Denise writes:
Internet studies will continue to have 'border
disputes' with cultural studies, new media studies,
and most recently, cyberculture studies.
Hmmm....perhaps I take your words out of context, but I'm compelled leap
into this conversation; these are not borders, these areas constitute
(with others) the very midst of what many of us do in what we call
Internet Studies.
To respond to Matt's question:
if there is value in shifting the
debate
away from the noun, discipline, to the verb 'to discipline'
(obviously
following Foucault here)? I think that disciplines are defined, mostly,
by
the processes and actions which maintain and perpetuate them, rather than
by
the boundaries or terrain which they enclose.
I would say, YES, there is value in this shift. It is a vital
reminder that the way we conceptualize any term will influence the way we
think about it and respond to it. There is much value in
considering the extent to which our language in defining Internet Studies
will influence how we eventually see the reality of it....of course, even
as I say this, I wonder if it's just inevitable that we'll be framed,
encapsulated, and disciplined by any term we choose.
Still, there's merit in giving careful consideration to how we might
frame our endeavors, so that we may choose rather than simply fall into
preconceived terms and metaphors.
Terms are pragmatic entities, as Christian Nelson reminds us. But
they are also spaces for resistance, change, evolution, etc.
We are in the unique position of enacting something different, reshaping
what it means to work together in a community of
not-necessarily-like-minded scholars in a truly global sense. What
we actually do seems to transcend the bounds of the term
"discipline" (as a containment metaphor). Considering
"discipline" as Foucault does certainly brings a different and
very useful set of issues to our discussion.
Cheers,
annette
******************
Annette N. Markham, Ph.D.
Department of Communication
University of Illinois at Chicago
1007 W. Harrison St. (m/c 132)
Chicago, IL 60607-7137
Tel: 312-413-2124
amarkham@uic.edu
Life
Online: Researching Real Experiences in Virtual Space
******************