Introduction
Globalization, while not limited to technological change, is strongly tied to the rise of information and communication technology (ICT). Mediated by social and cultural configurations, it is modern ICT that makes global and quasi-instantaneous circulation of messages, images and sounds feasible. The computer as a true multi-medium plays a central role in the emergence of social forms that are no longer bound by physical space but span the developed and developing world. In order to understand these new modes of communication and interaction we have to think technology and culture together and retrace the particular mediations and transformations that tie them together. Critical analysis demands a vertical perspective that connects the technological substrata with the complex configurations that surface on the level of sociability and culture. When we look at phenomena like blogging, social networks, very large scale communications or collaborative information filtering only a hybrid approach can provide adequate understanding.
But such a perspective is not only necessary for the theoretical appraisal of Technoculture but also for the shift from analysis to action; for when society changes, strategies for commercial positioning have to change accordingly. Giddens’ assessment of globalization being accompanied by local diversification is mirrored by new perspectives in marketing that take into account the increasing division into subcultures and strive to adapt theories and methods to the new situations. Viral marketing, Web analytics, participatory campaigns and product design, “the long tail” and the concept of an “attention economy” are examples in this context.
General elements:
- An important intellectual axis will be the concept of interaction between the double movement of deterritorialization and deterritorialization – dissolution and reproduction: Social forms and cultural configurations are lost and cognitive stability breaks down; but new forms are produced and new modes of stability and orientation emerge.
- The dichotomy between technology and culture has to be put into question. The class will therefore rely strongly on concepts like technoculture, hybridity, sociodigitization, imbrication, etc.
- Critical analysis and market-oriented practices need not be in contradiction. We rely on the concept of “critical industrial practice”.
- We will be looking at different social morphologies (network, community, mob) and see how we need to bring together different conceptual strains to fully understand them.
The course is divided into four phases:
- Introduction
- Socio-technical Morphologies
- Three vectors of analysis and action
- Paper presentations
Books
- Robert Latham, Saskia Sassen (Eds.): Digital Formations. IT and New Architectures in the Global Realm. Princeton University Press, 2005
- Manuel Castells: The Internet Galaxy. Oxford University Press, 2003
- A course reader is available on Blackboard
Grading
Grades will depend on the following elements:
- Attendance, general participation and ongoing coursework: 50 percent
- Research paper (~20 pages) and presentation: 50 percent
Grading Scale:
- A 93-100 ; A- 90-92
- B+ 87-89 ; B 83-86 ; B- 80-82
- C+ 77-79 ; C 73-76 ; C- 70-72
- D+ 67-69 ; D 63-66 ; D- 60-62
- F 0-59