Word cloud of the student projects in the seminar “Identity, sociality & communality in times of digital media technologies” at the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Vienna.
World Summit on Information Society: Action Line “Cultural diversity and identity”
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“Cultural and linguistic diversity, while stimulating respect for cultural identity, traditions and religions, is essential to the development of an Information Society based on the dialogue among cultures and regional and international cooperation. It is an important factor for sustainable development.
UNESCO emphasises the value of cultural and linguistic diversity in all its work. It is also concerned to ensure that new media platforms make content available which is relevant to the lives of all communities and individuals, including the poor and marginalised. Content of local relevance, and content which is locally produced, are important in this context.” …
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Seminar research projects
In the seminar “Identity, sociality & communality in times of digital media technologies” at the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Vienna, students work in research teams on aspects of privacy, gaming, movements, participation, solidarity and visual culture.
Paper: Community resilience and social media
Molyneaux, H., O’Donnell, S., Kakekaspan, C., Walmark, B., Budka, P., Gibson, K. 2012. Community resilience and social media: Remote and rural First Nations communities, social isolation and cultural preservation. Paper for the “2012 International Rural Network Forum”, Whyalla and Upper Spencer Gulf, Australia, 24-28 September.
Abstract
Community resilience in First Nations includes ties to people both inside and outside the community, intergenerational communication, sharing of stories, and family and community connectedness. This study, based on a survey of internet users in the Sioux Lookout region of Northwestern Ontario, explores the link between social networking sites (SNS) and community resilience. The region is home to some of the most isolated and rural First Nations (indigenous) communities in Canada. Cultural and familial links between these communities are strong, yet until the fairly recent widespread use of the internet, maintaining regular communications to strengthen cultural ties was challenging. This study examines the links between travel and communication online, how social media is used to preserve culture and maintain communication, and the implications of social networking for community resilience.
Seminar: Identity, sociality and communality in times of digital media technologies
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In the winter term 2012/2013, I am teaching a seminar on “Identity, sociality and communality in times of digital media technologies” at the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Vienna. Students in this course learn about and to work with different forms of identity construction and processes of sociality and communality, which have been made possible through digital media technologies, such as the internet. Students get a brief overview about identity concepts and the possibility to deploy them within empirical research projects.
Find more information about this seminar here: http://www.philbu.net/courses.html
Concept map: Communicative ecologies
This map visualizes the concept of “communicative ecologies” as introduced by Tacchi, J., Slater, D., Hearn, G. 2003. Ethnographic Action Research: A User’s Handbook. New Delhi: UNESCO, http://eprints.qut.edu.au/4399/. It was done by using the free CMap Tools (click to enlarge).
Article: “We were on the outside looking in”: MyKnet.org – A First Nations Online Social Environment in Northern Ontario
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Bell, B., Budka, P., Fiser, A. 2012. “We were on the outside looking in”: MyKnet.org – A First Nations online social environment in northern Ontario. In A. Clement, M. Gurstein, G. Longford, M. Moll & L. R. Shade (Eds.), Connecting Canadians: Investigations in Community Informatics (pp. 237-254). Edmonton: Athabasca University Press.
“In 2000, one of Canada’s leading Aboriginal community networks, the Kuh-ke-nah Network, or K-Net, was on the verge of expanding into broadband services. (For more on K-Net, see chapter 14.) K-Net’s management organization, Keewaytinook Okimakanak Tribal Council, had acquired funding and resources to become one of Industry Canada’s Smart Communities demonstration projects. Among the innovative services that K-Net introduced at the time was MyKnet.org, a system of personal home pages intended for remote First Nations users in a region of Northern Ontario where numerous communities have lived without adequate residential telecom service well into the millennium (Fiser, Clement, and Walmark 2006; Ramírez et al. 2003). Shortly thereafter, and through K-Net’s community-based Internet infrastructure, this free-of-charge, free-of-advertising, locally supported, online social environment grew from its core constituency of remote First Nations communities to host over 30,000 registered user accounts (of which approximately 20,000 represent active home pages). …”
free chapter download: http://www.aupress.ca/index.php/books/120193
Free e-Book: Connecting Canadians: Investigations in Community Informatics
A. Clement, M. Gurstein, G. Longford, M. Moll & L. R. Shade (Eds.), Connecting Canadians: Investigations in Community Informatics. Edmonton: Athabasca University Press.
“Connecting Canadians represents the work of the Community Research Alliance for Community Innovation and Networking (CRACIN), the largest national and international research effort to examine the burgeoning field of community informatics, a cross-disciplinary approach to the mobilization of information and communications technologies (ICT) for community change.
Funded for four years by the SSHRC’s Initiative for the New Economy, CRACIN systematically studied a wide variety of Canadian community ICT initiatives, bringing perspectives from sociology, computer science, critical theory, women’s studies, library and information sciences, and management studies to bear on networking technologies. A comprehensive thematic account of this in-depth research, Connecting Canadians will be an essential resource for NGOs, governments, the private sector, and multilateral agencies across the globe.”
Download the book or single chapters for free: http://www.aupress.ca/index.php/books/120193
Article: Neue Entwicklungen und Herausforderungen im sozialwissenschaftlichen Studium
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Budka, P., Schallert, C., Mitterauer, L., Hintermayer, M. 2012. Neue Entwicklungen und Herausforderungen im sozialwissenschaftlichen Studium (New developments and challenges in social science studies). Das Hochschulwesen, 3/2012, 99-106.
Abstract
Dieser Beitrag befasst sich mit dem Studieren der Sozialwissenschaften in der Ära von Bologna, die neben der curricularen Umstellung auf ein zwei- bzw. dreistufiges System von Studienabschlüssen und der Einführung eines ECTS Leistungspunktesystems vermehrt auch eine Steigerung der Arbeits- und Prüfungsbelastung für die Studierenden mit sich bringt (z.B. Allenspach/Husfeldt 2012). Am Fallbeispiel der im Zuge des Bologna-Prozesses 2007 implementierten gemeinsamen sozialwissenschaftlichen Studieneingangs- und Orientierungsphase der Universität Wien (SOWI-STEOP, http://esowi.univie.ac.at/) werden Herausforderungen, Strukturen und Entwicklungen in Bezug auf die spezifischen Charakteristika der Studienbeginner/innen diskutiert und studentische Erwartungen und Bewertungen beleuchtet.
Vortrag: IKT als Werkzeuge zur Reduktion erzwungener Mobilität
Vortrag im Rahmen der 7. Tage der Kultur- und Sozialanthropologie: “Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien (IKT) als Werkzeuge zur Reduktion erzwungener Mobilität” (PDF)
Aus dem Inhalt:
- Indigene in Kanada & im Nordwestlichen Ontario
- Sitation von First Nations im Nordwestlichen Ontario
- Indigene IKT im Nordwestlichen Ontario: KO-KNET
- Reduktion erzwungener Mobilität durch IKT
- IKT-Anwendungspraktiken: Isolation vs. Sozialität
- Indigene IKT: Ergebnisse aktueller Studien
Indigene IKT: Ergebnisse aktueller Studien:
- IKT-Praktiken beeinflussen …
a) (kulturelle) Identitätskonstruktion & -verhandlung
b) (soziale) Vergemeinschaftungsformen & -prozesse
c) Kommunikationspraktiken
- Entscheidend sind …
a) Kontrolle von & Bezug zu IKT
b) Soziokulturelle, geographische & politische Kontexte/Rahmenbedingungen/Möglichkeiten
Vortrag: Indigene Medientechnologien
Gastvortrag im Rahmen der Vorlesung “Einführung in die Kultur- und Sozialanthropologie” (Sommersemester 2012, Leitung: Elke Mader): “Indigene Medientechnologien – Produktion & Anwendungspraktiken aus medienanthropologischer Perspektive“: Teil 1 / Teil 2 (PDF)
Aus dem Inhalt:
- Medientechnologien aus kultur- und sozialanthropologischer & ethnographischer Perspektive
- Indigene Medien:
Indigene?
Indigene IKT: „outreach“ Praktiken z.B. EZLN in Mexiko, „inreach“ Praktiken: z.B. KO-NET in Kanada - Indigene Medientechnologieproduktion: Beispiel „Internet für First Nations in Kanada“
- Indigene Medienanwendungspraktiken: Beispiel „MyKnet.org: Social Networking für First Nations in Kanada“ – Identitätskonstruktion, Vergemeinschaftungsformen, ethnographische Felderforschung
Seminar: Public and Interdisciplinary Communication in Social and Cultural Anthropology
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In the summer term 2012, I am organizing the seminar “Public and Interdisciplinary Communication in Social and Cultural Anthropology” at the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Vienna. More details on the seminar’s objectives, methods and topics can be found here in German: http://www.philbu.net/courses.html#details
A first round of brainstorming with the students about social and cultural anthropology in relation to “the public” and forms of interdisciplinarity resulted in this mind map (German):
Presentation: Cyberactivism = cultural activism
At the 2nd UnlikeUs conference in Amsterdam, I gave a talk on cyberactivism, with KO-Knet and MyKnet.org as examples for the indigenous case.
Budka, Philipp. 2012. Indigenous cyberactivism: the case of KO-Knet and MyKnet.org. Presentation at UnlikeUs conference, Amsterdam, 10.03.2012. (PDF)
Main points:
- case for media / technology diversity that is cultural diversity
- through activist projects and practices
- need to support local languages, cultural heritage & practices
- through (1) control & ownership, (2) cooperation, networking & sharing
Further reading and resources:
Summary of the presentation by Ryanne Turenhout
Books
Landzelius, K. 2006. (ed.) Native on the net: Indigenous and diasporic peoples in the virtual age. New York & London: Routledge.
McCaughey, M., Ayers, M. D. 2003. (eds.) Cyberactivism: Online activism in theory and practice. New York & London: Routledge.
Journals & Papers
Budka, P., Bell, B., & Fiser, A. (2009): MyKnet.org: How Northern Ontario’s First Nation communities made themselves at home on the World Wide Web. The Journal of Community Informatics, 5(2), http://ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/568/450
The Journal of Community Informatics Special Issue (2009): CI & Indigenous Communities in Canada – The K-Net (Keewaytinook Okimakanak’s Kuhkenah) Experience, http://ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/issue/view/27
Publications, papers & presentations about MyKnet.org
This is a list of publications, papers and presentations that results from research on MyKnet.org, an online social environment for First Nations people of northwestern Ontario, Canada. For more information on MyKnet.org and the research project, take a look at the summary of the MyKnet.org research project and the MyKnet.org research website.
Publications
Bell, B., Budka, P. & Fiser, A. 2012. “We were on the outside looking in” – MyKnet.org: A First Nations online social environment in northern Ontario. In Clement, A., Gurstein, M., Longford, G., Moll, M. & Shade, L. R. (Eds.) Connecting Canadians: Investigations in Community Informatics. Edmonton: Athabasca University Press. Forthcoming.
Budka, P. 2009. Indigenous media technology production in northern Ontario, Canada. In Ertler, K.-D. & Lutz, H. (Eds.) Canada in Grainau / Le Canada à Grainau: A multidisciplinary survey of Canadian Studies after 30 years. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.
Budka, P., Bell, B., & Fiser, A. 2009. MyKnet.org: How Northern Ontario’s First Nation communities made themselves at home on the World Wide Web. The Journal of Community Informatics, 5(2), Online: http://ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/568/450
Papers and presentations at conferences
Budka, P. 2011. Connecting First Nations through media and communication technologies in northern Ontario, Canada. Paper at “American Indian Workshop (AIW)”, Graz, Austria: Graz University, 31 March – 3 April.
Budka, P. 2010. Popular culture and music in an indigenous online environment. Paper at “11th Biennial Conference of the European Association of Social Anthropologists (EASA)”, Maynooth, Ireland: National University of Irland Maynooth, 24-27 August.
Budka, P. 2010. Indigene Medienproduktion im Nordwestlichen Ontario, Kanada. Presentation at “Tage der Kultur- und Sozialanthropologie”, Vienna, Austria: University of Vienna, 22 April.
Budka, P. 2009. Die Bedeutung von (kultureller) Identität in einer indigenen Online-Umgebung (MyKnet.org). Paper at “Internet und Identitätskonstruktion von Jugendlichen Workshop”, Vienna, Austria: University of Vienna, 30 October.
Budka, P. 2008. Indigenous territories on the World Wide Web: How First Nation people in Northwestern Ontario make themselves at home online. Paper at “Internet Research 9.0 Conference of the Association of Internet Researchers”, Copenhagen, Denmark: IT University of Copenhagen, 16-18 October.
Budka, P. 2008. Indigenous media technology production in Northern Ontario, Canada. Paper at “10th Biennial Conference of the European Association of Social Anthropologists (EASA)”, Ljubljana, Slovenia: University of Ljubljana, 26-30 August.
Budka, P. 2008. Populärkulturen in einer First Nation Internet Umgebung: Hip Hop als Element jugendlicher Identitätskonstruktion und Repräsentation. Paper at “Wiener Tage der Kultur- und Sozialanthropologie”, Vienna, Austria: University of Vienna, 10-11 April.
Budka, P. 2007. The new mediation of traumatic experiences: the First Nations online environment MyKnet.org and suicides in Northern Ontario, Canada. Paper at “Sites/Cites of Trauma Workshop”, Gothenburg, Sweden:Gothenburg University, 5-6 October.
Budka, P., Grünberg, G., & Trupp, C. 2007. Indigene und Internet in den Amerikas. Ein komparatives medienanthropologisches Projekt. Presentation at “Wiener Tage der Kultur- und Sozialanthropologie”, Vienna, Austria: University of Vienna, 26-27 April.
Bell, B., Budka, P., & Fiser, A. 2007. “We were on the outside looking in” – MyKnet.org: a First Nations online social network in Northern Ontario. Paper at the “5th Canadian Research Alliance for Community Innovation and Networking (CRACIN) Workshop”, Montreal, Canada: Concordia University, 20-22 June.
Report on the MyKnet.org and Facebook Online Survey, April – December 2011
Budka, Philipp. 2012. Report on the MyKnet.org and Facebook Online Survey, April-December 2011.
http://meeting.knet.ca/mp19/course/view.php?id=7
Abstract
This report presents and discusses findings of an online survey which aims to contribute to the understanding of First Nation online practices. By looking at two popular web services, MyKnet.org, a regional First Nation homepage environment, and Facebook, the global leader in online social networking, it becomes clear that for the First Nation people of northwestern Ontario the internet is the most important communication medium. These two online services have become ubiquitous media technologies that are used to connect and represent people in this remote region. They are well integrated into people’s daily lives and practices; not only as communication tools, but also as subjects of discussion. As participants to this online survey (N=117) indicate, the popularity of MyKnet.org and Facebook is mainly due to the fact that those online services are easy and free to use for keeping in touch with family and friends. Besides maintaining and fostering social connections, people also utilize MyKnet.org and Facebook to share stories about cultural activities as well as music and videos, which is considered an important cultural practice. Survey results suggest further that while Facebook has replaced MyKnet.org in terms of online communicating and connecting, the Aboriginal online service is still being used for creating and designing web presences as well as for local information gathering and sharing.
The full report (PDF)