Undisciplined Media Theories Course Description

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The Social Impact of Network Technologies (Undisciplined Media Theories)

Trebor Scholz
Department of Media Study, SUNY at Buffalo
Reg#130825
DMS Rm 247
Fall 2006, Tues/Thurs 1300-1450
Office hours:
Wednesday, 9-10 am and by appointment, Rm 247


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The Social Impact of Emerging Technologies

(Undisciplined Media Theories)
Introduction

This course examines the impact of network technology on society. "The Social Impact of Network Technologies" asks which characteristics of technology impact society and why they affect everyday life the way they do. It approaches these broad questions by examining topics within a context of "informational capitalism" (Brown, Duguid, Castells); technology's internal logic and efficiency versus real human needs (Elul); the way in which people have communicated across distances for centuries (Standage); uncontrolled technological development (Winner); the question of neutrality of technology (Feenberg); the rise of networked individualism, computer-mediated self-help, and participation in the information society (Keeble, Loader); and the future of networked objects (Sterling).

The course combines literature from the field of media history such as The Technological Society by Jacques Ellul with media theory that is widely circulated on mailing lists, open access journals, and weblogs. Such experimental theory could be called "undisciplined media theory," it is largely refused by the academic, institutionalized canon and yet it exerts a viral, untamed power of inspiration.

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Readings

  • week 1. 08/29 and 09/01


Ellul, J. (1964) The Technological Society. New York: Vintage Books.

  • week 2. 09/05 and 09/07

Wenger, E., McDermott, R., Snyder, W. (2002) Cultivating Communities of Practice. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. PRESENTER: Derek

  • week 3. 09/12 and 09/14

Standage, T. (1998) The Victorian Internet. The Remarkable Story of the Telegraph and the Nineteenth Century's Online Pioneers. New York: Berkley Books. PRESENTER: Michael

  • week 4. 09/19 and 09/21

Tuesday, September 19 - Day of Learning (Classes cancelled)
Winner, L. (1977) Autonomous Technology. Technics-out-of-Control as a Theme of Political Thought. PRESENTER: Aaron

  • week 5. 09/26 and 09/28

Feenberg, A. (2002) Transforming Technology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. PRESENTER: Chris

  • week 6. 10/03 and 10/05

Brown, J. S., Duguid, P. (2002) The Social Life of Information. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. PRESENTER: Derek

  • week 7. 10/10 and 10/12

Hardin, R. (1982) Collective Action. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press. PRESENTER: Loren

  • week 8. 10/17 and 10/19 (Thursday: instructor at Architecture and Situated Technologies Symposium)

Warschauer, M. (2003) Technology and Social Inclusion. Rethinking the Digital Divide. Cambridge: MIT Press. PRESENTER: Aaron

  • week 9. 10/24 and 10/26 (Thursday Instructor at Rethinking Marxism conference)

D. (2004) We the Media. Grassroots journalism by the people, for the people. Cambridge: O'Reilly. PRESENTER: Loren

  • week 10. 10/31 and 11/02


Sterling, B. (2005) Shaping Things. Cambridge: MIT Press. PRESENTER: Chris

  • week 11. 11/07 and 11/09

Keeble, L., Loader, B. eds. (2001) Community Informatics. Shaping Computer-Mediated Social Relations. London: Routledge. PRESENTER: Derek

  • week 12. 11/14 and 11/16

Castells, M. (2000) The Rise of the Network Society. London: Blackwell. PRESENTER: Michael

  • week 13. 11/21 class and 11/23 fall recess

Willinsky, J. (2006) The Access Principle. The Case for Open Access to Research and Scholarship. Cambridge: MIT Press. PRESENTER: Derek

  • week 14. 11/28 and 11/30

  • week 15. 12/05 and 12/07

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