Education

Postdoctoral fellowship in public communication (Université Laval); Ph.D. in political science (Université de Montréal); M.Sc. in political science (Université de Montréal).

Research

Frédérick Bastien is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Université de Montréal. His work focuses on Political Communication and Journalism. He is particularly interested in the use of social media and the internet in politics. His research makes use of a variety of methods including, but not limited to, public opinion surveys and content analysis. Professor Bastien is currently involved in a project investigating the ideological leanings of Canadian media outlets.

Research Interests

Content and media analysis

Media Analysis

New Communication Technology

Political Communication

Survey research

Research Axis

Axis 1: Learning Democratic Citizenship in an Unequal World - Cet axe se concentre sur l’acquisition de valeurs, d’attitudes et de comportements qui contribuent à une citoyenneté démocratique dynamique. La démocratie repose fondamentalement sur le principe de l’égalité politique, mais dans la pratique, le désavantage économique et social se traduit par un accès inégal au pouvoir politique et à la prise de décision (Schlozman et al 2012). L’inégalité a de profondes implications pour l’inclusion, la réactivité et, en fin de compte, la légitimité même de notre système démocratique. L’inégalité croissante détruit les fondements de la démocratie, entraînant une polarisation politique accrue et une désaffection de la politique (Kwon 2015). Plus que jamais, les démocraties efficaces exigent des citoyens engagés, responsables et bien informés. Comprendre les facteurs qui influent sur le développement de ce type de citoyenneté démocratique active est un objectif clé de l’axe 1.

Axis 2: Practicing Citizenship in a Skeptical World - The practice of democratic citizenship is undergoing a multifaceted transition. There are fundamental changes in conceptions of democratic citizenship and in its practice as well as the targets of citizen action. Scepticism about representative democracy as a system of governance is growing and citizens across established democracies are withdrawing from politics. Their perception about the political world is impacted by transformations in the news media practices and by online content, including social media. Voting and party politics have been the basis of conventional interpretations of citizenship, but there is ample evidence that this conception is much too limited. New forms of communication are providing citizens with novel ways to gather information and to engage in politics.

courses

POL 6619 - La médiatisation du politique

theme

Varieties and Transformation in Citizen engagement

Challenges for Learning Citizenship

A Changing Media Landscape

involvement

Member CSDC Steering Committee

Publications