Democracy, Governance, and the Digital Network

Twice in one week, how will you handle the excitement. On Monday at 7:00 (same room) we will talk about The Exploit (you only need to attend the first half of class) on Thursday we will talk about Evgeny Morozov’s The Net Delusion (you can follow the author on twitter as @evgenymorozov). Morozov and Shirky [...]

[Read more →]

For Thursday’s class, read Networks and States by Milton Mueller. Reminder that next Monday (the 4th of April) we will meet to discuss The Exploit. With the following Thursday (the 7th) will be The Net Delusion.

[Read more →]

There is no class this Thursday, or next (which is Spring Break). For our next meeting on March 24th we will start talking about networks. Begin by reading Christakis and Fowler’s Connected. Next read "Human Mobility" and "Predictably Unpredicatable" by Barbasi. And finally read "Why Networks Matter" by Manuel Castells. With the extra time between [...]

[Read more →]

Before there was mediation there was pre-mediation. Okay not exactly, but for Thrusday’s class read Grusin’s (@rgrusin) Premediation.

[Read more →]

For the next two weeks we will be focusing on the role of media in relation to democracy. Frist up: Digital Media and Democracy. Read the Introduction, all of Part 1, Chapter 10 and Chapter 15. Remember to update your blogs ‘About’ page by Sunday.

[Read more →]

This Thursday, February 17th, we will be looking at some theoretical claims which seem to call into question Habermas’s claims about the relation of a Public Sphere to democratic formations. Read: “Cyberdemocracy.” -Mark Poster Selections from Digitize this Book. Gary Hall, “HyperCyberDemocracy.” (eReserve) Selections from Armory text on the limits of civic engagement.   Also [...]

[Read more →]

After reading Habermas it is time to tackle a substantially different perspective: Foucault. Two Essays to read. Start with “Discipline and Punish” this is an excerpt from his book of the same name. Then, read on “Governmentality” a lecture Foucault gave that reflects his later thinking on the matter of governing. Also here is an [...]

[Read more →]

As mentioned in class, next week we will be reading Habermas’s The Structurual Transformation of the Public Sphere. Although difficult, it is important that we have an understanding of this text, Habermas’s view of the public sphere, as it is foundational to how we understand public opinion and by extension, democracies to operate. In class [...]

[Read more →]

For next class, January 20th, you should read Blown to Bits. As I mentioned in class you should read the appendix, especially if you are not familiar with internet architecture. You also need to set up your research blog which you will be using for the semester. Pick whatever blogging platform you prefer. No need [...]

[Read more →]

I realize we have yet to meet, but with a limited number of meetings throughout the semester we need to take advantage of every meeting. So in preparation for our first meeting you should read the following articles: Two Pieces from Democracy and New Media-both are available on eReserve. If you did not get the [...]

[Read more →]