Technology as ideologically neutral?
Dear AoIRists, I'm trying to gather both accessible and, to some degree, "landmark" or foundational literature that can be used to (gently) challenge a view I keep encountering in certain circles lately - namely, that technology in general and the Internet in particular is "ideologically neutral". Such a view was around in the U.S. in the early days of the Internet - but countered in at least two ways; those who took up Social Construction of Technology and related theory from ST studies, including discussion of "affordances", etc. - and then the very ideological claims (roughly: California libertarian technological utopianism) that went from claims such as "the internet interprets censorship as damage, and routes around it" to claims that the Internet embedded and fostered specially U.S. (neoliberal) values of individualism, freedom of expression, and free market capitalism. For better and for worse, however, my impression is that in our communities, at least, the recognition that the technologies embed and foster specific cultural values and communicative preferences (as I like to put it on the basis of the CATaC conferences) has been more or less a given for quite some time. Hence, having to re-visit and re-establish these understandings for those for whom this recognition is apparently quite new is a bit of a challenge. Any suggestions for literature, etc., would be most appreciated. Many thanks in advance, - charles ess -- Until August 31, 2012: Professor MSO Media Studies, Institute for Aesthetics and Communication Aarhus University Helsingforsgade 14 8200 Aarhus Denmark
From 1. Sept. 2012: Associate Professor in Media Studies Department of Media and Communication Forskningsparken II Gaustadalléen 21 0349 Oslo Norway
Lifetime member, AoIR ³At vove er at miste fodfæstet for en stund, ikke at vove er at miste sig selv² [To dare is to lose your footing for an hour; not to dare is to lose yourself] - Kierkegaard
Charles, I'd start with what I regard as a seminal work on this question: Andrew Feenberg's Critical Theory of Technology (1991), which lays out a very useful heuristic distinction between instrumental ("technology is neutral"), substantive, and critical perspectives on technology development and use. Don't make your challenge too gentle. :) Best, Jim Porter Dear AoIRists, I'm trying to gather both accessible and, to some degree, "landmark" or foundational literature that can be used to (gently) challenge a view I keep encountering in certain circles lately - namely, that technology in general and the Internet in particular is "ideologically neutral". Such a view was around in the U.S. in the early days of the Internet - but countered in at least two ways; those who took up Social Construction of Technology and related theory from ST studies, including discussion of "affordances", etc. - and then the very ideological claims (roughly: California libertarian technological utopianism) that went from claims such as "the internet interprets censorship as damage, and routes around it" to claims that the Internet embedded and fostered specially U.S. (neoliberal) values of individualism, freedom of expression, and free market capitalism. For better and for worse, however, my impression is that in our communities, at least, the recognition that the technologies embed and foster specific cultural values and communicative preferences (as I like to put it on the basis of the CATaC conferences) has been more or less a given for quite some time. Hence, having to re-visit and re-establish these understandings for those for whom this recognition is apparently quite new is a bit of a challenge. Any suggestions for literature, etc., would be most appreciated. Many thanks in advance, - charles ess -- Until August 31, 2012: Professor MSO Media Studies, Institute for Aesthetics and Communication Aarhus University Helsingforsgade 14 8200 Aarhus Denmark From 1. Sept. 2012: Associate Professor in Media Studies Department of Media and Communication Forskningsparken II Gaustadalléen 21 0349 Oslo Norway Lifetime member, AoIR ³At vove er at miste fodfæstet for en stund, ikke at vove er at miste sig selv² [To dare is to lose your footing for an hour; not to dare is to lose yourself] - Kierkegaard _______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org<mailto:Air-L@listserv.aoir.org> mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/ ------------------------------------ James E. Porter Professor, Department of English and Armstrong Institute for Interactive Media Studies Department of English Bachelor Hall 356A Miami University Oxford, OH 45056 email: porterje@muohio.edu twitter: http://twitter.com/reachjim web: http://www.units.muohio.edu/english/People/Faculty/I_P/PorterJames.html ------------------------------------
Greetings, and thank you for reminding us of this important issue. Regarding the notion that technology in general is not ideologically neutral, the late Neil Postman immediately comes to mind, as well as other scholars such as Jacques Ellul, who have been identified with the intellectual tradition Postman led, media ecology. Two relevant classics which have stood the test of time, although they don't mention the Internet specifically: Postman, N. (1992). Technopoly: The surrender of culture to technology. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Ellul, J. (1964). The technological society (J. Wilkinson, Trans.). New York: Vintage Books. (Original work published 1954) Regards to all, Janet Janet Sternberg, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Communication and Media Studies Latin American and Latino Studies Fordham University Bronx, NY 10458-9993 USA 718-817-4855 voice | 718-817-4868 fax jsternberg@fordham.edu | janet.sternberg@nyu.edu http://www.media-ecology.org/ Charles Ess wrote:
Dear AoIRists, I'm trying to gather both accessible and, to some degree, "landmark" or foundational literature that can be used to (gently) challenge a view I keep encountering in certain circles lately - namely, that technology in general and the Internet in particular is "ideologically neutral".
Such a view was around in the U.S. in the early days of the Internet - but countered in at least two ways; those who took up Social Construction of Technology and related theory from ST studies, including discussion of "affordances", etc. - and then the very ideological claims (roughly: California libertarian technological utopianism) that went from claims such as "the internet interprets censorship as damage, and routes around it" to claims that the Internet embedded and fostered specially U.S. (neoliberal) values of individualism, freedom of expression, and free market capitalism.
For better and for worse, however, my impression is that in our communities, at least, the recognition that the technologies embed and foster specific cultural values and communicative preferences (as I like to put it on the basis of the CATaC conferences) has been more or less a given for quite some time. Hence, having to re-visit and re-establish these understandings for those for whom this recognition is apparently quite new is a bit of a challenge.
Any suggestions for literature, etc., would be most appreciated.
Many thanks in advance, - charles ess
Hi Charles, I'd also suggest Postman's 1985 book, Amusing Ourselves to Death. He focuses on television, but I'd say it's still applicable. Peter On Thu, Jul 5, 2012 at 9:04 AM, Janet Sternberg <janet.sternberg@nyu.edu> wrote:
Greetings, and thank you for reminding us of this important issue.
Regarding the notion that technology in general is not ideologically neutral, the late Neil Postman immediately comes to mind, as well as other scholars such as Jacques Ellul, who have been identified with the intellectual tradition Postman led, media ecology. Two relevant classics which have stood the test of time, although they don't mention the Internet specifically:
Postman, N. (1992). Technopoly: The surrender of culture to technology. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Ellul, J. (1964). The technological society (J. Wilkinson, Trans.). New York: Vintage Books. (Original work published 1954)
Regards to all, Janet
Janet Sternberg, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Communication and Media Studies Latin American and Latino Studies Fordham University Bronx, NY 10458-9993 USA 718-817-4855 voice | 718-817-4868 fax jsternberg@fordham.edu | janet.sternberg@nyu.edu http://www.media-ecology.org/
Charles Ess wrote:
Dear AoIRists, I'm trying to gather both accessible and, to some degree, "landmark" or foundational literature that can be used to (gently) challenge a view I keep encountering in certain circles lately - namely, that technology in general and the Internet in particular is "ideologically neutral".
Such a view was around in the U.S. in the early days of the Internet - but countered in at least two ways; those who took up Social Construction of Technology and related theory from ST studies, including discussion of "affordances", etc. - and then the very ideological claims (roughly: California libertarian technological utopianism) that went from claims such as "the internet interprets censorship as damage, and routes around it" to claims that the Internet embedded and fostered specially U.S. (neoliberal) values of individualism, freedom of expression, and free market capitalism.
For better and for worse, however, my impression is that in our communities, at least, the recognition that the technologies embed and foster specific cultural values and communicative preferences (as I like to put it on the basis of the CATaC conferences) has been more or less a given for quite some time. Hence, having to re-visit and re-establish these understandings for those for whom this recognition is apparently quite new is a bit of a challenge.
Any suggestions for literature, etc., would be most appreciated.
Many thanks in advance, - charles ess
_______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
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-- Peter Joseph Gloviczki, Ph.D. http://petergloviczki.com
Great to hear that you're focusing on this Charles. It's something I've noticed too - general discourse seems to have swung too far the other way now, describing technology as neutral, when in fact, social plug-ins and the very nature of website architecture (just like real-world architecture) influences behaviour, to varying degrees. And is designed with certain ideologies in mind. Neil Postman jumped to my mind - especially 'Amusing Ourselves to Death'. In the most recent reprinting, the 25th anniversary of its publication, his son writes an interesting prologue, comparing 1984 and Brave New World's differing viewpoints, basically re-iterating Postman's claim that Huxley was closer to the truth in his prediction (at least in developed, tech-rich westernised worlds) - that technology would ultimately blend in to everyday living and users would question the underlying mechanics less and less. Thus dumbing down public discourse, homogenising. Jaron Lenier's 'You are not a gadget' is a fun (provocative) read too. Regards, Jeremy. Jeremy Blackman Senior Cybersafety Specialist The Alannah and Madeline Foundation Level 1, 256 Clarendon Street | PO Box 5192 South Melbourne VIC 3205 t. 03 9697 0627 | f. 03 9690 5644 | m. 0438 066 625 w. www.amf.org.au | Follow us on Facebook This email and its attachments are for the sole use of the addressee and may contain information which is confidential and/or legally privileged. This email and its attachments are subject to copyright and should not be partly or wholly reproduced without the consent of the copyright owner. Any unauthorised use of disclosure of this email or its attachments is prohibited. If you receive this email in error, please immediately delete it from your system and notify the sender by return email. Jeremy Blackman Senior Cybersafety Specialist The Alannah and Madeline Foundation Level 1, 256 Clarendon Street | PO Box 5192 South Melbourne VIC 3205 t. 03 9697 0627 | f. 03 9690 5644 | m. 0438 066 625 w. www.amf.org.au | Follow us on Facebook This email and its attachments are for the sole use of the addressee and may contain information which is confidential and/or legally privileged. This email and its attachments are subject to copyright and should not be partly or wholly reproduced without the consent of the copyright owner. Any unauthorised use of disclosure of this email or its attachments is prohibited. If you receive this email in error, please immediately delete it from your system and notify the sender by return email. -----Original Message----- From: air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org [mailto:air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Janet Sternberg Sent: Friday, 6 July 2012 12:04 AM To: Air list Subject: Re: [Air-L] Technology as ideologically neutral? Greetings, and thank you for reminding us of this important issue. Regarding the notion that technology in general is not ideologically neutral, the late Neil Postman immediately comes to mind, as well as other scholars such as Jacques Ellul, who have been identified with the intellectual tradition Postman led, media ecology. Two relevant classics which have stood the test of time, although they don't mention the Internet specifically: Postman, N. (1992). Technopoly: The surrender of culture to technology. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Ellul, J. (1964). The technological society (J. Wilkinson, Trans.). New York: Vintage Books. (Original work published 1954) Regards to all, Janet Janet Sternberg, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Communication and Media Studies Latin American and Latino Studies Fordham University Bronx, NY 10458-9993 USA 718-817-4855 voice | 718-817-4868 fax jsternberg@fordham.edu | janet.sternberg@nyu.edu http://www.media-ecology.org/ Charles Ess wrote:
Dear AoIRists, I'm trying to gather both accessible and, to some degree, "landmark" or foundational literature that can be used to (gently) challenge a view I keep encountering in certain circles lately - namely, that technology in general and the Internet in particular is "ideologically neutral".
Such a view was around in the U.S. in the early days of the Internet -
but countered in at least two ways; those who took up Social Construction of Technology and related theory from ST studies, including discussion of "affordances", etc. - and then the very ideological claims (roughly: California libertarian technological utopianism) that went from claims
such as "the internet interprets censorship as damage, and routes around it" to claims that the Internet embedded and fostered specially
U.S. (neoliberal) values of individualism, freedom of expression, and free market capitalism.
For better and for worse, however, my impression is that in our communities, at least, the recognition that the technologies embed and
foster specific cultural values and communicative preferences (as I like to put it on the basis of the CATaC conferences) has been more or
less a given for quite some time. Hence, having to re-visit and re-establish these understandings for those for whom this recognition is apparently quite new is a bit of a challenge.
Any suggestions for literature, etc., would be most appreciated.
Many thanks in advance, - charles ess
The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/
Langdon Winner's "Do Artifacts Have Politics?" instantly pops into my mind, also to be found in his book "The Whale and the Reactor: A Search for Limits in an Age of High Technology". Best, CT
________________________________ From: Charles Ess <charles.ess@gmail.com> To: Air list <air-l@listserv.aoir.org> Sent: Thursday, July 5, 2012 4:48 PM Subject: [Air-L] Technology as ideologically neutral?
Dear AoIRists, I'm trying to gather both accessible and, to some degree, "landmark" or foundational literature that can be used to (gently) challenge a view I keep encountering in certain circles lately - namely, that technology in general and the Internet in particular is "ideologically neutral".
Such a view was around in the U.S. in the early days of the Internet - but countered in at least two ways; those who took up Social Construction of Technology and related theory from ST studies, including discussion of "affordances", etc. - and then the very ideological claims (roughly: California libertarian technological utopianism) that went from claims such as "the internet interprets censorship as damage, and routes around it" to claims that the Internet embedded and fostered specially U.S. (neoliberal) values of individualism, freedom of expression, and free market capitalism.
For better and for worse, however, my impression is that in our communities, at least, the recognition that the technologies embed and foster specific cultural values and communicative preferences (as I like to put it on the basis of the CATaC conferences) has been more or less a given for quite some time. Hence, having to re-visit and re-establish these understandings for those for whom this recognition is apparently quite new is a bit of a challenge.
Any suggestions for literature, etc., would be most appreciated.
Many thanks in advance, - charles ess -- Until August 31, 2012: Professor MSO Media Studies, Institute for Aesthetics and Communication Aarhus University Helsingforsgade 14 8200 Aarhus Denmark
From 1. Sept. 2012: Associate Professor in Media Studies Department of Media and Communication Forskningsparken II Gaustadalléen 21 0349 Oslo Norway
Lifetime member, AoIR
³At vove er at miste fodfæstet for en stund, ikke at vove er at miste sig selv² [To dare is to lose your footing for an hour; not to dare is to lose yourself] - Kierkegaard
_______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/
Hi Charles, A couple of old but good ones@ Bruno Latour's article which he published under the Johnson pseudonym: Johnson, J. (1988). Mixing Humans and Nonhumans Together: The Sociology of a Door-Closer. Social Problems, 35(3), 298-310. Daniel Chandler's Shaping and Being Shaped Engaging with Media article from 1996 in the Journal of CMC http://www.december.com/cmc/mag/1996/feb/chandler.html Andrew Feenberg's articles and books: Questioning Technology, And my own very meagre submission Marcus Leaning (2009)The Internet Power and Society: Rethinking the Power of the Internet to Change Lives, Chandos: Oxford. Which is neither landmark nor foundational but, you never know, may be of some small use. Best, Marcus ------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Marcus Leaning Head of Department School of Media and Film University of Winchester -----Original Message----- From: air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org [mailto:air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Cagla Taskin Sent: 05 July 2012 15:15 To: Charles Ess; Air list Subject: Re: [Air-L] Technology as ideologically neutral? Langdon Winner's "Do Artifacts Have Politics?" instantly pops into my mind, also to be found in his book "The Whale and the Reactor: A Search for Limits in an Age of High Technology". Best, CT
________________________________ From: Charles Ess <charles.ess@gmail.com> To: Air list <air-l@listserv.aoir.org> Sent: Thursday, July 5, 2012 4:48 PM Subject: [Air-L] Technology as ideologically neutral?
Dear AoIRists, I'm trying to gather both accessible and, to some degree, "landmark" or foundational literature that can be used to (gently) challenge a view I keep encountering in certain circles lately - namely, that technology in general and the Internet in particular is "ideologically neutral".
Such a view was around in the U.S. in the early days of the Internet - but countered in at least two ways; those who took up Social Construction of Technology and related theory from ST studies, including discussion of "affordances", etc. - and then the very ideological claims (roughly: California libertarian technological utopianism) that went from claims such as "the internet interprets censorship as damage, and routes around it" to claims that the Internet embedded and fostered specially U.S. (neoliberal) values of individualism, freedom of expression, and free market capitalism.
For better and for worse, however, my impression is that in our communities, at least, the recognition that the technologies embed and foster specific cultural values and communicative preferences (as I like to put it on the basis of the CATaC conferences) has been more or less a given for quite some time. Hence, having to re-visit and re-establish these understandings for those for whom this recognition is apparently quite new is a bit of a challenge.
Any suggestions for literature, etc., would be most appreciated.
Many thanks in advance, - charles ess -- Until August 31, 2012: Professor MSO Media Studies, Institute for Aesthetics and Communication Aarhus University Helsingforsgade 14 8200 Aarhus Denmark
From 1. Sept. 2012: Associate Professor in Media Studies Department of Media and Communication Forskningsparken II Gaustadalléen 21 0349 Oslo Norway
Lifetime member, AoIR
³At vove er at miste fodfæstet for en stund, ikke at vove er at miste sig selv² [To dare is to lose your footing for an hour; not to dare is to lose yourself] - Kierkegaard
_______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/
_______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/ University of Winchester, a private charitable company limited by guarantee in England and Wales number 5969256. Registered Office: Sparkford Road, Winchester, Hampshire SO22 4NR
In addition to the classics of Winner, Mumford, and Ellul (mention by others): Norman Balabanian Presumed neutrality of technology d=2003 a=Amherst, New York bt=Controlling technology: contemporary issues ed=2 e=Eric Katz, Andrew Light, William Thompson p=Prometheus Books r=20070119 Eugene S. Ferguson Toward a discipline of the history of technology d=197401 j=Technology and Culture n=1 pp=13-30 v=15 r=20080222 Mary Flanagan, Daniel Howe, Helen Nissenbaum Embodying values in technology: theory and practice d=2006 bt=Information Technology and Moral Philosophy e=Jeroen van den Hoven, John Weckert ch=16 a=Cambridge, UK p=Cambridge University Press r=20060325 Melvin Kranzberg Technology and history: "Kranzberg's Laws" d=198607 j=Technology and Culture n=31 pp=544-560 v=27 r=20080401 Arnold Pacey Technology: practice and culture d=2003 a=Amherst, New York bt=Controlling technology: contemporary issues ed=2 e=Eric Katz, Andrew Light, William Thompson p=Prometheus Books r=20070119 http://carbon.cudenver.edu/stc-link/weblink/water/materials/pacey.html Russell Woodruff Artifacts, neutrality, and the ambiguity of "use" d=2003 a=Amherst, New York bt=Controlling technology: contemporary issues ed=2 e=Eric Katz, Andrew Light, William Thompson p=Prometheus Books r=20070119
One more: *Sally Wyatt (2008)*. *Technological Determinism is Dead*; Long Live Technological Determinism. The Handbook of Science & Technology Studies, MIT Press. Best, Bárbara Barbosa Neves Assistant Professor of Sociology ISCSP, Technical University of Lisbon Rua Professor Almerindo Lessa, 1300-663 Lisboa Portugal www.bbneves.com On Thu, Jul 5, 2012 at 2:48 PM, Charles Ess <charles.ess@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear AoIRists, I'm trying to gather both accessible and, to some degree, "landmark" or foundational literature that can be used to (gently) challenge a view I keep encountering in certain circles lately - namely, that technology in general and the Internet in particular is "ideologically neutral".
Such a view was around in the U.S. in the early days of the Internet - but countered in at least two ways; those who took up Social Construction of Technology and related theory from ST studies, including discussion of "affordances", etc. - and then the very ideological claims (roughly: California libertarian technological utopianism) that went from claims such as "the internet interprets censorship as damage, and routes around it" to claims that the Internet embedded and fostered specially U.S. (neoliberal) values of individualism, freedom of expression, and free market capitalism.
For better and for worse, however, my impression is that in our communities, at least, the recognition that the technologies embed and foster specific cultural values and communicative preferences (as I like to put it on the basis of the CATaC conferences) has been more or less a given for quite some time. Hence, having to re-visit and re-establish these understandings for those for whom this recognition is apparently quite new is a bit of a challenge.
Any suggestions for literature, etc., would be most appreciated.
Many thanks in advance, - charles ess -- Until August 31, 2012: Professor MSO Media Studies, Institute for Aesthetics and Communication Aarhus University Helsingforsgade 14 8200 Aarhus Denmark
From 1. Sept. 2012: Associate Professor in Media Studies Department of Media and Communication Forskningsparken II Gaustadalléen 21 0349 Oslo Norway
Lifetime member, AoIR
³At vove er at miste fodfæstet for en stund, ikke at vove er at miste sig selv² [To dare is to lose your footing for an hour; not to dare is to lose yourself] - Kierkegaard
_______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
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Hi Charles, maybe my article "Algorithmic Ideology. How capitalist society shapes search engines" is useful too: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1369118X.2012.676056 Best, Astrid Am 05.07.12 16:47, schrieb Barbara Barbosa Neves:
One more:
*Sally Wyatt (2008)*. *Technological Determinism is Dead*; Long Live Technological Determinism. The Handbook of Science& Technology Studies, MIT Press.
Best,
Bárbara Barbosa Neves Assistant Professor of Sociology ISCSP, Technical University of Lisbon Rua Professor Almerindo Lessa, 1300-663 Lisboa Portugal
www.bbneves.com
On Thu, Jul 5, 2012 at 2:48 PM, Charles Ess<charles.ess@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear AoIRists, I'm trying to gather both accessible and, to some degree, "landmark" or foundational literature that can be used to (gently) challenge a view I keep encountering in certain circles lately - namely, that technology in general and the Internet in particular is "ideologically neutral".
Such a view was around in the U.S. in the early days of the Internet - but countered in at least two ways; those who took up Social Construction of Technology and related theory from ST studies, including discussion of "affordances", etc. - and then the very ideological claims (roughly: California libertarian technological utopianism) that went from claims such as "the internet interprets censorship as damage, and routes around it" to claims that the Internet embedded and fostered specially U.S. (neoliberal) values of individualism, freedom of expression, and free market capitalism.
For better and for worse, however, my impression is that in our communities, at least, the recognition that the technologies embed and foster specific cultural values and communicative preferences (as I like to put it on the basis of the CATaC conferences) has been more or less a given for quite some time. Hence, having to re-visit and re-establish these understandings for those for whom this recognition is apparently quite new is a bit of a challenge.
Any suggestions for literature, etc., would be most appreciated.
Many thanks in advance, - charles ess -- Until August 31, 2012: Professor MSO Media Studies, Institute for Aesthetics and Communication Aarhus University Helsingforsgade 14 8200 Aarhus Denmark
From 1. Sept. 2012: Associate Professor in Media Studies Department of Media and Communication Forskningsparken II Gaustadalléen 21 0349 Oslo Norway
Lifetime member, AoIR
³At vove er at miste fodfæstet for en stund, ikke at vove er at miste sig selv² [To dare is to lose your footing for an hour; not to dare is to lose yourself] - Kierkegaard
_______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/
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For historical perspectives documenting the case for development of some comm technologies, Carolyn Marvin's When Old Technologies Were New, Susan Douglas' Inventing American Broadcasting and Tom Streeter's Selling the Air: A Critique of the Policy of Commercial Broadcasting in the United States are insightful. Marvin's and Douglas' are particularly accessible. Streeter's The Net Effect: Romanticism, Capitalism, and the Internet (2010) may also be relevant, but I can't say for sure as it's on my list of yet to be read. Christopher J. Richter Associate Professor Communication Studies Hollins University PO Box 9652 Roanoke, VA 24020 540-362-6358 ________________________________________ From: air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org [air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Charles Ess [charles.ess@gmail.com] Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2012 9:48 AM To: Air list Subject: [Air-L] Technology as ideologically neutral? Dear AoIRists, I'm trying to gather both accessible and, to some degree, "landmark" or foundational literature that can be used to (gently) challenge a view I keep encountering in certain circles lately - namely, that technology in general and the Internet in particular is "ideologically neutral". Such a view was around in the U.S. in the early days of the Internet - but countered in at least two ways; those who took up Social Construction of Technology and related theory from ST studies, including discussion of "affordances", etc. - and then the very ideological claims (roughly: California libertarian technological utopianism) that went from claims such as "the internet interprets censorship as damage, and routes around it" to claims that the Internet embedded and fostered specially U.S. (neoliberal) values of individualism, freedom of expression, and free market capitalism. For better and for worse, however, my impression is that in our communities, at least, the recognition that the technologies embed and foster specific cultural values and communicative preferences (as I like to put it on the basis of the CATaC conferences) has been more or less a given for quite some time. Hence, having to re-visit and re-establish these understandings for those for whom this recognition is apparently quite new is a bit of a challenge. Any suggestions for literature, etc., would be most appreciated. Many thanks in advance, - charles ess -- Until August 31, 2012: Professor MSO Media Studies, Institute for Aesthetics and Communication Aarhus University Helsingforsgade 14 8200 Aarhus Denmark
From 1. Sept. 2012: Associate Professor in Media Studies Department of Media and Communication Forskningsparken II Gaustadalléen 21 0349 Oslo Norway
Lifetime member, AoIR ³At vove er at miste fodfæstet for en stund, ikke at vove er at miste sig selv² [To dare is to lose your footing for an hour; not to dare is to lose yourself] - Kierkegaard _______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/
I have wondered if this at root comes from the US "guns are neutral" argument given the ideological leanings of some early Internet promoters. -----Original Message----- From: air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org [mailto:air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Charles Ess Sent: July-05-12 9:48 AM To: Air list Subject: [Air-L] Technology as ideologically neutral? Dear AoIRists, I'm trying to gather both accessible and, to some degree, "landmark" or foundational literature that can be used to (gently) challenge a view I keep encountering in certain circles lately - namely, that technology in general and the Internet in particular is "ideologically neutral". Such a view was around in the U.S. in the early days of the Internet - but countered in at least two ways; those who took up Social Construction of Technology and related theory from ST studies, including discussion of "affordances", etc. - and then the very ideological claims (roughly: California libertarian technological utopianism) that went from claims such as "the internet interprets censorship as damage, and routes around it" to claims that the Internet embedded and fostered specially U.S. (neoliberal) values of individualism, freedom of expression, and free market capitalism. For better and for worse, however, my impression is that in our communities, at least, the recognition that the technologies embed and foster specific cultural values and communicative preferences (as I like to put it on the basis of the CATaC conferences) has been more or less a given for quite some time. Hence, having to re-visit and re-establish these understandings for those for whom this recognition is apparently quite new is a bit of a challenge. Any suggestions for literature, etc., would be most appreciated. Many thanks in advance, - charles ess -- Until August 31, 2012: Professor MSO Media Studies, Institute for Aesthetics and Communication Aarhus University Helsingforsgade 14 8200 Aarhus Denmark
From 1. Sept. 2012: Associate Professor in Media Studies Department of Media and Communication Forskningsparken II Gaustadalléen 21 0349 Oslo Norway
Lifetime member, AoIR ³At vove er at miste fodfæstet for en stund, ikke at vove er at miste sig selv² [To dare is to lose your footing for an hour; not to dare is to lose yourself] - Kierkegaard _______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/
Hi Charles, and AoIRists, This is a terrific bibliography already. I grappled with a very similar concern a few years ago in the context of technology consumption, read many/most of the works cited here, and wrote an article directly on this point. Here is the reference: Kozinets, Robert V. (2008), “Technology/Ideology: How Ideological Fields Influence Consumers’ Technology Narratives.” *Journal of Consumer Research*, 34 (April), 864-881. The paper's references also offer some additional new readings beyond those mentioned here. If anyone would like a pdf of the paper, email me directly and I'd be happy to send it. Best Regards, Rob. -- Robert V. Kozinets Professor of Marketing, Chair of Marketing Dept. Schulich School of Business--York University 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON Canada M3J 1P3 Office: +1 416-736-2100 x. 20513 Brandthroposophy: http://www.kozinets.net On Thu, Jul 5, 2012 at 9:48 AM, Charles Ess <charles.ess@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear AoIRists, I'm trying to gather both accessible and, to some degree, "landmark" or foundational literature that can be used to (gently) challenge a view I keep encountering in certain circles lately - namely, that technology in general and the Internet in particular is "ideologically neutral".
Such a view was around in the U.S. in the early days of the Internet - but countered in at least two ways; those who took up Social Construction of Technology and related theory from ST studies, including discussion of "affordances", etc. - and then the very ideological claims (roughly: California libertarian technological utopianism) that went from claims such as "the internet interprets censorship as damage, and routes around it" to claims that the Internet embedded and fostered specially U.S. (neoliberal) values of individualism, freedom of expression, and free market capitalism.
For better and for worse, however, my impression is that in our communities, at least, the recognition that the technologies embed and foster specific cultural values and communicative preferences (as I like to put it on the basis of the CATaC conferences) has been more or less a given for quite some time. Hence, having to re-visit and re-establish these understandings for those for whom this recognition is apparently quite new is a bit of a challenge.
Any suggestions for literature, etc., would be most appreciated.
Many thanks in advance, - charles ess -- Until August 31, 2012: Professor MSO Media Studies, Institute for Aesthetics and Communication Aarhus University Helsingforsgade 14 8200 Aarhus Denmark
From 1. Sept. 2012: Associate Professor in Media Studies Department of Media and Communication Forskningsparken II Gaustadalléen 21 0349 Oslo Norway
Lifetime member, AoIR
³At vove er at miste fodfæstet for en stund, ikke at vove er at miste sig selv² [To dare is to lose your footing for an hour; not to dare is to lose yourself] - Kierkegaard
_______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/
Charles Don Ihde's work from 1990, Technology and the lifeworld might also add to all the good suggestions already posted on your request. Also, the work of David Nye, Lucas Introna, Michael Heim & Albert Borgmann to mention a few others. Finally, as always if you ask me Martin Heidegger and his The Question concerning Technology and other Essays and Herbert Marcuse's One Dimensional Man. There is hardly anymore seminal than that. Anna On Jul 5, 2012, at 3:48 PM, Charles Ess wrote:
Dear AoIRists, I'm trying to gather both accessible and, to some degree, "landmark" or foundational literature that can be used to (gently) challenge a view I keep encountering in certain circles lately - namely, that technology in general and the Internet in particular is "ideologically neutral".
Such a view was around in the U.S. in the early days of the Internet - but countered in at least two ways; those who took up Social Construction of Technology and related theory from ST studies, including discussion of "affordances", etc. - and then the very ideological claims (roughly: California libertarian technological utopianism) that went from claims such as "the internet interprets censorship as damage, and routes around it" to claims that the Internet embedded and fostered specially U.S. (neoliberal) values of individualism, freedom of expression, and free market capitalism.
For better and for worse, however, my impression is that in our communities, at least, the recognition that the technologies embed and foster specific cultural values and communicative preferences (as I like to put it on the basis of the CATaC conferences) has been more or less a given for quite some time. Hence, having to re-visit and re-establish these understandings for those for whom this recognition is apparently quite new is a bit of a challenge.
Any suggestions for literature, etc., would be most appreciated.
Many thanks in advance, - charles ess -- Until August 31, 2012: Professor MSO Media Studies, Institute for Aesthetics and Communication Aarhus University Helsingforsgade 14 8200 Aarhus Denmark
From 1. Sept. 2012: Associate Professor in Media Studies Department of Media and Communication Forskningsparken II Gaustadalléen 21 0349 Oslo Norway
Lifetime member, AoIR
“At vove er at miste fodfæstet for en stund, ikke at vove er at miste sig selv” [To dare is to lose your footing for an hour; not to dare is to lose yourself] - Kierkegaard
_______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/
Yes, Marcuse has... Marcuse, H. (1998). Some social implications of modern technology. In D. Kellner (Ed.), Technology, War, and Fascism (pp. 39-66). London: New York: Routledge. 2012/7/5 Anna Croon Fors <acroon@informatik.umu.se>
Don Ihde's work from 1990, Technology and the lifeworld might also add to all the good suggestions already posted on your request. Also, the work of David Nye, Lucas Introna, Michael Heim & Albert Borgmann to mention a few others. Finally, as always if you ask me Martin Heidegger and his The Question concerning Technology and other Essays and Herbert Marcuse's One Dimensional Man. There is hardly anymore seminal than that.
-- *Cristian Berrío Zapata*
participants (15)
-
Anna Croon Fors -
astrid mager -
Barbara Barbosa Neves -
Cagla Taskin -
Charles Ess -
Christopher J. Richter -
Cristian Berrio Zapata -
Janet Sternberg -
Jeremy Blackman -
Joseph Reagle -
Marcus Leaning -
Peter Gloviczki -
Peter Timusk -
Porter, James E. Dr. -
Robert Kozinets