Classes Index Page

Comparative Studies in Emerging Media

Spring 2006 Syllabus

In the past ten years, the expansion of the internet and the digitization of culture have vastly changed the way Americans, and people all over the world, share information. Libraries of data can now be accessed and exchanged instantaneously from terminals around the globe. Any blogger with a keyboard can weigh in on the issues of our times to an international audience, and hope to build a readership based on nothing other than strength of ideas. Digital production technologies make the tools of the Hollywood pros available to anybody with a Mac. And new models of “open source” software distribution challenge the inequities of the global capitalist economy.

But if new media technology today offers a host of utopian promises, it also inspires dystopian fears: of technology making jobs obsolete, of ubiquitous governmental and corporate surveillance, of the consequences of the pervasive digital divide between the info-haves and -have-nots.

Meanwhile, the American media landscape is in the midst of major transitions:

Traditional news-gathering organizations have been challenged by bloggers, who, scouring the ‘net in their pajamas, are often more informed than the high-powered journalists with the greatest insider “access.”

Television networks continue to lose market share to cable, and now have begun selling episodes through DVD, pay per view, and iTunes.

Movie studios now make over two-thirds of their grosses from DVD sales rather than box office receipts. Box office declined 5% in the US in 2005, as studios began discussing the option of releasing films simultaneously in theaters and on DVD, which could lead to the end of the American custom of going to the movies.

CD sales have been dropping for years, but the music industry now makes billions on ringtone sales, and Apple’s iPod has become on of the most successful consumer products in global history.
Even as the public sphere grows more capacious, the ownership of production and distribution grows more concentrated, as a small number of multinational corporations more powerful than many nation-states continue to expand their mass media oligopolies.

Moore’s Law states that the pace of growth in computing power continuously accellerates. It’s not surprising, then, that the pace of technological change continues to pulse faster and faster.

In the thick of the moment, how can we gain perspective on the present, and insight into the future? One way is to turn to the past, to look at our circumstances in the light of earlier transitional moments. Examining the introduction of the telegraph can help us gain perspective on the rise of the internet. At the same time, studying our projections of the future can also help us understand our present obsessions.

This class, then, will bounce between the past, present and future. At the same time, it will engage a range of methodologies, including cultural studies, social history, journalism, futurism, science studies, science fiction, blogging and Buddhist philosophy.

There are 12 required books:

Ted Friedman, Electric Dreams
James Paul Gee, What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy
Steve Fuller, Kuhn vs. Popper
N. Katherine Hayles, How We Became Post-Human
Carolyn Marvin, When Old Technologies Were New
Jonathan Sterne, The Audible Past
Jonathan Markoff, What the Doormouse Said
Dan Gilmor, We Are the Media
Alex Gallaway, Protocol
Cory Doctrow, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
Peter Morville, Ambient Findability
Joel Garreau, Radical Evolution

Several of the texts are available at GSU bookstores. However, the syllabus has been revised since books were ordered; several books were not ordered, and several of the ordered books are no longer assigned. All of the required books can be ordered online. Additional readings will be distributed in class and via email. The required computer game demo will be available for free download. Audio recordings will be digitally distributed.

Schedule

New Technologies Yesterday and Today

1/9 Introduction

1/16 No class - Martin Luther King Holiday

1/23 Ted Friedman, Electric Dreams

1/30 James Paul Gee, What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and
Literacy
Play the demo of a computer game chosen by the class

Theorizing Scientific and Technological Change

2/6 Steve Fuller, Kuhn vs. Popper
Selections by David Wolfram and Rupert Sheldrake

2/13 N. Katherine Hayles, How We Became Post-Human

When Old Technologies Were New

2/20 Carolyn Marvin, When Old Technologies Were New

2/27 Jonathan Sterne, The Audible Past

3/6 Spring Break - no class

3/13 Jonathan Markoff, What the Doormouse Said

New Media Politics

3/20 Dan Gilmor, We The Media

3/27 Alex Gallaway, Protocol

Extrapolation

4/3 Cory Doctrow, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
Selections by Fredric Jameson and Scott Bukatman

4/10 Peter Morville, Ambient Findability

4/17 Joel Garrau, Radical Evolution

4/24 Dalai Lama XIV, The Universe in a Single Atom as read by Richard Gere
(audio recording to be distributed on mp3)

5/1 Video games at Ted’s house

Assignments

Lead two book discussions – 15% of final grade each, 30% total

You will sign up to lead, with a group, discussions of two books. To prepare for the discussion of the reading, in addition to reading the week’s assignment, research these questions to put the reading in a broader context:

What is the author’s background? What discipline is the author trained in? What else has s/he written? In which journals has s/he published?

What was the reception of the book? How was book reviewed? What criticisms have been made of the author’s work? How has the author responded? Whom has the author influenced?

Then, meet with your group to prepare for a class discussion. Don’t bother summarizing the work. Rather, concentrate on how the work relates to the key questions we’ll be asking all semester. In addition to the research topics, other subjects for discussion should include:

Theoretical debates: In what debates does the work intervene? Where does the author stand? Whom does the author criticize? How does this work move the debate forward?
Methodology: What research methods does the author use? (Possibilities include textual analysis, ethnography, historical research, quantitative social science, etc.) How does the author approach and justify this methodology? What are the advantages and limitations of this methodology?
Example of Analysis: Pick one text, idea or issue that’s either directly addressed by the author, or that can be illuminated by applying the author’s perspective. Show a representative clip or demonstration, if appropriate. Discuss how the author would (or does) interpret the example. What are the strengths and limitations of this interpretation? What alternate interpretations are possible?

Outline the key topics of discussion in a short (1-2 page) handout for the class. There’s no need to include more detail, or to prepare a PowerPoint presentation – the focus should be on presenting material orally and facilitating a good class discussion.

Note: you don’t need to organize your discussion in the order listed above. It may help to present the example up front, to ground your discussion of methodology and theory. It’s often also a good icebreaker to begin discussion by going around the room, asking everybody to answer a specific question related to their response to the book.

New Media Presentation - 9% of final grade

You will pick an example of new media product you find innovative - it could be a game, a website, a cellphone, a movie, etc. You will give a short (10-15 minute) presentation to the class, demonstrating the product and discussing why you find it innovative.

Critical Summaries - 2% of final grade each, 16% total

You will submit 8 1-2 page critical summaries of the assigned texts. Each is graded pass/fail, counting for two points each. Late submissions are not accepted. Critical summaries are not due on the weeks you lead discussion; which other weeks you pick are up to you. Out of 13 assignment weeks, you’ll total 2 presentations, 8 critical summaries, and 3 weeks off.

Each critical summary should focus on the following two issues:

Theoretical debates: What is the author’s key argument? In what theoretical debates is the author engaging? How does this work move the debate forward?
Methodolgy: What is the author’s research strategy? What are the strengths and limitations of this approach?

Final Project: 45% of final grade

You have two options for your final project:

Write a 10-12 page essay on a subject relating to culture and technology.

or

Produce a creative work which experiments with new media forms. The project can be a short film, a screenplay, or a multimedia work. When submitting the final version, include a 3-page essay relating your work to ideas from the class.

For either option, the deadlines are the same:

A one-page proposal is due March 13. I will schedule individual meetings with you to discuss your proposal.
The final version of the paper or project is due May 8.

Attendance Adjustment
As Woody Allen put it, “80 percent of success is showing up.” It’s less than that in this formula, but the bottom line is that you can’t contribute to the class if you’re not there. You’re allowed one unexcused absence for the semester. After that, each unexcused absence subtracts one point from your grade total. Excused absences include medical and family emergencies. You will be expected to schedule any employment responsibilities around this class, or accept the consequences of missed classes for your grade. If you do need to miss a class, please contact me ahead of time, and make arrangements to catch up on missed material.

Policies

Academic Honesty
The university’s policy on academic honesty is published in On Campus: The Undergraduate Co-Curricular Affairs Handbook, available online at http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwcam. The policy prohibits plagiarism, cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration, falsification, and multiple submissions. Violation of the policy will result in failing the class, in addition to possible disciplinary sanctions.

Withdrawals
Students withdrawing on or before the mid-semester point will receive a W provided they are passing the course. Students who withdraw after the mid-semester point will not be eligible for a W except in cases of hardship. If you withdraw after the mid-semester point, you will be assigned a WF, except in those cases in which (1) hardship status is determined by the office of the dean of students because of emergency, employment, or health reasons, and (2) you are passing the course.

Incompletes
Incompletes may be given only in special hardship cases. Incompletes will not be used merely for extending the time for completion of course requirements.

Changes to the Syllabus
This syllabus provides a general plan for the course. Deviations may be necessary.

Posted by tedf at February 10, 2006 04:15 AM

Comments

Post a comment