Research Seminar in Sociology of Law with Ewa Radomska

Hegemonic character of the copyright: The example of Polish discourses on copyright

The presentation characterizes the nature and structure of Polish discourses on copyright. In particular, it presents the most important social actors, including their interests and communication communities to which they belong. With the reference to the constitutive model of communication (R.T. Craig), the theory of law as a communicative phenomenon (M. Van Hoecke) and Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory, it will be shown not only that copyright is a set of socially created symbols and narratives, realizing in the process of social communication, but also that it is structured by an alternating sequence of discursive hegemonic practices and discursive counter-hegemonic practices. The hegemonic nature of the copyright will be indicated on the basis of discourse analysis of Polish public debate on copyright and qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews and focus group interviews with representatives of particular groups of interest and communication communities.

Ewa Radomska is a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Law and Administration (Department of Sociology of Law) of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków; holder of an MA in law and an MA in sociology. Her research interests focus on the communication of law, legal consciousness, discourse on law, social aspects of intellectual property law, criminology and security science. She is the principal investigator in the research project “Social conflict over intellectual property rights on the example of Polish discourses on copyright” and holder of scholarship in the research project “Legal Consciousness of Polish Society. Diagnosis, Types, Paths of Formation” – both funded by the Polish National Science Centre.