University of Roehampton, London SW15 5PH, UKThis article analyses three historical fiction films, <i>Footloose, Land and Freedom</i> and <i>The Beguiled</i>, to help illuminate aspects of politics and political theory. We study them to explore the relationship between Habermas’s concepts of the lifeworld and political spheres, which analysts have critiqued as opaque. Drawing on Habermas’s theory of communicative action, we debate prevailing understandings of the implications of his work for deliberative democracy via an exploration of the films. By expanding the definition of the term ‘motion’ (otherwise known as ‘draft resolution’), we relate this concept to these Habermasian themes. Thus, this paper analyses feature film case studies as they incorporate motions into fictionalised accounts. We suggest that focusing on these movies’ motions, embedded in unfolding narratives, can help reconceive Habermas’s work to illustrate fluidity in how people and ideas may move between informal and more formal spheres. Ultimately, by showcasing the importance of motions in political participation, via these movies, we advance the idea that motions may be seen as part of a ladder of involvement, providing further opportunities for encouraging participation.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/13/6/152cinemadeliberative democracyHabermasmotions and resolutionspolitical participation |
| spellingShingle | Jane Thomas Sean Tunney Motions in Pictures: From Habermas’s Informal Political Sphere to Formal Politics in the Films <i>Footloose</i>, <i>Land and Freedom</i> and <i>The Beguiled</i> Humanities cinema deliberative democracy Habermas motions and resolutions political participation |
| title | Motions in Pictures: From Habermas’s Informal Political Sphere to Formal Politics in the Films <i>Footloose</i>, <i>Land and Freedom</i> and <i>The Beguiled</i> |
| title_full | Motions in Pictures: From Habermas’s Informal Political Sphere to Formal Politics in the Films <i>Footloose</i>, <i>Land and Freedom</i> and <i>The Beguiled</i> |
| title_fullStr | Motions in Pictures: From Habermas’s Informal Political Sphere to Formal Politics in the Films <i>Footloose</i>, <i>Land and Freedom</i> and <i>The Beguiled</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Motions in Pictures: From Habermas’s Informal Political Sphere to Formal Politics in the Films <i>Footloose</i>, <i>Land and Freedom</i> and <i>The Beguiled</i> |
| title_short | Motions in Pictures: From Habermas’s Informal Political Sphere to Formal Politics in the Films <i>Footloose</i>, <i>Land and Freedom</i> and <i>The Beguiled</i> |
| title_sort | motions in pictures from habermas s informal political sphere to formal politics in the films i footloose i i land and freedom i and i the beguiled i |
| topic | cinema deliberative democracy Habermas motions and resolutions political participation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/13/6/152 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT janethomas motionsinpicturesfromhabermassinformalpoliticalspheretoformalpoliticsinthefilmsifootlooseiilandandfreedomiandithebeguiledi AT seantunney motionsinpicturesfromhabermassinformalpoliticalspheretoformalpoliticsinthefilmsifootlooseiilandandfreedomiandithebeguiledi |