PhD Workshop
Researching Social Software28-30 November 2007
Location: Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga, Portugal
Course Leader: Adrian Mackenzie, University of Lancaster
Professor Adrian Mackenzie is Professor at the Institute for Cultural Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lancaster.
His research interests include anthropology of post-representational thinking and cognition; theories of capacity, individuation, invention and differentiation; wirelessness: cultural politics of infrastructure, embodiments of connectivity and network images; repetition and difference in video and audiovisual technology; new media/technological cultures and practices. See: http://www.lancs.ac.uk/staff/mackenza
His last books are:
• Cutting Code: Software and Sociality, Digital Formations Series, Peter Lang, NY, 2006
• Transductions: Bodies and Machines at Speed, Continuum Press, 2002; reprinted
Description and objective
This PhD-course aims to examine and discuss different versions and definitions of social software and how experiences of relation to others can be understood in social software. It also aims to situate software in terms of processes of production, consumption and exchange, and to discuss different approaches, techniques and difficulties involved in researching software.
Structure of the courseEach session would be 2.5 to 3 hours. Each session would have one or two readings to be done in advance. There are also websites and internet examples that should be consulted in advance. Student presentations would be part of each session.
Background reading for the workshop:
Maurizio Lazzarato (1996) 'Immaterial Labour', in Paolo Virno & Michael Hardt (eds.) Radical Thought in Italy: A Potential Politics, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
Programme
Session 1: What is social software?
Exploration of different versions and definitions of social software. This would best be done by working with same major examples including ebay, facebook, myspace, flickr, and youtube. The session would centre on close analysis of the visual and material cultures of examples. The reading for this session comes from a well known internet commentator, and publisher, Tim O’Reilly.
Session 2: Living with social software: self-other relations and sociality
Key example: Facebook or Second Life
Main focus of this session will be on how experiences of sociality, of belonging, of relation to others can be understood in social software. The readings analyse this from very different angles. The first is informed by Marxist thought, the second by social studies of technology.
Session 3: Social software in technological economies
Key example: Google
This session will situate software in terms of processes of production, consumption and exchange. The readings offer very different perspectives on this. Barry and Slater’s article comes from sociologies of science and technology. Benkler’s work comes from liberal political thought.
Session 4: Researching social software
Session on different approaches, techniques and difficulties in researching software.
Registration and contact:
The application deadline is 20th November 2007.
Please send by email a short description (no more than one page) of your PhD project, specifying your name, email address, affiliation, supervisor, your particular interest in the seminar and why you would benefit from attending it, to the organization committee (social.software.portugal@gmail.com). Number of participants: max. 15.
A fee will be charged for participation to cover administrative costs, tea/coffee and lunches and one dinner during the seminar. .The fee is 60 euros, payable on the first day of the seminar in cash (an official receipt will be given). Travel and accommodation are the responsibility of the participant.
For more information, contact:
José Pinheiro Neves (social.software.portugal@gmail.com)
Zara Pinto-Coelho (social.software.portugal@gmail.com)
See also:
http://socialsoftware-portugal.blogspot.com/
http://neves.do.sapo.pt/mackenzie/PhDSeminarMackenzie25Set07.pdf
Organization:
Centro de Estudos de Comunicação e Sociedade
Centro de Investigação em Ciências Sociais
Universidade do Minho, Portugal
..................................................................................................................................................
Chamadas para candidatura
Workshop para Estudantes de Doutoramento: Investigando o Software Social.
28-30 Novembro 2007
Local: Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Campus de Gualtar, Braga
Descrição e objectivo: Este workshop visa examinar e discutir diferentes versões e definições do software social, e o modo como as experiências de relacionamento com os outros podem ser compreendidas neste quadro. Também visa situar o software social em termos de produção, consumo e troca, e discutir diferentes abordagens e técnicas envolvidas na investigação sobre software social.
Estrutura: Cada sessão terá a duração de 2.5 a 3 horas. Pressupõe a leitura prévia de um ou mais artigos e a consulta de sítios na internet.
Fazem parte de cada sessão apresentações dos projectos de doutoramento dos participantes.
Sessão 1: “What is social software?” Exemplos: ebay, facebook, myspace, flickr, and youtube
Sessão 2: “Living with social software: self-other relations and sociality”. Exemplos: Facebook or Second Life
Sessão 3: “Social software in technological economies”
Session 4: “Researching social software
Candidaturas e contactos:
As candidaturas devem ser feitas até dia
20 de Novembro de 2007. Para o efeito, os interessados deverão enviar electronicamente uma descrição sucinta (não mais de uma página e meia) do projecto de doutoramento, especificando o seu nome, endereço electrónico, filiação institucional, nome do orientador, o interesse neste seminário e os benefícios que o mesmo lhe trará, para a comissão organizadora (
social.software.portugal@gmail.com).
Aceitaremos 15 participantes.
O custo da inscrição, que cobre custos administrativos, chá/café, almoços e um jantar, é de 60 euros, a entregar no primeiro dia do Workshop (será dado um recibo oficial).
As viagens e a estadia são da responsabilidade dos participantes.
Para mais informação, contacte:
Para mais detalhes sobre o programa e exigências do curso, consulte:
