Between the “Battlefield” Metaphor and Promises of Generativity: Contrasting Discourses on Cyberconflict

This article proposes a theoretical assessment of discourses on cyberconflict, and of their relation to the current perception of the state of cyberspace. By contrasting the “battlefield” approaches to cyberconflict with theoretical and factual materials on its social and political impacts, this article suggests that the “battlefield” terminology frames the discussion of online security within a drive for the “militarization” of cyberspace. It concludes by presenting generativity-based perspectives as a contribution towards addressing contemporary challenges to network politics in cyberconflict theoretical frameworks.