Diversity, tolerance and intolerance in social media

During the International Symposium on "Representation and experiences of living together: an overview", a special workshop will be held on the theme "Diversity, tolerance and intolerance in social media". It is organized by UNESCO, the "Centre interuniversitaire d’étude sur les lettres, les arts et les traditions" (CELAT) and the Maison des Sciences de l'Homme-Paris Nord (MSH), on 8 November 2014 at CELAT/Laval University. Experts from UNESCO and MSH will participate from Paris, through a videoconference.

The purpose of this workshop is to reflect on the ethical, social and political issues related to the use of social media and digital platforms, including the role they can play in promoting tolerance and diversity.

The use of social media by young people will be the focus of this exchange, through which experts from diverse disciplinary and institutional backgrounds will be invited to reflect on the different forms of diversity, tolerance and intolerance in social media and digital platforms, in order to assess their related strengths and limitations.

The speakers will share their knowledge, investigative experience, working hypotheses and avenues for future research and collaboration around three main questions:

1) How do we, and particularly young women and men, engage in social networks?
2) Do social media produce homogeneity or diversity?
3) Is the debate through social networks a source of conflict or tolerance?

UNESCO will share the preliminary results of a regional study initiated in the framework of the NET-MED Youth project, consisting of an assessment of digital platforms used by youth in Southern Mediterranean countries. This study has the objective of presenting recommendations for enhancing democratic and civic online participation among Southern Mediterranean youth.

Besides, this workshop will be the occasion to provide a snapshot of research commissioned by UNESCO and relevant to the topics discussed, such as the work related to understanding and countering hate speech online.