Public sphere theory has come to an epistemic crossroads. The rise of right-wing movements in Europe and the U.S., for example, pose a challenge to public sphere theorists. This holds especially true since they make use of social media to articulate their messages, network, recruit, dissent or attack. In this conceptual paper we suggest a functionalist approach that integrates the concept of counterpublics within the public sphere based on the two generalised functions agenda-setting and identity formation. We describe how counterpublics may become regular publics, but also emphasise on how strong collective identities may lead to a vicious cycle of extremism. Based on the examples of the far-right Stormfront forum and the Generation Identity, the concept of the vicious cycle of extremism is being proposed to highlight the internet’s role in the formation and radicalisation of counterpublics.

中文翻译：

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将反国家的概念整合到广义的公共领域框架中：激进形式的当代转变

公共领域理论已经成为认识论的十字路口。例如，欧洲和美国右翼运动的兴起对公共领域的理论家构成了挑战。这一点尤其如此，因为他们利用社交媒体表达了自己的信息，网络，招募，异议或攻击。在此概念文件中，我们提出了一种功能主义的方法，该方法基于议程设置和身份形成这两个广义功能，在公共领域整合了反公共主义的概念。我们描述了反公众如何成为常规公众，同时也强调了强大的集体身份可能导致极端主义的恶性循环。根据最右边的Stormfront论坛和Generation Identity的示例，