Has the Internet served the purpose for which this new medium was invented?

Order Description

read the reading list,

School of Politics, Philosophy & International Studies page 2 of 12
Module Handbook (30711)
READING LIST
Suggested for student purchase:
Castells, M. (2010 editions), The Rise of the Network Society, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.
Essential
Castells, M. (2011), Communication Power, Oxford: OUP
Chadwick, A, (2013), The hybrid media system: politics and power, Oxford: OUP
Mueller, M. (2010), Networks and states: the global politics of Internet governance, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press
Oates, S., Owen, D. M. And Gibson, R. K. (2006), The Internet and politics: citizens, voters and activists, London: Routledge
Recommended
Castells, M. (2012), Networks of outrage and hope: social movements in the Internet age, Cambridge: Polity
Chadwick, A. (2006), Internet Politics: States, Citizens, and New Communication Technologies, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Oates, S. (2013), Revolution stalled: the political limits of the internet in the post-Soviet sphere, Oxford: OUP
Stromer-Galley, J. (2014), Presidential campaigning in the Internet age, New York: OUP
Lindsay, Jon R.; Cheung, Tai Ming.; Reveron, Derek S. (2015), China and cybersecurity: espionage, strategy, and politics in the digital domain, New York: OUP
Background
Akhavan, N. (2013), Electronic Iran: the cultural politics of an online evolution, New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press
Castells, M. (2001), The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business, and Society, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Mowlana, H. (1997), Global Information and World Politics: New Frontiers in International Relations, London: Sage
Franklin, M. (2013), Digital dilemmas: power, resistance, and the Internet, New York: OUP
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Module Handbook (30711)
Howard, Philip N. (2010), The digital origins of dictatorship and democracy: information technology and political Islam, Oxford: OUP
Seminar 1. International Politics of the Internet
This session provides an overview of the study of the international politics of the Internet as a new subject area.
Suggested reading:
Aronson, J. D. (2001), ‘The Communications and Internet Revolution’, in Baylis, J. & Smith, S. (eds), The Globalization of World Politics, 2nd edtion, Oxford: OUP, pp. 540-58.
Castells, M. (2012), Networks of outrage and hope: social movements in the Internet age, Cambridge: Polity. Chapter Opening: ‘Network minds, creating meaning, contesting power’
Castells, M. (2001), The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business, and Society, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Chapter Opening: ‘Network is the message’.
Gilboa, E. (2002), ‘Global Communication and Foreign Policy’, Journal of Communication, 52(4), 731-748
Mowlana, H. (1997), Global Information and World Politics: New Frontiers in International Relations, London: Sage. [Chapters 1,2&3]
Seminar 2. The Global Information and Communications Revolution
The aim of this section is to review the historical process of the global information and communications revolution and to identify the key elements of the current digital media sector. Particular attention will be given to the development of the Internet.
Questions to consider:
1) Give your account on the development and implications of the global information and communications sector with reference to a particular network (e.g. telegraph, telephone, radio, television or the Internet).
2) How would you characterise the information age? Discuss with reference to the digital media sector (e.g. digital TV, Mobile Communications, and the Internet).
3) Has the Internet changed the world we know about?
Suggested reading:
Castells, M. (2001), The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business, and Society, [Chapter 1 on ‘Lessons from the History of the Internet’]
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Dai, X. (2000), The Digital Revolution and Governance, Aldershot: Ashgate. [Chapters 6 &7]
Dai, X. (1996), Corporate Strategy, Public Policy and New Technologies, Oxford: Pergamon. [Chapter 4]
Hills, J. (1991), The Democracy Gap: The Politics of Information and Communication Technologies in the United States and Europe, London: Greenwood Press.
Leiner, B. et al (2000), A Brief History of the Internet (http://www.isoc.org/internet/history/brief.shtml)
Parker, B. (2005), Introduction to Globalization & Business: Relationships and Responsibilities, London: Sage. Chapter 11 (‘Globalization and Technologies, pp. 320-45). [Contact Waterstone if you wish to purchase this title.]
Saxby, Stephen (1990), The Age of Information: The Past Development and the Future Significance of Computing and Communications, London: Macmillan.
Leiner, B. et al (2000), A Brief History of the Internet, URL: http://www.isoc.org/internet/history/brief.shtml
Slevin, J. (2000), The Internet and Society, Cambridge: Polity Press, Chapter 2 on ‘The Rise of the Internet’, pp. 27-54.
Winston, B. (1998), Media Technology and Society – A History: From the Telegraph to the Internet, London: Routledge. [If you are interested in the historical evolutions and revolutions in media and communications technologies, buy this book!]
Practical study skills: The Internet as a research tool
Use the Internet to find additional reading. In particular, find more documents about the history of the Internet, digital Television (DTV) and 3G (3rd Generation Mobile Communications). Compile a list of your key findings and share the information sources with the rest of the class. Make a brief summary of the most relevant documents and give out the web details, namely, URLs.
Seminar 3. The Internet as a New Medium
Much has been said about the impact of the Internet. But how important is the Internet and what implications does the Internet have for our understanding about the world we live in? This section aims to assess the predominantly unquestioned acceptance of the Internet as a new force for economic betterment and the increasingly questioned acceptance of the Internet as a new medium of communications. This session examines in particular the Internet as an emergent new medium itself and its impact on the traditional media.
Questions and Tasks:
1) What are the characteristics of the Internet as a medium of political communication? How different is the Internet as a new medium from the traditional media? Discuss with reference to both e-mail communications and
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the World Wide Web (WWW). Each student is expected to make a case study about one major Internet portal (e.g. www.yahoo.com, www.microsoft.com, www.sina.com or any other portal you are familiar with)
2) What impact does the internet have on the traditional print media? Answer by presenting a case study on a daily newspaper (read the printed newspaper and visit the paper’s website; compare the printed version and the online version. Try The Guardian – guardian.co.uk or The Times – www.timesonline.co.uk).
3) Will the internet change the nature of the TV broadcasting sector, or vice versa? Answer by presenting a case study on the BBC (www.bbc.co.uk).
Suggested reading:
Bechmann, A. and Lomborg, S. (2013), ‘Mapping actor roles in social media: Different perspectives on value creation in theories of user participation’, New Media & Society, 15(5) 765–781
Castells, M. (2011), Communication Power, Oxford: OUP. [Chapter 2 ‘Communication in the digital age’]
Collins, R. and Murroni, C. (1996), New Media, New Policies: Media and Communications Strategies for the Future, Cambridge: Polity Press.
Hauben, M. and Hauben, R. (1997), Netizens, Los Alamitos: IEEE Computer Society Press, Chapter 1 on ‘The Net and Netizens: The Impact of the Net Has on People’s Lives’, pp. 3-34; Chapter 13 on ‘The Effects of the Net on the Professional News Media’, pp. 222-40.
Hutchison, D. (1999), Media Policy: An Introduction, Oxford: Blackwell, Chapter 4 on ‘Technology – Chance, Fate and Choice’, pp. 49-66.
Dovery, Jon ed (1996), Fractal Dreams: New Media in Social Context, London: Lawrence & Wishart.
Iosifidis, P. (2011), Global media and communication policy, Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan
Kruikemeier, S. et al (2013), ‘Getting closer: The effects of personalized and interactive online political communication’, European Journal of Communication, 28(1) 53–66
Jordan, T. (2013), Internet, society and culture communicative practices before and after the Internet, London: Bloomsbury
Taipale, S. (2013), ‘The relationship between Internet use, online and printed newspaper reading in Finland: Investigating the direct and moderating effects of gender’, European Journal of Communication, 28(1) 5–18, 5-18
Trilling, (D.) and Schoenbach, K. (2013), ‘Skipping current affairs: The non-users of online and offline news’, European Journal of Communication, 28(1) 35-51
van Dijk, Jan (1999), The Network Society: Social Aspects of New Media, Translated by L. Spoorenberg, London: Sage.
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UK Communications White Paper (use an Internet search engine to find this and read).
Seminar 4. The Politics of the Internet: Theoretical Perspectives
The main objective of this session is to review the most widely cited theoretical perspectives on new information and communications technologies (ICTs) in general and the Internet in particular.
Questions to consider:
1) Summarise the main points of the information society theories.
2) Do you agree with the ‘waves’ theory proposed by Toffler?
3) What is meant by ‘the network society’?
4) What theory in your view best describes the social impact of the Internet?
Study skills training – The Internet as a research tool:
Visit the University of Hull’s Brynmor Jones Library website and browse the site’s e-journals. Try to find some journal articles related to ‘Internet politics’.
Suggested reading:
Castells, Manuel (1996 and 2000 editions), The Rise of the Network Society, Cambridge: Blackwell Publishers.
Castells, Manuel (1991), The Informational City: Information Technology, Economic Restructuring, and the Urban-Regional Process, Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
Dordick, Herbert & Wang, Georgette (1993), The Information Society: A Retrospective View, London: Sage Publications.
Fuchs, C. and Dyer-Witheford, N. (2013), ‘Karl Marx @ Internet Studies’, New Media & Society, 15(5) 782–796
Leadbeater, Charles (1999), Living on Thin Air: The New Economy, London: Viking.
Lessig, Lawrence (1999), Code and Other Laws in the Cyberspace, New York: Basic Books.
Lyon, David (1988), The Information Society: Issues and Illusions, Cambridge: Polity Press.
McPhail, T. L. (2006) Global communication: theories, stakeholders, and trends, Oxford: Blackwell
Mansell, R.E. (1993), The New Telecommunications: A Political Economy of Network Evolution, London: Sage.
Menzies, Heather (1996), Whose Brave New World? The Information Highway and the New Economy, Toronto: Between the Lines.
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Shapiro, Carl and Varian, Hal (1999), Information Rules: A Strategic Guide to the Network Economy, Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press,.
Stefik, Mark (1999), The Internet Edge: Social, Legal, and Technological Challenges for a Networked World, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
Toffler, A. (1981), The Third Wave, London: Pan Books.
Webster, Frank (1995), Theories of the Information Society, London: Routledge.
van Dijk, Jan (1999), The Network Society: Social Aspects of New Media, Translated by L. Spoorenberg, London: Sage.
Seminar 5. The Internet and Globalisation
The information age seems to be increasingly characterised by the following formula: one medium (the Internet) and one technology (digital) for the whole world. This session assesses the role that the Internet plays in the process of globalisation.
Questions to consider:
1) In what sense(s) and to what extent can the Internet be said a global medium?
2) Has the Internet changed the traditional notion of geography?
3) Does the Internet contribute to global democratisation?
4) What implications can be drawn upon the process of transnational flow of information and communication?
5) What value(s) does the Internet promote, westernisation/Americanisation or multiculturalism?
Suggested reading:
Castells, M. (1997), The Power of Identity, Oxford: Blackwell, Chapter 1 on ‘Communal Heavens: Identity and Meaning in the Network Society’, pp. 5-67.
Held, David, Anthony McGrew, David Goldblatt, and Jonathan Perraton (1999), Global Transformations: Politics, Economics and Culture, Cambridge: Polity Press.
Hirst, Paul, and Grahame Thompson (1996). Globalization in Question: The international economy and the possibilities of governance, Cambridge: Polity Press.
Howard, P. N. (2010), The Digital Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy: Information Technology and Political Islam, Oxford Scholarship Online. [ebook]
Lukasik, Stephen J. (2000), ‘Protecting the Global Information Commons’, Telecommunications Policy 24 (6-7):519-531.
Mathews, Jessica T. (1997), ‘Power Shift’, Foreign Affairs 76 (1):50-66.
Steinberg P. and McDowell S. (2003), ‘Global communication and the post-statism of cyberspace: a spatial constructivist view’, Review of International Political Economy, May 2003, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 196-221(26)
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Volkmer, I. (1997), ‘Universalism and Particularism: The Problem of Cultural Sovereignty and Global Information Flow’, in Kahin, B. and Nesson, C. eds, Borders in Cyberspace, Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press, pp. 48-83.
Seminar 6. The Internet and the State
Given the emergence of the Internet as a global medium transcending national borders, how relevant is the nation state to the information age? Is the nation state still fit to govern the information age? Or, are national regulations of the Internet justifiable?
Questions to consider:
1) Is the Internet the beginning of an end for the nation state?
2) Can the nation state regulate the Internet effectively and legitimately?
3) Give your view on government regulation over the Internet through a country case study.
Suggested reading:
Barrett, N. (1996), The State of the Cybernation: Cultural, Political and Economic Implications of the Internet, London: Kogan Page, Chapter 5 on ‘Legislative and Regulatory Issues’, pp. 161-207; Chapter 6 on ‘Future Potential’, pp. 208-29.
Castells, M. (2011), Communication Power, Oxford: OUP. [Chapter 1]
Castells, M. (1997), The Power of Identity, Oxford: Blackwell, Chapter 5 on ‘A Powerless State?’, pp. 243-308; Chapter 6 on ‘Informational Politics and the Crisis of Democracy’, pp. 309-53.
Dai, X. (2007), ‘Google’, New Political Economy, 12 (3), 433-442.
Godwin, M. (1998), Cyber Rights: Defending Free Speech in the Digital Age, New York: Time Books, Chapter 10 on ‘Courting the Future: The Communications Decency Act of 1996’, pp. 260-93
Rand (2002), You’ve Got Dissent! Chinese Dissident Use of the Internet and Beijing’s Counter-Strategies, available at http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1543/
Sclove, R. E. (1995), Democracy and Technology, New York: The Guildford Press.
Bernauer, Thomas and Christoph Achini (2000), From ‘Real’ to ‘Virtual’ States? Integration of the World Economy and its Effects on Government Activity. European Journal of International Relations 6 (2):223-276.
Camilleri, Joseph A. and Falk, Jim (1992). The End of Sovereignty: The politics of a shrinking and fragmenting world. Aldershot, UK: Edward Elgar.
Cerny, Philip G. (1999), ‘Globalization and the Erosion of Democracy’. European Journal of Political Research 36:1-26.
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Cutler, A. Claire (1999). ‘Locating “Authority” in the Global Political Economy’. International Studies Quarterly 43 (1):59-81.
Helleiner, Eric (1998), ‘Electronic Money: A challenge to the sovereign state?’ Journal of International Affairs 51 (2):387-409.
Mehta, M. D. (2002), ‘Censoring Cyberspace’, Asian Journal of Social Science, 30(2). 319-338
Mueller, M. (2010), Networks and states: the global politics of Internet governance, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. [Chapter I ‘The battle for the soul of the Internet’]
Reed, C. (2004), Internet Law: Text and Materials, 2nd edition, Cambridge University Press. [Contact Waterstone if you wish to purchase this title.]
Rodan, G. (1998), ‘The Internet and Political Control in Singapore’, Political Science Quarterly, 113(1): 63-89.
Strange, Susan (1996), The Retreat of the State: The Diffusion of Power in the World Economy, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Seminar 7. Global Governance of the Internet
The main objective of this session is to study about the process and mechanisms of Internet governance at the global level.
Drezner, D.W. (2004), ‘The Global Governance of the Internet: Bring the State Back in’, Political Science Quarterly, 119(3): 477-498
Kleinwächter, W. (2000), ‘ICANN between Technical Mandate and Political Challenges’, Telecommunications Policy 24 (6-7):553-63
Mueller, M. (2010), Networks and states: The global politics of Internet governance, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. [Chapters 1,2&3]
Mueller, M. L (1998), ‘The Battle over Internet Domain Names: Global or National TLDs?’ Telecommunications Policy 22 (2):89-107.
Thomas, G. and Wyatt, S. (1999), ‘Shaping Cyberspace – Interpreting and Transforming the Internet’, Research Policy 28 (7):681-98.
van Eeten, MJG and Mueller, M. (2013), ‘Where is the governance in Internet governance?’, New Media & Society, 15(5) 720–736
Tasks:
Locate the following organizations online and study the role played by each of them:
ICANN (The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers)
IETF (The Internet Engineering Task Force)
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ISOC (Internet Society)
W3C (World Wide Web Consortium)
Questions to consider:
1) How is the Internet managed at the global level?
2) What are the main issues related to Internet governance?
3) What lessons can be learned from the history and operation of the ICANN?
Seminar 8. The Internet and International Politics: The Return of the States?
Questions to consider:
1) Is the expectation that the current system of international politics should contain the power of the Internet justifiable?
2) To what extent is the current system of international politics suitable for governing the global Internet?
Akdeniz, Y, Walker, C. and Wall, D. eds (2000), The Internet, Law and Society, Harlow : Longman.
Castells, M. (2001), The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business, and Society, Chapter 1 on ‘Lessons from the History of the Internet’, pp. 9-35.
Haas, Ernst B. (1975), ‘Is there a Hole in the Whole? Knowledge, Technology, Interdependence, and the Construction of International Regimes’, International Organization 29 (3):827-876.
Loader, B. ed. (1997), The Governance of Cyberspace: Politics, Technology and Global Restructuring; London: Routledge.
Lucio, M.M., Walker, S. and Trevorrow, P. (2009), Making networks and (re)making trade union bureaucracy: a European-wide case study of trade union engagement with the Internet and networking, New Technology, Work and Employment, 24(2), 115-130 [e-Journal]
Magaziner, Ira C. (1998), ‘The Framework for Global Electronic Commerce: A policy perspective’, Journal of Common Market Studies 51 (2):527-538.
Mueller, M. (2010), Networks and states: The global politics of Internet governance, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. [Chapters 4]
Pulignano, V. (2005), International Cooperation, Transnational Restructuring and Virtual Networking in Europe, European Journal of Industrial Relations, 15(2)187–205 [e-journal]
HUGHES, R. (2010), ‘A treaty for cyberspace’, International Affairs 86(2) 523–541
Tasks:
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Find the website of any of the following international organisations and discuss the organisation’s relevance to the development and governance of the global information and communications technologies.
1) The ITU
2) The OECD
3) The WTO
4) The EU
Seminar 9. The Politics of Cybersecurity
This session explores the changing power relations in the cyberspace and poses the fundamental question of whether both cyber security and freedom of information could be achieved in the digital age.
Questions:
1) Does the Internet pose a challenge to law enforcement?
2) Has the Internet changed the power relations between individuals and the state?
3) Has the Internet changed the notion of national security?
4) Whose rules are to apply when considering cybercrimes?
Suggested reading:
Campen, A. D., Dearth, D. H. and Goodden, R. T. (1996), Cyberwar: Security, Strategy, and Conflict in the Information Age, Fairfax: AFCEA International Press.
Choucri, N.and Goldsmith, D. (2012), ‘Lost in cyberspace: Harnessing the Internet, international relations, and global security’, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 68(2) 70–77
Guisnel, J. (1997), Cyberwars: Espionage on the Internet, translated by Gui Masai, New York: Plenum Press.
Inkster, N. (2010), ‘China in Cyberspace’, Survival – Global Politics and Strategy, 52(4), 55–66
Mueller, M. (2010), Networks and states: The global politics of Internet governance, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. [Chapters 8&10]
Reed, C. (2004), Internet Law: Text and Materials, 2nd edition, Cambridge University Press. [Contact Waterstone if you wish to purchase this title.]
Rand (2002): You’ve Got Dissent! Chinese Dissident Use of the Internet and Beijing’s Counter-Strategies, available at http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1543/
Staksrud, E. (2013), ‘Online grooming legislation: Knee-jerk regulation?’, European Journal of Communication, 28(2) 152–167.
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Stevens,t. (2012) A Cyberwar of Ideas? Deterrence and Norms in Cyberspace’, Contemporary Security Policy, 33(1), 148-170
Centre for Democracy & Technology (CDT), www.cdt.org
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), www.eff.org
The Electronic Privacy Information Centre (EPIC), www.epic.org
The European Parliament, An Appraisal of the Technologies of Political Control, the STOA report, http://www.statewatch.org/news/2005/may/steve-wright-stoa-rep.pdf
Seminar 10. Conceptualising Cyberspace: Netizens and the Digital State
Castells, M. (2011), Communication Power, Oxford: OUP [chapter 5] [This is a lengthy chapter but please make sure you read it before the seniar.]
Castells, M. (2008), ‘The New Public Sphere: Global Civil Society, Communication Networks, and Global Governance’, The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 616, Issue 1, 78-93
Steinberg, P. and McDowell, S. (2003), ‘Global communication and the post-statism of cyberspace: a spatial constructivist view’, Review of International Political Economy 10(2), 196–221
Seminar 11. What Does the Edward Snowden Affair Tell Us?
Castells, M. (2011), Communication Power, Oxford: OUP [Please read the Conclusion of this book.]
Tasks:
1. Use an Internet search engine to find media reports on Edward Snowden.
2. Answer the following questions:
a) Why do states conduct electronic information and communications surveilance?
b) What implications can be drawn upon the Edward Snowden affair for considering Internet governance?

Has the Internet served the purpose for which this new medium was invented?

Order Description

read the reading list,

School of Politics, Philosophy & International Studies page 2 of 12
Module Handbook (30711)
READING LIST
Suggested for student purchase:
Castells, M. (2010 editions), The Rise of the Network Society, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.
Essential
Castells, M. (2011), Communication Power, Oxford: OUP
Chadwick, A, (2013), The hybrid media system: politics and power, Oxford: OUP
Mueller, M. (2010), Networks and states: the global politics of Internet governance, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press
Oates, S., Owen, D. M. And Gibson, R. K. (2006), The Internet and politics: citizens, voters and activists, London: Routledge
Recommended
Castells, M. (2012), Networks of outrage and hope: social movements in the Internet age, Cambridge: Polity
Chadwick, A. (2006), Internet Politics: States, Citizens, and New Communication Technologies, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Oates, S. (2013), Revolution stalled: the political limits of the internet in the post-Soviet sphere, Oxford: OUP
Stromer-Galley, J. (2014), Presidential campaigning in the Internet age, New York: OUP
Lindsay, Jon R.; Cheung, Tai Ming.; Reveron, Derek S. (2015), China and cybersecurity: espionage, strategy, and politics in the digital domain, New York: OUP
Background
Akhavan, N. (2013), Electronic Iran: the cultural politics of an online evolution, New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press
Castells, M. (2001), The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business, and Society, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Mowlana, H. (1997), Global Information and World Politics: New Frontiers in International Relations, London: Sage
Franklin, M. (2013), Digital dilemmas: power, resistance, and the Internet, New York: OUP
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Howard, Philip N. (2010), The digital origins of dictatorship and democracy: information technology and political Islam, Oxford: OUP
Seminar 1. International Politics of the Internet
This session provides an overview of the study of the international politics of the Internet as a new subject area.
Suggested reading:
Aronson, J. D. (2001), ‘The Communications and Internet Revolution’, in Baylis, J. & Smith, S. (eds), The Globalization of World Politics, 2nd edtion, Oxford: OUP, pp. 540-58.
Castells, M. (2012), Networks of outrage and hope: social movements in the Internet age, Cambridge: Polity. Chapter Opening: ‘Network minds, creating meaning, contesting power’
Castells, M. (2001), The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business, and Society, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Chapter Opening: ‘Network is the message’.
Gilboa, E. (2002), ‘Global Communication and Foreign Policy’, Journal of Communication, 52(4), 731-748
Mowlana, H. (1997), Global Information and World Politics: New Frontiers in International Relations, London: Sage. [Chapters 1,2&3]
Seminar 2. The Global Information and Communications Revolution
The aim of this section is to review the historical process of the global information and communications revolution and to identify the key elements of the current digital media sector. Particular attention will be given to the development of the Internet.
Questions to consider:
1) Give your account on the development and implications of the global information and communications sector with reference to a particular network (e.g. telegraph, telephone, radio, television or the Internet).
2) How would you characterise the information age? Discuss with reference to the digital media sector (e.g. digital TV, Mobile Communications, and the Internet).
3) Has the Internet changed the world we know about?
Suggested reading:
Castells, M. (2001), The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business, and Society, [Chapter 1 on ‘Lessons from the History of the Internet’]
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Dai, X. (2000), The Digital Revolution and Governance, Aldershot: Ashgate. [Chapters 6 &7]
Dai, X. (1996), Corporate Strategy, Public Policy and New Technologies, Oxford: Pergamon. [Chapter 4]
Hills, J. (1991), The Democracy Gap: The Politics of Information and Communication Technologies in the United States and Europe, London: Greenwood Press.
Leiner, B. et al (2000), A Brief History of the Internet (http://www.isoc.org/internet/history/brief.shtml)
Parker, B. (2005), Introduction to Globalization & Business: Relationships and Responsibilities, London: Sage. Chapter 11 (‘Globalization and Technologies, pp. 320-45). [Contact Waterstone if you wish to purchase this title.]
Saxby, Stephen (1990), The Age of Information: The Past Development and the Future Significance of Computing and Communications, London: Macmillan.
Leiner, B. et al (2000), A Brief History of the Internet, URL: http://www.isoc.org/internet/history/brief.shtml
Slevin, J. (2000), The Internet and Society, Cambridge: Polity Press, Chapter 2 on ‘The Rise of the Internet’, pp. 27-54.
Winston, B. (1998), Media Technology and Society – A History: From the Telegraph to the Internet, London: Routledge. [If you are interested in the historical evolutions and revolutions in media and communications technologies, buy this book!]
Practical study skills: The Internet as a research tool
Use the Internet to find additional reading. In particular, find more documents about the history of the Internet, digital Television (DTV) and 3G (3rd Generation Mobile Communications). Compile a list of your key findings and share the information sources with the rest of the class. Make a brief summary of the most relevant documents and give out the web details, namely, URLs.
Seminar 3. The Internet as a New Medium
Much has been said about the impact of the Internet. But how important is the Internet and what implications does the Internet have for our understanding about the world we live in? This section aims to assess the predominantly unquestioned acceptance of the Internet as a new force for economic betterment and the increasingly questioned acceptance of the Internet as a new medium of communications. This session examines in particular the Internet as an emergent new medium itself and its impact on the traditional media.
Questions and Tasks:
1) What are the characteristics of the Internet as a medium of political communication? How different is the Internet as a new medium from the traditional media? Discuss with reference to both e-mail communications and
School of Politics, Philosophy & International Studies page 5 of 12
Module Handbook (30711)
the World Wide Web (WWW). Each student is expected to make a case study about one major Internet portal (e.g. www.yahoo.com, www.microsoft.com, www.sina.com or any other portal you are familiar with)
2) What impact does the internet have on the traditional print media? Answer by presenting a case study on a daily newspaper (read the printed newspaper and visit the paper’s website; compare the printed version and the online version. Try The Guardian – guardian.co.uk or The Times – www.timesonline.co.uk).
3) Will the internet change the nature of the TV broadcasting sector, or vice versa? Answer by presenting a case study on the BBC (www.bbc.co.uk).
Suggested reading:
Bechmann, A. and Lomborg, S. (2013), ‘Mapping actor roles in social media: Different perspectives on value creation in theories of user participation’, New Media & Society, 15(5) 765–781
Castells, M. (2011), Communication Power, Oxford: OUP. [Chapter 2 ‘Communication in the digital age’]
Collins, R. and Murroni, C. (1996), New Media, New Policies: Media and Communications Strategies for the Future, Cambridge: Polity Press.
Hauben, M. and Hauben, R. (1997), Netizens, Los Alamitos: IEEE Computer Society Press, Chapter 1 on ‘The Net and Netizens: The Impact of the Net Has on People’s Lives’, pp. 3-34; Chapter 13 on ‘The Effects of the Net on the Professional News Media’, pp. 222-40.
Hutchison, D. (1999), Media Policy: An Introduction, Oxford: Blackwell, Chapter 4 on ‘Technology – Chance, Fate and Choice’, pp. 49-66.
Dovery, Jon ed (1996), Fractal Dreams: New Media in Social Context, London: Lawrence & Wishart.
Iosifidis, P. (2011), Global media and communication policy, Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan
Kruikemeier, S. et al (2013), ‘Getting closer: The effects of personalized and interactive online political communication’, European Journal of Communication, 28(1) 53–66
Jordan, T. (2013), Internet, society and culture communicative practices before and after the Internet, London: Bloomsbury
Taipale, S. (2013), ‘The relationship between Internet use, online and printed newspaper reading in Finland: Investigating the direct and moderating effects of gender’, European Journal of Communication, 28(1) 5–18, 5-18
Trilling, (D.) and Schoenbach, K. (2013), ‘Skipping current affairs: The non-users of online and offline news’, European Journal of Communication, 28(1) 35-51
van Dijk, Jan (1999), The Network Society: Social Aspects of New Media, Translated by L. Spoorenberg, London: Sage.
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UK Communications White Paper (use an Internet search engine to find this and read).
Seminar 4. The Politics of the Internet: Theoretical Perspectives
The main objective of this session is to review the most widely cited theoretical perspectives on new information and communications technologies (ICTs) in general and the Internet in particular.
Questions to consider:
1) Summarise the main points of the information society theories.
2) Do you agree with the ‘waves’ theory proposed by Toffler?
3) What is meant by ‘the network society’?
4) What theory in your view best describes the social impact of the Internet?
Study skills training – The Internet as a research tool:
Visit the University of Hull’s Brynmor Jones Library website and browse the site’s e-journals. Try to find some journal articles related to ‘Internet politics’.
Suggested reading:
Castells, Manuel (1996 and 2000 editions), The Rise of the Network Society, Cambridge: Blackwell Publishers.
Castells, Manuel (1991), The Informational City: Information Technology, Economic Restructuring, and the Urban-Regional Process, Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
Dordick, Herbert & Wang, Georgette (1993), The Information Society: A Retrospective View, London: Sage Publications.
Fuchs, C. and Dyer-Witheford, N. (2013), ‘Karl Marx @ Internet Studies’, New Media & Society, 15(5) 782–796
Leadbeater, Charles (1999), Living on Thin Air: The New Economy, London: Viking.
Lessig, Lawrence (1999), Code and Other Laws in the Cyberspace, New York: Basic Books.
Lyon, David (1988), The Information Society: Issues and Illusions, Cambridge: Polity Press.
McPhail, T. L. (2006) Global communication: theories, stakeholders, and trends, Oxford: Blackwell
Mansell, R.E. (1993), The New Telecommunications: A Political Economy of Network Evolution, London: Sage.
Menzies, Heather (1996), Whose Brave New World? The Information Highway and the New Economy, Toronto: Between the Lines.
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Shapiro, Carl and Varian, Hal (1999), Information Rules: A Strategic Guide to the Network Economy, Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press,.
Stefik, Mark (1999), The Internet Edge: Social, Legal, and Technological Challenges for a Networked World, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
Toffler, A. (1981), The Third Wave, London: Pan Books.
Webster, Frank (1995), Theories of the Information Society, London: Routledge.
van Dijk, Jan (1999), The Network Society: Social Aspects of New Media, Translated by L. Spoorenberg, London: Sage.
Seminar 5. The Internet and Globalisation
The information age seems to be increasingly characterised by the following formula: one medium (the Internet) and one technology (digital) for the whole world. This session assesses the role that the Internet plays in the process of globalisation.
Questions to consider:
1) In what sense(s) and to what extent can the Internet be said a global medium?
2) Has the Internet changed the traditional notion of geography?
3) Does the Internet contribute to global democratisation?
4) What implications can be drawn upon the process of transnational flow of information and communication?
5) What value(s) does the Internet promote, westernisation/Americanisation or multiculturalism?
Suggested reading:
Castells, M. (1997), The Power of Identity, Oxford: Blackwell, Chapter 1 on ‘Communal Heavens: Identity and Meaning in the Network Society’, pp. 5-67.
Held, David, Anthony McGrew, David Goldblatt, and Jonathan Perraton (1999), Global Transformations: Politics, Economics and Culture, Cambridge: Polity Press.
Hirst, Paul, and Grahame Thompson (1996). Globalization in Question: The international economy and the possibilities of governance, Cambridge: Polity Press.
Howard, P. N. (2010), The Digital Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy: Information Technology and Political Islam, Oxford Scholarship Online. [ebook]
Lukasik, Stephen J. (2000), ‘Protecting the Global Information Commons’, Telecommunications Policy 24 (6-7):519-531.
Mathews, Jessica T. (1997), ‘Power Shift’, Foreign Affairs 76 (1):50-66.
Steinberg P. and McDowell S. (2003), ‘Global communication and the post-statism of cyberspace: a spatial constructivist view’, Review of International Political Economy, May 2003, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 196-221(26)
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Volkmer, I. (1997), ‘Universalism and Particularism: The Problem of Cultural Sovereignty and Global Information Flow’, in Kahin, B. and Nesson, C. eds, Borders in Cyberspace, Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press, pp. 48-83.
Seminar 6. The Internet and the State
Given the emergence of the Internet as a global medium transcending national borders, how relevant is the nation state to the information age? Is the nation state still fit to govern the information age? Or, are national regulations of the Internet justifiable?
Questions to consider:
1) Is the Internet the beginning of an end for the nation state?
2) Can the nation state regulate the Internet effectively and legitimately?
3) Give your view on government regulation over the Internet through a country case study.
Suggested reading:
Barrett, N. (1996), The State of the Cybernation: Cultural, Political and Economic Implications of the Internet, London: Kogan Page, Chapter 5 on ‘Legislative and Regulatory Issues’, pp. 161-207; Chapter 6 on ‘Future Potential’, pp. 208-29.
Castells, M. (2011), Communication Power, Oxford: OUP. [Chapter 1]
Castells, M. (1997), The Power of Identity, Oxford: Blackwell, Chapter 5 on ‘A Powerless State?’, pp. 243-308; Chapter 6 on ‘Informational Politics and the Crisis of Democracy’, pp. 309-53.
Dai, X. (2007), ‘Google’, New Political Economy, 12 (3), 433-442.
Godwin, M. (1998), Cyber Rights: Defending Free Speech in the Digital Age, New York: Time Books, Chapter 10 on ‘Courting the Future: The Communications Decency Act of 1996’, pp. 260-93
Rand (2002), You’ve Got Dissent! Chinese Dissident Use of the Internet and Beijing’s Counter-Strategies, available at http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1543/
Sclove, R. E. (1995), Democracy and Technology, New York: The Guildford Press.
Bernauer, Thomas and Christoph Achini (2000), From ‘Real’ to ‘Virtual’ States? Integration of the World Economy and its Effects on Government Activity. European Journal of International Relations 6 (2):223-276.
Camilleri, Joseph A. and Falk, Jim (1992). The End of Sovereignty: The politics of a shrinking and fragmenting world. Aldershot, UK: Edward Elgar.
Cerny, Philip G. (1999), ‘Globalization and the Erosion of Democracy’. European Journal of Political Research 36:1-26.
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Cutler, A. Claire (1999). ‘Locating “Authority” in the Global Political Economy’. International Studies Quarterly 43 (1):59-81.
Helleiner, Eric (1998), ‘Electronic Money: A challenge to the sovereign state?’ Journal of International Affairs 51 (2):387-409.
Mehta, M. D. (2002), ‘Censoring Cyberspace’, Asian Journal of Social Science, 30(2). 319-338
Mueller, M. (2010), Networks and states: the global politics of Internet governance, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. [Chapter I ‘The battle for the soul of the Internet’]
Reed, C. (2004), Internet Law: Text and Materials, 2nd edition, Cambridge University Press. [Contact Waterstone if you wish to purchase this title.]
Rodan, G. (1998), ‘The Internet and Political Control in Singapore’, Political Science Quarterly, 113(1): 63-89.
Strange, Susan (1996), The Retreat of the State: The Diffusion of Power in the World Economy, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Seminar 7. Global Governance of the Internet
The main objective of this session is to study about the process and mechanisms of Internet governance at the global level.
Drezner, D.W. (2004), ‘The Global Governance of the Internet: Bring the State Back in’, Political Science Quarterly, 119(3): 477-498
Kleinwächter, W. (2000), ‘ICANN between Technical Mandate and Political Challenges’, Telecommunications Policy 24 (6-7):553-63
Mueller, M. (2010), Networks and states: The global politics of Internet governance, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. [Chapters 1,2&3]
Mueller, M. L (1998), ‘The Battle over Internet Domain Names: Global or National TLDs?’ Telecommunications Policy 22 (2):89-107.
Thomas, G. and Wyatt, S. (1999), ‘Shaping Cyberspace – Interpreting and Transforming the Internet’, Research Policy 28 (7):681-98.
van Eeten, MJG and Mueller, M. (2013), ‘Where is the governance in Internet governance?’, New Media & Society, 15(5) 720–736
Tasks:
Locate the following organizations online and study the role played by each of them:
ICANN (The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers)
IETF (The Internet Engineering Task Force)
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ISOC (Internet Society)
W3C (World Wide Web Consortium)
Questions to consider:
1) How is the Internet managed at the global level?
2) What are the main issues related to Internet governance?
3) What lessons can be learned from the history and operation of the ICANN?
Seminar 8. The Internet and International Politics: The Return of the States?
Questions to consider:
1) Is the expectation that the current system of international politics should contain the power of the Internet justifiable?
2) To what extent is the current system of international politics suitable for governing the global Internet?
Akdeniz, Y, Walker, C. and Wall, D. eds (2000), The Internet, Law and Society, Harlow : Longman.
Castells, M. (2001), The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business, and Society, Chapter 1 on ‘Lessons from the History of the Internet’, pp. 9-35.
Haas, Ernst B. (1975), ‘Is there a Hole in the Whole? Knowledge, Technology, Interdependence, and the Construction of International Regimes’, International Organization 29 (3):827-876.
Loader, B. ed. (1997), The Governance of Cyberspace: Politics, Technology and Global Restructuring; London: Routledge.
Lucio, M.M., Walker, S. and Trevorrow, P. (2009), Making networks and (re)making trade union bureaucracy: a European-wide case study of trade union engagement with the Internet and networking, New Technology, Work and Employment, 24(2), 115-130 [e-Journal]
Magaziner, Ira C. (1998), ‘The Framework for Global Electronic Commerce: A policy perspective’, Journal of Common Market Studies 51 (2):527-538.
Mueller, M. (2010), Networks and states: The global politics of Internet governance, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. [Chapters 4]
Pulignano, V. (2005), International Cooperation, Transnational Restructuring and Virtual Networking in Europe, European Journal of Industrial Relations, 15(2)187–205 [e-journal]
HUGHES, R. (2010), ‘A treaty for cyberspace’, International Affairs 86(2) 523–541
Tasks:
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Find the website of any of the following international organisations and discuss the organisation’s relevance to the development and governance of the global information and communications technologies.
1) The ITU
2) The OECD
3) The WTO
4) The EU
Seminar 9. The Politics of Cybersecurity
This session explores the changing power relations in the cyberspace and poses the fundamental question of whether both cyber security and freedom of information could be achieved in the digital age.
Questions:
1) Does the Internet pose a challenge to law enforcement?
2) Has the Internet changed the power relations between individuals and the state?
3) Has the Internet changed the notion of national security?
4) Whose rules are to apply when considering cybercrimes?
Suggested reading:
Campen, A. D., Dearth, D. H. and Goodden, R. T. (1996), Cyberwar: Security, Strategy, and Conflict in the Information Age, Fairfax: AFCEA International Press.
Choucri, N.and Goldsmith, D. (2012), ‘Lost in cyberspace: Harnessing the Internet, international relations, and global security’, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 68(2) 70–77
Guisnel, J. (1997), Cyberwars: Espionage on the Internet, translated by Gui Masai, New York: Plenum Press.
Inkster, N. (2010), ‘China in Cyberspace’, Survival – Global Politics and Strategy, 52(4), 55–66
Mueller, M. (2010), Networks and states: The global politics of Internet governance, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. [Chapters 8&10]
Reed, C. (2004), Internet Law: Text and Materials, 2nd edition, Cambridge University Press. [Contact Waterstone if you wish to purchase this title.]
Rand (2002): You’ve Got Dissent! Chinese Dissident Use of the Internet and Beijing’s Counter-Strategies, available at http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1543/
Staksrud, E. (2013), ‘Online grooming legislation: Knee-jerk regulation?’, European Journal of Communication, 28(2) 152–167.
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Stevens,t. (2012) A Cyberwar of Ideas? Deterrence and Norms in Cyberspace’, Contemporary Security Policy, 33(1), 148-170
Centre for Democracy & Technology (CDT), www.cdt.org
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), www.eff.org
The Electronic Privacy Information Centre (EPIC), www.epic.org
The European Parliament, An Appraisal of the Technologies of Political Control, the STOA report, http://www.statewatch.org/news/2005/may/steve-wright-stoa-rep.pdf
Seminar 10. Conceptualising Cyberspace: Netizens and the Digital State
Castells, M. (2011), Communication Power, Oxford: OUP [chapter 5] [This is a lengthy chapter but please make sure you read it before the seniar.]
Castells, M. (2008), ‘The New Public Sphere: Global Civil Society, Communication Networks, and Global Governance’, The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 616, Issue 1, 78-93
Steinberg, P. and McDowell, S. (2003), ‘Global communication and the post-statism of cyberspace: a spatial constructivist view’, Review of International Political Economy 10(2), 196–221
Seminar 11. What Does the Edward Snowden Affair Tell Us?
Castells, M. (2011), Communication Power, Oxford: OUP [Please read the Conclusion of this book.]
Tasks:
1. Use an Internet search engine to find media reports on Edward Snowden.
2. Answer the following questions:
a) Why do states conduct electronic information and communications surveilance?
b) What implications can be drawn upon the Edward Snowden affair for considering Internet governance?

Has the Internet served the purpose for which this new medium was invented?

Order Description

read the reading list,

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READING LIST
Suggested for student purchase:
Castells, M. (2010 editions), The Rise of the Network Society, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.
Essential
Castells, M. (2011), Communication Power, Oxford: OUP
Chadwick, A, (2013), The hybrid media system: politics and power, Oxford: OUP
Mueller, M. (2010), Networks and states: the global politics of Internet governance, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press
Oates, S., Owen, D. M. And Gibson, R. K. (2006), The Internet and politics: citizens, voters and activists, London: Routledge
Recommended
Castells, M. (2012), Networks of outrage and hope: social movements in the Internet age, Cambridge: Polity
Chadwick, A. (2006), Internet Politics: States, Citizens, and New Communication Technologies, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Oates, S. (2013), Revolution stalled: the political limits of the internet in the post-Soviet sphere, Oxford: OUP
Stromer-Galley, J. (2014), Presidential campaigning in the Internet age, New York: OUP
Lindsay, Jon R.; Cheung, Tai Ming.; Reveron, Derek S. (2015), China and cybersecurity: espionage, strategy, and politics in the digital domain, New York: OUP
Background
Akhavan, N. (2013), Electronic Iran: the cultural politics of an online evolution, New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press
Castells, M. (2001), The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business, and Society, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Mowlana, H. (1997), Global Information and World Politics: New Frontiers in International Relations, London: Sage
Franklin, M. (2013), Digital dilemmas: power, resistance, and the Internet, New York: OUP
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Howard, Philip N. (2010), The digital origins of dictatorship and democracy: information technology and political Islam, Oxford: OUP
Seminar 1. International Politics of the Internet
This session provides an overview of the study of the international politics of the Internet as a new subject area.
Suggested reading:
Aronson, J. D. (2001), ‘The Communications and Internet Revolution’, in Baylis, J. & Smith, S. (eds), The Globalization of World Politics, 2nd edtion, Oxford: OUP, pp. 540-58.
Castells, M. (2012), Networks of outrage and hope: social movements in the Internet age, Cambridge: Polity. Chapter Opening: ‘Network minds, creating meaning, contesting power’
Castells, M. (2001), The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business, and Society, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Chapter Opening: ‘Network is the message’.
Gilboa, E. (2002), ‘Global Communication and Foreign Policy’, Journal of Communication, 52(4), 731-748
Mowlana, H. (1997), Global Information and World Politics: New Frontiers in International Relations, London: Sage. [Chapters 1,2&3]
Seminar 2. The Global Information and Communications Revolution
The aim of this section is to review the historical process of the global information and communications revolution and to identify the key elements of the current digital media sector. Particular attention will be given to the development of the Internet.
Questions to consider:
1) Give your account on the development and implications of the global information and communications sector with reference to a particular network (e.g. telegraph, telephone, radio, television or the Internet).
2) How would you characterise the information age? Discuss with reference to the digital media sector (e.g. digital TV, Mobile Communications, and the Internet).
3) Has the Internet changed the world we know about?
Suggested reading:
Castells, M. (2001), The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business, and Society, [Chapter 1 on ‘Lessons from the History of the Internet’]
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Dai, X. (2000), The Digital Revolution and Governance, Aldershot: Ashgate. [Chapters 6 &7]
Dai, X. (1996), Corporate Strategy, Public Policy and New Technologies, Oxford: Pergamon. [Chapter 4]
Hills, J. (1991), The Democracy Gap: The Politics of Information and Communication Technologies in the United States and Europe, London: Greenwood Press.
Leiner, B. et al (2000), A Brief History of the Internet (http://www.isoc.org/internet/history/brief.shtml)
Parker, B. (2005), Introduction to Globalization & Business: Relationships and Responsibilities, London: Sage. Chapter 11 (‘Globalization and Technologies, pp. 320-45). [Contact Waterstone if you wish to purchase this title.]
Saxby, Stephen (1990), The Age of Information: The Past Development and the Future Significance of Computing and Communications, London: Macmillan.
Leiner, B. et al (2000), A Brief History of the Internet, URL: http://www.isoc.org/internet/history/brief.shtml
Slevin, J. (2000), The Internet and Society, Cambridge: Polity Press, Chapter 2 on ‘The Rise of the Internet’, pp. 27-54.
Winston, B. (1998), Media Technology and Society – A History: From the Telegraph to the Internet, London: Routledge. [If you are interested in the historical evolutions and revolutions in media and communications technologies, buy this book!]
Practical study skills: The Internet as a research tool
Use the Internet to find additional reading. In particular, find more documents about the history of the Internet, digital Television (DTV) and 3G (3rd Generation Mobile Communications). Compile a list of your key findings and share the information sources with the rest of the class. Make a brief summary of the most relevant documents and give out the web details, namely, URLs.
Seminar 3. The Internet as a New Medium
Much has been said about the impact of the Internet. But how important is the Internet and what implications does the Internet have for our understanding about the world we live in? This section aims to assess the predominantly unquestioned acceptance of the Internet as a new force for economic betterment and the increasingly questioned acceptance of the Internet as a new medium of communications. This session examines in particular the Internet as an emergent new medium itself and its impact on the traditional media.
Questions and Tasks:
1) What are the characteristics of the Internet as a medium of political communication? How different is the Internet as a new medium from the traditional media? Discuss with reference to both e-mail communications and
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the World Wide Web (WWW). Each student is expected to make a case study about one major Internet portal (e.g. www.yahoo.com, www.microsoft.com, www.sina.com or any other portal you are familiar with)
2) What impact does the internet have on the traditional print media? Answer by presenting a case study on a daily newspaper (read the printed newspaper and visit the paper’s website; compare the printed version and the online version. Try The Guardian – guardian.co.uk or The Times – www.timesonline.co.uk).
3) Will the internet change the nature of the TV broadcasting sector, or vice versa? Answer by presenting a case study on the BBC (www.bbc.co.uk).
Suggested reading:
Bechmann, A. and Lomborg, S. (2013), ‘Mapping actor roles in social media: Different perspectives on value creation in theories of user participation’, New Media & Society, 15(5) 765–781
Castells, M. (2011), Communication Power, Oxford: OUP. [Chapter 2 ‘Communication in the digital age’]
Collins, R. and Murroni, C. (1996), New Media, New Policies: Media and Communications Strategies for the Future, Cambridge: Polity Press.
Hauben, M. and Hauben, R. (1997), Netizens, Los Alamitos: IEEE Computer Society Press, Chapter 1 on ‘The Net and Netizens: The Impact of the Net Has on People’s Lives’, pp. 3-34; Chapter 13 on ‘The Effects of the Net on the Professional News Media’, pp. 222-40.
Hutchison, D. (1999), Media Policy: An Introduction, Oxford: Blackwell, Chapter 4 on ‘Technology – Chance, Fate and Choice’, pp. 49-66.
Dovery, Jon ed (1996), Fractal Dreams: New Media in Social Context, London: Lawrence & Wishart.
Iosifidis, P. (2011), Global media and communication policy, Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan
Kruikemeier, S. et al (2013), ‘Getting closer: The effects of personalized and interactive online political communication’, European Journal of Communication, 28(1) 53–66
Jordan, T. (2013), Internet, society and culture communicative practices before and after the Internet, London: Bloomsbury
Taipale, S. (2013), ‘The relationship between Internet use, online and printed newspaper reading in Finland: Investigating the direct and moderating effects of gender’, European Journal of Communication, 28(1) 5–18, 5-18
Trilling, (D.) and Schoenbach, K. (2013), ‘Skipping current affairs: The non-users of online and offline news’, European Journal of Communication, 28(1) 35-51
van Dijk, Jan (1999), The Network Society: Social Aspects of New Media, Translated by L. Spoorenberg, London: Sage.
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UK Communications White Paper (use an Internet search engine to find this and read).
Seminar 4. The Politics of the Internet: Theoretical Perspectives
The main objective of this session is to review the most widely cited theoretical perspectives on new information and communications technologies (ICTs) in general and the Internet in particular.
Questions to consider:
1) Summarise the main points of the information society theories.
2) Do you agree with the ‘waves’ theory proposed by Toffler?
3) What is meant by ‘the network society’?
4) What theory in your view best describes the social impact of the Internet?
Study skills training – The Internet as a research tool:
Visit the University of Hull’s Brynmor Jones Library website and browse the site’s e-journals. Try to find some journal articles related to ‘Internet politics’.
Suggested reading:
Castells, Manuel (1996 and 2000 editions), The Rise of the Network Society, Cambridge: Blackwell Publishers.
Castells, Manuel (1991), The Informational City: Information Technology, Economic Restructuring, and the Urban-Regional Process, Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
Dordick, Herbert & Wang, Georgette (1993), The Information Society: A Retrospective View, London: Sage Publications.
Fuchs, C. and Dyer-Witheford, N. (2013), ‘Karl Marx @ Internet Studies’, New Media & Society, 15(5) 782–796
Leadbeater, Charles (1999), Living on Thin Air: The New Economy, London: Viking.
Lessig, Lawrence (1999), Code and Other Laws in the Cyberspace, New York: Basic Books.
Lyon, David (1988), The Information Society: Issues and Illusions, Cambridge: Polity Press.
McPhail, T. L. (2006) Global communication: theories, stakeholders, and trends, Oxford: Blackwell
Mansell, R.E. (1993), The New Telecommunications: A Political Economy of Network Evolution, London: Sage.
Menzies, Heather (1996), Whose Brave New World? The Information Highway and the New Economy, Toronto: Between the Lines.
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Shapiro, Carl and Varian, Hal (1999), Information Rules: A Strategic Guide to the Network Economy, Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press,.
Stefik, Mark (1999), The Internet Edge: Social, Legal, and Technological Challenges for a Networked World, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
Toffler, A. (1981), The Third Wave, London: Pan Books.
Webster, Frank (1995), Theories of the Information Society, London: Routledge.
van Dijk, Jan (1999), The Network Society: Social Aspects of New Media, Translated by L. Spoorenberg, London: Sage.
Seminar 5. The Internet and Globalisation
The information age seems to be increasingly characterised by the following formula: one medium (the Internet) and one technology (digital) for the whole world. This session assesses the role that the Internet plays in the process of globalisation.
Questions to consider:
1) In what sense(s) and to what extent can the Internet be said a global medium?
2) Has the Internet changed the traditional notion of geography?
3) Does the Internet contribute to global democratisation?
4) What implications can be drawn upon the process of transnational flow of information and communication?
5) What value(s) does the Internet promote, westernisation/Americanisation or multiculturalism?
Suggested reading:
Castells, M. (1997), The Power of Identity, Oxford: Blackwell, Chapter 1 on ‘Communal Heavens: Identity and Meaning in the Network Society’, pp. 5-67.
Held, David, Anthony McGrew, David Goldblatt, and Jonathan Perraton (1999), Global Transformations: Politics, Economics and Culture, Cambridge: Polity Press.
Hirst, Paul, and Grahame Thompson (1996). Globalization in Question: The international economy and the possibilities of governance, Cambridge: Polity Press.
Howard, P. N. (2010), The Digital Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy: Information Technology and Political Islam, Oxford Scholarship Online. [ebook]
Lukasik, Stephen J. (2000), ‘Protecting the Global Information Commons’, Telecommunications Policy 24 (6-7):519-531.
Mathews, Jessica T. (1997), ‘Power Shift’, Foreign Affairs 76 (1):50-66.
Steinberg P. and McDowell S. (2003), ‘Global communication and the post-statism of cyberspace: a spatial constructivist view’, Review of International Political Economy, May 2003, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 196-221(26)
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Volkmer, I. (1997), ‘Universalism and Particularism: The Problem of Cultural Sovereignty and Global Information Flow’, in Kahin, B. and Nesson, C. eds, Borders in Cyberspace, Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press, pp. 48-83.
Seminar 6. The Internet and the State
Given the emergence of the Internet as a global medium transcending national borders, how relevant is the nation state to the information age? Is the nation state still fit to govern the information age? Or, are national regulations of the Internet justifiable?
Questions to consider:
1) Is the Internet the beginning of an end for the nation state?
2) Can the nation state regulate the Internet effectively and legitimately?
3) Give your view on government regulation over the Internet through a country case study.
Suggested reading:
Barrett, N. (1996), The State of the Cybernation: Cultural, Political and Economic Implications of the Internet, London: Kogan Page, Chapter 5 on ‘Legislative and Regulatory Issues’, pp. 161-207; Chapter 6 on ‘Future Potential’, pp. 208-29.
Castells, M. (2011), Communication Power, Oxford: OUP. [Chapter 1]
Castells, M. (1997), The Power of Identity, Oxford: Blackwell, Chapter 5 on ‘A Powerless State?’, pp. 243-308; Chapter 6 on ‘Informational Politics and the Crisis of Democracy’, pp. 309-53.
Dai, X. (2007), ‘Google’, New Political Economy, 12 (3), 433-442.
Godwin, M. (1998), Cyber Rights: Defending Free Speech in the Digital Age, New York: Time Books, Chapter 10 on ‘Courting the Future: The Communications Decency Act of 1996’, pp. 260-93
Rand (2002), You’ve Got Dissent! Chinese Dissident Use of the Internet and Beijing’s Counter-Strategies, available at http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1543/
Sclove, R. E. (1995), Democracy and Technology, New York: The Guildford Press.
Bernauer, Thomas and Christoph Achini (2000), From ‘Real’ to ‘Virtual’ States? Integration of the World Economy and its Effects on Government Activity. European Journal of International Relations 6 (2):223-276.
Camilleri, Joseph A. and Falk, Jim (1992). The End of Sovereignty: The politics of a shrinking and fragmenting world. Aldershot, UK: Edward Elgar.
Cerny, Philip G. (1999), ‘Globalization and the Erosion of Democracy’. European Journal of Political Research 36:1-26.
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Cutler, A. Claire (1999). ‘Locating “Authority” in the Global Political Economy’. International Studies Quarterly 43 (1):59-81.
Helleiner, Eric (1998), ‘Electronic Money: A challenge to the sovereign state?’ Journal of International Affairs 51 (2):387-409.
Mehta, M. D. (2002), ‘Censoring Cyberspace’, Asian Journal of Social Science, 30(2). 319-338
Mueller, M. (2010), Networks and states: the global politics of Internet governance, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. [Chapter I ‘The battle for the soul of the Internet’]
Reed, C. (2004), Internet Law: Text and Materials, 2nd edition, Cambridge University Press. [Contact Waterstone if you wish to purchase this title.]
Rodan, G. (1998), ‘The Internet and Political Control in Singapore’, Political Science Quarterly, 113(1): 63-89.
Strange, Susan (1996), The Retreat of the State: The Diffusion of Power in the World Economy, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Seminar 7. Global Governance of the Internet
The main objective of this session is to study about the process and mechanisms of Internet governance at the global level.
Drezner, D.W. (2004), ‘The Global Governance of the Internet: Bring the State Back in’, Political Science Quarterly, 119(3): 477-498
Kleinwächter, W. (2000), ‘ICANN between Technical Mandate and Political Challenges’, Telecommunications Policy 24 (6-7):553-63
Mueller, M. (2010), Networks and states: The global politics of Internet governance, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. [Chapters 1,2&3]
Mueller, M. L (1998), ‘The Battle over Internet Domain Names: Global or National TLDs?’ Telecommunications Policy 22 (2):89-107.
Thomas, G. and Wyatt, S. (1999), ‘Shaping Cyberspace – Interpreting and Transforming the Internet’, Research Policy 28 (7):681-98.
van Eeten, MJG and Mueller, M. (2013), ‘Where is the governance in Internet governance?’, New Media & Society, 15(5) 720–736
Tasks:
Locate the following organizations online and study the role played by each of them:
ICANN (The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers)
IETF (The Internet Engineering Task Force)
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ISOC (Internet Society)
W3C (World Wide Web Consortium)
Questions to consider:
1) How is the Internet managed at the global level?
2) What are the main issues related to Internet governance?
3) What lessons can be learned from the history and operation of the ICANN?
Seminar 8. The Internet and International Politics: The Return of the States?
Questions to consider:
1) Is the expectation that the current system of international politics should contain the power of the Internet justifiable?
2) To what extent is the current system of international politics suitable for governing the global Internet?
Akdeniz, Y, Walker, C. and Wall, D. eds (2000), The Internet, Law and Society, Harlow : Longman.
Castells, M. (2001), The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business, and Society, Chapter 1 on ‘Lessons from the History of the Internet’, pp. 9-35.
Haas, Ernst B. (1975), ‘Is there a Hole in the Whole? Knowledge, Technology, Interdependence, and the Construction of International Regimes’, International Organization 29 (3):827-876.
Loader, B. ed. (1997), The Governance of Cyberspace: Politics, Technology and Global Restructuring; London: Routledge.
Lucio, M.M., Walker, S. and Trevorrow, P. (2009), Making networks and (re)making trade union bureaucracy: a European-wide case study of trade union engagement with the Internet and networking, New Technology, Work and Employment, 24(2), 115-130 [e-Journal]
Magaziner, Ira C. (1998), ‘The Framework for Global Electronic Commerce: A policy perspective’, Journal of Common Market Studies 51 (2):527-538.
Mueller, M. (2010), Networks and states: The global politics of Internet governance, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. [Chapters 4]
Pulignano, V. (2005), International Cooperation, Transnational Restructuring and Virtual Networking in Europe, European Journal of Industrial Relations, 15(2)187–205 [e-journal]
HUGHES, R. (2010), ‘A treaty for cyberspace’, International Affairs 86(2) 523–541
Tasks:
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Find the website of any of the following international organisations and discuss the organisation’s relevance to the development and governance of the global information and communications technologies.
1) The ITU
2) The OECD
3) The WTO
4) The EU
Seminar 9. The Politics of Cybersecurity
This session explores the changing power relations in the cyberspace and poses the fundamental question of whether both cyber security and freedom of information could be achieved in the digital age.
Questions:
1) Does the Internet pose a challenge to law enforcement?
2) Has the Internet changed the power relations between individuals and the state?
3) Has the Internet changed the notion of national security?
4) Whose rules are to apply when considering cybercrimes?
Suggested reading:
Campen, A. D., Dearth, D. H. and Goodden, R. T. (1996), Cyberwar: Security, Strategy, and Conflict in the Information Age, Fairfax: AFCEA International Press.
Choucri, N.and Goldsmith, D. (2012), ‘Lost in cyberspace: Harnessing the Internet, international relations, and global security’, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 68(2) 70–77
Guisnel, J. (1997), Cyberwars: Espionage on the Internet, translated by Gui Masai, New York: Plenum Press.
Inkster, N. (2010), ‘China in Cyberspace’, Survival – Global Politics and Strategy, 52(4), 55–66
Mueller, M. (2010), Networks and states: The global politics of Internet governance, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. [Chapters 8&10]
Reed, C. (2004), Internet Law: Text and Materials, 2nd edition, Cambridge University Press. [Contact Waterstone if you wish to purchase this title.]
Rand (2002): You’ve Got Dissent! Chinese Dissident Use of the Internet and Beijing’s Counter-Strategies, available at http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1543/
Staksrud, E. (2013), ‘Online grooming legislation: Knee-jerk regulation?’, European Journal of Communication, 28(2) 152–167.
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Stevens,t. (2012) A Cyberwar of Ideas? Deterrence and Norms in Cyberspace’, Contemporary Security Policy, 33(1), 148-170
Centre for Democracy & Technology (CDT), www.cdt.org
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), www.eff.org
The Electronic Privacy Information Centre (EPIC), www.epic.org
The European Parliament, An Appraisal of the Technologies of Political Control, the STOA report, http://www.statewatch.org/news/2005/may/steve-wright-stoa-rep.pdf
Seminar 10. Conceptualising Cyberspace: Netizens and the Digital State
Castells, M. (2011), Communication Power, Oxford: OUP [chapter 5] [This is a lengthy chapter but please make sure you read it before the seniar.]
Castells, M. (2008), ‘The New Public Sphere: Global Civil Society, Communication Networks, and Global Governance’, The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 616, Issue 1, 78-93
Steinberg, P. and McDowell, S. (2003), ‘Global communication and the post-statism of cyberspace: a spatial constructivist view’, Review of International Political Economy 10(2), 196–221
Seminar 11. What Does the Edward Snowden Affair Tell Us?
Castells, M. (2011), Communication Power, Oxford: OUP [Please read the Conclusion of this book.]
Tasks:
1. Use an Internet search engine to find media reports on Edward Snowden.
2. Answer the following questions:
a) Why do states conduct electronic information and communications surveilance?
b) What implications can be drawn upon the Edward Snowden affair for considering Internet governance?