Syllabus
Formal Assessment: Each student is required to write a 4,000 word essay, proving that the student is capable of critically approaching a relevant question concerning new media studies. It is also necessary to prepare at least a 15-minute long presentation (individually, or as a group consisting of 3 individuals at the most--in such a case the presentation shall take about 30 minutes) summarising the reading of a week or deeper exploration of the chosen issue with relation to the courses themes.
Attendance and active class participation (based on the readings prior the classes) are both required.* Week 1* o New media studies: Introduction
* Week 2* o New vs. old media, Evolution of digital communicationO LIEVROUW, L. A., LIVINGSTONE, S. (2006) Introductions. In: L. A. Lievrouw, S. Livingstone (eds.) The Handbook of New Media. London, Thousand Oaks, New Delhi: Sage, (See p. 1-32) ISBN 1-4129-1873-1Recommended Readings:o LIEVROUW, L. A (2004) ´What’s changed about new media? Introduction to the fifth anniversary issue´. In New Media & Society. Vol. 6(1), p.9-15. ISSN 1461-4448o Poynter Institute: New Media Timeline (1969-2010) created by David B. Shedden, Library Director at Poynter Institute. Available online o ´What’s New about New Media?´ (1999) Special themed section of New Media & Society. Vol. 1(1), p.10-82. ISSN 1461-4448
* Week 3* o New media concepts (Part 1): Network, Information, Interfaceo JENKINS, H. (2008) Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. London, New York: New York University Press. (See Introduction p.1-24) ISBN 978-0-8147-4281-5* Week 4* o New media concepts (Part 2): Archive, Interactivity, Simulationo KIOUSIS, S. (2002) Interactivity: A Concept Explication. In: New Media & Society. Vol. 4(3), p.355-383. ISSN 1461-4448o MANOVICH, L. (2001) The Language of New Media. Cambridge. MA: MIT Press. ISBN 0-262-13374-1 (Look for Manovich´s approach to interactivity; what does he mean by the ´myth of interactivity´?)* Week 5* o ´Old´ theories in new media (traditional media concepts shaped by new media): New media and Culture studies, Frankfurt School, Technological/Media determinismo BENJAMIN, W. (1968) The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. In: Illuminations. New York: Harcout Brace & World. p. 217-251. ISBN 0-8052-0241-2; available also hereo MCLUHAN, M. (2001) Understanding Media. London: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-25397-7 (See chapter 2: Media Hot and Cold)* Week 6* o Reading week: This week is for students to decide upon their reading and their assignments. Initial ideas for essays and reading summaries should be sent to the Guantor-Teacher (Radka Kohutova) at radka_kohut@yahoo.com before midnight Monday 11th November.
* Week 7* o New media in everyday life, Do we need to rethink postmodernity?o MEYEN, M. et al. (2010) ´The internet in everyday life: a typology of internet users´. In: Media, Culture & Society. Vol. 32(5). p.873-882. ISSN 0163-4437o SAMUELS, R. (2010) New Media, Cultural Studies, and Critical Theory after Postmodernism: Automodernity from Zizek to Laclau. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. (See p.27-51) ISBN 978-0-230-61981-4* Week 8* o Information society, First and Second media age, From Web 1.0 to Web 2.0o VAN DIJCK, J., NIEBORG, D.(2009) ´Wikinomics and its discontents: a critical analysis of Web 2.0 business manifestos. In.: New Media & Society. 11(5), pp. 855-874o POSTER, M. (1996) the Second Media Age. Cambridge, Oxford, Cambridge, MA: Polity press. (See chapter 1) ISBN 0-7456-1396-9Recommended Reading:o VAN DIJK, J. A: G. M. (2006) The Network Society. Social Aspects of New Media. London, Thousand Oaks, CA, New Delhi, Singapore: Sage Publications, Ltd. (See chapter 6) ISBN 1-4129-0868-X* Week 9* o Digital storytelling, New media and literary studies, Electronic literatureo HAYLES, K. (2007) Electronic literature: What is it? Available online http://eliterature.org/pad/elp.html
Recommended Readings:o MURRAY, J. (1997) Hamlet on the Holodeck: The Future of Narrative in Cyberspace. Cambridge: MIT Press. ISBN 0-262-63187-3o RYAN, M.-L. (2001) Narrative as Virtual Reality: Immersion and Interactivity in Literature and Electronic Media. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press. (See a difference between immersion and interactivity) ISBN 0-8018-6487-9
* Week 10* o Political engagement with new media, Digital Republic?o WRIGHTS, S. (2012) Politics as usual? Revolution, normalization and a new agenda for online deliberation. In: New Media and Society. Vol. 14(1), p.244-261. ISSN 1461-4448 o GERHARDS, J., SCHÄFER, M. S. (2010) Is the Internet a better public sphere? Comparing old and new media in the USA and Germany. In: New Media and Society. Vol. 12(1), p.143-160. ISSN 1461-4448* Week 11* o Online journalism vs. bloggingo CARPENTER, S. (2010) A Study of content diversity in online citizen journalism and online newspaper articles. In: New Media and Society. Vol. 12(7), p.1064-1084. ISSN 1461-4448o EKDALE, B., NAMKOONG, K., FUNG, T., PERLMUTTER, D. (2010) Why blog? (then and now): exploring the motivations for blogging by popular American political bloggers. In: New Media and Society. Vol. 12(2), p.217-235. ISSN 1461-4448* Week 12* o Intellectual Property Online - what should we be aware of as citizens, journalists or media practitioners? Liability in the Internet world. Possible legal problems with YouTube, Blogs etc.o No Readings for this session.
Optional Readings:AARSETH, E. J. (1997) Cybertext: Perspectives on Ergodic Literature. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press. (Learn what Aarseth calls as ´ergodic literature´) ISBN 0-8018-5579-9 BELL, A. (2010) The Possible Worlds of Hypertext Fiction. Hampshire, New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-230-54255-6BUSH, V. (1945) As We May Think. In: Atlantic Monthly, 176(1), p.101-108.CARLSON, M. (2007) Order versus access: news search engines and the challenge to traditional journalistic roles. In: Media, Culture & Society. Vol. 29(6). p. 1014-1030. ISSN 0163-4437CARR, N. (2008) ´Is Google making us stupid?´ In: The Athlantic MonthlyFISKE, J. (1989) Reading the popular. Boston: MA: Unwin and Hyman. ISBN 041507875XGANE, N. (2006) When We Have Never Been Human, What Is to Be Done?: Interview with Donna Haraway. In: Theory, Culture & Society. Vol. 23(7), p.135-158. ISSN 0263-2764GANE, N., BEER, D. (2008) New Media: The Key Concepts. New York: Berg Publishers. ISBN 978-1-84520-132-6GERHARDS, J., SCHÄFER, M. (2010) Is the internet a better public sphere? Comparing old and new media in the USA and Germany. In: New Media and Society. Vol. 12(1), p.143-161. ISSN 1461-4448HANSEN, M. B. N. (2006) Media Theory. In: Theory, Culture & Society. Vol. 23(2), p.297-306. ISSN 0263-2764HOOFNAGLE, CH. (2009) ´Beyond Google and evil: How policy makers, journalists and consumers should talk differently about Google and privacy´ In: First Monday. 14(4). ISSN 1396-0466.LANDOW, G. P. (2006) Hypertext 3.0: Critical Theory and New Media in an Era of Globalization. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-8018-8257-5LISTER, M. et al. (2003) New Media: A Critical Introduction. London: Routledge. (See chapter 1) ISBN 0415223776LIVINGSTONE, S. (2007) On the material and the symbolic: Silverstone's double articulation of research traditions in new media studies. In: New Media & Society. Vol. 9(1), p.16-24. ISSN 1461-4448MACKENZIE, D. A., WAJCMAN, J. (1999) [1985] The Social shaping of technology: how the refrigerator got its hum. Buckingham: Open University Press. ISBN 0335150276MANOVICH, L. (2001) The Language of New Media. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press. ISBN 0-262-13374-1MARSHALL, P. D. (2004) New Media Cultures. London: Arnold. ISBN 0-340-80699-0 (See chapter 1)McQUAIL, D. (2010) McQuail´s Mass Comunication Theory. 6th edition. London, Thousand Oaks, CA, New Delhi, Singapore: Sage Publications, Ltd. (Chapter ´New Media - New Theory?´ p.135) ISBN 978-1-84920-291-6MEADOWS, M. (2002) Pause and effect: The art of interactive narrative. Indianapolis: New Riders Press. ISBN 0735711712NEWHAGEN, J. E., RAFAELI, S. (1996) Why Communication Researchers Should Study the Internet: A Dialogue. In: Journal of Communication. Vol. 46(1), p.4-13. ISSN 0021-9916PAUL, CH. (2003) Digital Art. London: Thames & Hudson.POSTER, M. (1990) The Mode of Information: Poststructuralism and Social Context. Cambridge: Polity Press. ISBN 0-7456-0326-2RAFAELI, S. (1988) Interactivity: From new media to communication. In: R. P. Hawkins, J. M. Wiemann, & S. Pingree (eds.) Sage Annual Review of Communication Research: Advancing Communication REED, CH. (2004) Internet Law: Text and Materials. Cambri
Annotation
New media technologies not only surround us, they have become part of our everyday lives, we use them for communication, work and entertainment. Students are encouraged to think critically and question new media theories and concepts.
The course is a combination of lectures and seminars. Students will be provided with a detailed list of the topics planned for the semesterat the beginning of the semester, as well as both the required and optional readings(in print and online) for each session separately. The course will be partly interdisciplinary, drawing from academic areas such as communication, as well as law, political science, and literary studies.
It will examine, for example, the traditional media concepts with reference to new media, the issue of new media and cultural studies, digital storytelling and electronic literature within literary studies, aspects of intellectual property online, critical media literacy with a focus on digitally born generation and political engagement with new media.
Students are required to attend the classes and actively participate within them. It is of the utmost importance to follow and read in advance the mandatory readings for each session (each reading will be reported on, based on a prearranged list of the students enrolled prior to a class discussion - the presentation is
OBLIGATORY) each week. This will include an essay consisting of 4000 words and a 15-minute presentation in class.