Habermas’s public sphere theory remains central to scholarly debates about ‘publics’. It frames the conditions of deliberative spheres that articulate public interest goals and the role of communication in political life. Beyond the Global North, however, our understanding of such deliberative spheres in other world regions remains marginal. The few existing approaches narrowly view the public sphere from the standpoint of media and civil society. This course will question whether different deliberative publics exist and in what form. Focusing particularly on Africa and the Global South, more broadly, the course will highlight the varieties of deliberative forums and their political relevance.