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Politics of Cyberspace
Download course outline in PDF format
Course Website: http://moodle10.yorku.ca
You will need your Passport York to sign in, then you will be directed to GS/POLS 6087.3 course website.
| Class Time: |
Tuesday 11:30-14:30 |
Class Location: |
MC 113 |
| Professor: |
Shannon Bell |
Office Location: |
S 634 Ross |
| E-mail: |
shanbell@yorku.ca |
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| Telephone |
Office: 416 2100 ext. 22552
Mobile: 416 822 6831 |
Office Hours: |
Tues 15:00-17:00
Wed 15:00-17:00
Thur. 15:00-16:30 |
Course Description
As a component of the information revolution and globalization, cyber, in all of its manifesting forms - digital technology, internet, cyborg (cybernetic organism), social networks, artificial life (AL), artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality, prosthetics, robotics - has since 1989 rapidly emerged as a feature of contemporary politics. The cyber is subject to competing claims regarding its positive and negative impact on power relations and individual identities.
This course focuses on a variety of interpretive approaches that are applied to cyber and cyberspace – communication theory, Marxism, feminism, postmodernism, posthumanism, international relations, identity theory, information theory, technological determinism, political economy.
The characterization of cyber and cyberspace as a new medium and its political significance will be emphasized. The course will examine the influence of "non-place" on democratic development, social power and interaction, as well as new identity formation.
Grade Assignment
Seminar Presentation Questions |
15% |
One Presentation for Hons; Two Presentations for MA |
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Discussion Forum: (Moodle course website) |
12.5% weekly postings |
Weekly Seminar Participation: |
12.5% |
Paper & Film abstract |
5% Due March 17 |
Essay (20 pages, 5000 words) |
40% Due April 28 |
2 minute film |
15% Due April 28 |
Seminar Presentation
Consists of a one paragraph summery of the selected reading and two discussion questions derived from reading. Masters students do two presentations. The seminar discussion questions should be posted on the Moodle Course Discussion Board by Wednesday @ 20:00 and presented in seminar.
Moodle Discussion Forum – post :
- Seminar questions
- Observations/comments/musing (written, images, audio files)
regarding issues relating to cyborgology.
Discussion Board posting can be done daily, weekly.
The aim is to have an interactive discussion as well
as posting your own observations
Paper and Film Abstract
A one page abstract outlining the subject of the paper and film and the course material to be used.
Essay Assignment.
The aim of the essay is to engage course material on the topic of your choice relating to the politics of cyberspace, digital life and/or posthuman identity. A minimum of six texts on the course must be integrated into your essay.
Film
A 2-minute film which accompanies the essay. The film can be shot on a phone camera, digital still camera, video camera, or computer web cam and it can use found footage as long as the footage is altered by you.
If you are using a pc the Windows Movie Maker can be downloaded free from
http://www.soft82.com/download/Windows/Windows_Movie_Maker
If you are using an Apple then use iMovie or Final Cut Express.
The film is to be processed as a QuickTime DVD quality.
The film is to be posted on http://www.youtube.com/ or http://www.vimeo.com/ with a link on the course Moodle Discussion Forum.
Books
- Judy Wajcman, 2004. TechnoFeminism (Polity)
- Peter Singer, 2009. Wired for War (Penguin Press)
- Bernard Steigler, 2010. For A New Critique of Political Economy (Polity)
eBooks (on Moodle 4071/5071 site)
- Arthur Kroker & Michael Weinstein. Data Trash. The Theory of the Virtual Class
- Lev Manovich, Software Takes Command
(also available on http://lab.softwarestudies.com/2009/06/publications.html)
- Matt Mason, The Pirates Dilemma
- Andre Nusselder, Interface Fantasy: A Lacanian Cyborg Ontology
- Paul Virilio, The Information Bomb
- McKenzie Wark. A Hacker Manifesto
eArticles
- Rachel Armstrong, ‘Systems Evolution & Bio Feminism: Move Over Darwin,
http://ctheory.net/articles.aspx?id=621
- Michael Betancourt, ‘Immaterial Value and Scarcity in Digital Capitalism,
http://ctheory.net/articles.aspx?id=652
- Nick Dyer-Witheford and Greig de Peuter
‘Empire@Play: Virtual Games and Global Capitalism, http://ctheory.net/articles.aspx?id=608
- Christopher Parsons, ‘Moving Across the Internet: Code-Bodies, Code-Corpses, and Network Architecture, http://ctheory.net/articles.aspx?id=642
- Leon Tan, ‘The Pirates Bay – Countervailing power and the problem of state organized crime, www.ctheory.net/articles.aspx?id=672
- Donna Haraway, A Cyborg Manifesto (moodle course site)
Seminar & Reading Schedule
January 6 |
Introduction and Presentation Selection
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January 13 |
Mason, The Pirate’s Dilemma (ebook on Moodle 4071/5071 site)
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all |
January 20 |
Manovich, Software Takes Command (ebook on Moodle 4071/5071 site)
Introduction: Software Studies for Beginners
Part 1: Inventing Cultural Software, Ch.1
Ch. 2 Understanding Metamedia
Part 2: Software Takes Command, Ch.3
Ch.4 Universal Capture
Part 3: Webware, Ch.5
Ch.6 Social Media: Tactics as Strategies
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1
2
3
all
4
all
5
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January 27 |
Kroker & Weinstein, Data Trash (ebook on Moodle 4071/5071 site)
Ch.s 1 & 2
Ch.s 3 & 4
Nick Dyer-Witheford and Greig de Peuter
Empire@Play: Virtual Games and Global Capitalism
http://ctheory.net/articles.aspx?id=608
Christopher Parsons, ‘Moving Across the Internet: Code-Bodies,
Code-Corpses, and Network Architecture,’
http://ctheory.net/articles.aspx?id=642
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6
7
8
9
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February 3 |
Virilio, The Information Bomb (ebook on Moodle 4071/5071 site)
Chs. 1-3
Chs. 4-6
Chs. 7-9
Chs. 10-14
Leon Tan, ‘The Pirates Bay – Countervailing power and the problem of state organized crime’ www.ctheory.net/articles.aspx?id=672
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10
11
12
13
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February 10 |
Steigler, For A New Critique of Political Economy(print book) (pp.3-70)
1. A warning
2. Introduction
3. Pharmacology of the Proletariat
4. To Work
Michael Betancourt, ‘Immaterial Value and Scarcity in Digital Capitalism’
http://ctheory.net/articles.aspx?id=652
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14
15
16
17
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February 17 |
Singer, Wired for War (print book)
Chs. 1 & 2
Chs. 3 & 4
Chs. 5 & 6
Chs. 7 & 8
Chs. 9 & 10
Chs. 11 & 12
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18
all
19
all
20
21
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March 3 |
Singer, Wired for War (print book)
Chs. 13 & 14
Chs. 15 & 16
Chs. 17 & 18
Chs. 19 & 20
Chs. 21 & 22
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22
23
all
24
25
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March 10 |
Wajcman, TechnoFeminism (print book)
Ch. 1, Male Designs on Technology
Ch. 2, Techno Science Redefined
Ch. 3, Virtual Gender
Ch. 4, The Cyborg Solution
Ch. 5 , Metaphor and Materiality
Rachel Armstrong, Systems Evolution & Bio Feminism: Move Over Darwin
http://ctheory.net/articles.aspx?id=621
Donna Haraway, A Cyborg Manifesto
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26
all
27
28
29
30
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March 17 |
Nusselder,Interface Fantasy: A Lacanian Cyborg Ontology
(ebook on Moodle 4071/5071 site)
Ch. 1, Question Concerning Technology & Desire &
Ch. 2, Technologization of Human Virtuality
Ch. 3, Fantasy and the Virtual Mind &
Ch. 4, Cyborg Space
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31
32
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March 24 |
Nusselder,Interface Fantasy: A Lacanian Cyborg Ontology
Ch. 5, Displays of the Real &
Ch. 6, Mediate Enjoyment, Enjoyed Media
Feminism 3.0
http://feminism3pointo.blogspot.com/ and links
Wark, A Hacker Manifesto (ebook on Moodle 4071/5071 site)
Abstraction, Class, Education &
Hacking, History, Information
Nature, Production, Property
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33
34
35
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March 30 |
Wark, A Hacker Manifesto (ebook on Moodle 4071/5071 site)
Abstraction, Class, Education &
Representation, Revolt, State
Subject, Surplus, Vector &
World, Writings
Plus
Presentation of abstracts. |
36
37
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