The Appeal of Marshall McLuhan in Contemporary China

While his name has been largely forgotten in the Western world, Marshall McLuhan and his thoughts are becoming more and more appealing to academics in China. The main causes can be found in six aspects: 1) a new appreciation of the value of Marshall McLuhan’s writing on the effects media has on society due to the dramatic impact the rapidly growing popularity of the Internet in China has had on Chinese people and Chinese society; 2) 457 million Chinese Internet users embracing the sense of belonging to “Global Village”, where they can “extend their central nervous systems”; 3) having experienced so many great changes, Chinese being readily convinced by Marshall McLuhan’s consistent theories that media can change the traditions including the world; 4) Marshall McLuhan’s highly theoretical style of writing provides an opportunity for Chinese academics to extend their research and to expand their own thoughts as well; 5) the significant enlightenment that Marshall McLuhan’s two famous concepts of “Hot Medium” and “Cold Medium” have had on Chinese media where competition is intensely increasing and reform is further taken; and 6) the deep and far-reaching influence that Marshall McLuhan’s theories on media have had on Chinese academic perspectives, and as well as their teaching methodology and technique, particularly in the fields of culture and communication. Key words: Marshall McLuhan; China; Internet; Global Village; Media; the Extensions of Man Résumé: Bien que son nom a été largement oublié dans le monde occidental, Marshall McLuhan et ses pensées sont devenus de plus en plus attrayants pour des universitaires en Chine. Les causes principales peuvent être trouvées dans six aspects: 1) une nouvelle appréciation de la valeur des oeuvres de Marshall McLuhan qui parle des effets de médias sur la société en raison de l'impact dramatique de la popularité croissante de l'Internet en Chine et son influence sur les Chinois et la société chinoise, 2) 457 millions d'internautes chinois embrassant le sentiment d'appartenance au “village mondial”, où ils peuvent "étendre leur système nerveux central", 3) après avoir vécu tant de grands changements, les Chinois étant facilement convaincus par les théories de Marshall McLuhan selon laquelles les médias peuvent changer les traditions, y compris le monde; 4) le style théorétique de l'écriture de Marshall McLuhan donne une occasion aux universitaires chinois d'approfondir leurs recherches et développer leurs propres pensées et, 5) l'illumination significative que les deux concepts célèbres de Marshall McLuhan "Média chaud" et "Média froid" ont eu sur les médias chinois où la concurrence est en croissance intense et la réforme sera en outre prise, et 6) l'influence profonde et de grande envergure que les théories de Marshall McLuhan sur les médias ont eu sur les perspectives académiques chinoises, ainsi que leurs méthodes et techniques d'enseignement, notamment dans les domaines de la culture et de la communication. Mots-clés: Marshall McLuhan; En Chine; Internet; Village mondial; Médias; Extensions de l'Homm

Memories for Life: A Review of the Science and Technology

This paper discusses scientific, social and technological aspects of memory. Recent developments in our understanding of memory processes and mechanisms, and their digital implementation, have placed the encoding, storage, management and retrieval of information at the forefront of several fields of research. At the same time, the divisions between the biological, physical and the digital worlds seem to be dissolving. Hence opportunities for interdisciplinary research into memory are being created, between the life sciences, social sciences and physical sciences. Such research may benefit from immediate application into information management technology as a testbed. The paper describes one initiative, Memories for Life, as a potential common problem space for the various interested disciplines

Spartan Daily, February 23, 1968

Volume 55, Issue 75https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/5078/thumbnail.jp

Social Media “Teleco-presence” Theory of Identity

This paper examines the issue of social media interpersonal human interactions. The onslaught of social networking sites on the Internet for inter-human synchronous and asynchronous communication has revolutionized interactive communication. The fragmentation of audiences from the cultural, gender, class, race and value perspectives has complicated a unique theoretical dimension for understanding these forms of communications on social media. This paper attempts to conceptualize a theoretical benchmark for understanding identity formation when it comes to interpersonal communication level.        

Wanna Play? Dries Verhoeven and the Limits of Non-Professional Performance

In October 2014, Berlin’s Hebbel am Ufer (HAU)—one of Germany’s most influential performance venues, programming and often co-producing work by artists such as Rimini Protokoll, Jérôme Bel, Meg Stuart and Gob Squad—opened its new season with a festival called Treffpunkte (meeting points).1 Conceptually, the month-long festival was located at the intersection of some of the major trends in contemporary Western theatre and performance, particularly the interest ‘in curating intimacy in public’ (Walsh 2014: 57; Read 2008), the renegotiation of theatre’s place in the public sphere (Balme 2014; Haedicke 2013) and the relation of socially engaged performance, in the broadest sense, to late global capitalism (Jackson 2011; Harvie 2013). Its explicit aim was to explore, through the means of performance, ‘the status of the private in the public sphere’ (den Status des Privaten in der öffentlichen Sphäre) and to find out whether ‘intimacy’ (Intimität)—equated with an authentic ‘communication between people’ (Kommunikation zwischen Menschen)—was still possible ‘in an age where the public space has been entirely pervaded by market conformity’ (im Zeitalter der totalen Durchdringung des öffentlichen Raumes durch das Marktförmige) (Vanackere 2014: 2).

Startup communities: notes on the sociality of tech-entrepreneurs in Manchester

In this contribution I explore the conflicting moralities and practices of technology entrepreneurship through the lenses of Mary Douglas’ Grid-Group Cultural Theory. Starting from the distinction between communitarian, individualistic and hierarchical culture, I explore my empirical material drawn from ethnographic fieldwork in Manchester, UK. In particular, I describe the sociality of young male tech-entrepreneurs at networking events, ‘coffices’ and coworkspaces around an urban ‘creative quarter’. I argue that ‘startup communities’ simultaneously encourage individualistic market-competition, contribute to feelings of local group-belonging and are narrative constructions promoted by entrepreneurs, corporations and the State.Universidad de Sevill

Network

Network is a device for organising and conceptualising non-linear complexity. Networks defy narrative, chronology and thus also genealogy because they entail a multiplicity of traces. Networks problematize boundaries and centrality but intensify our ability to think in terms of flows and simultaneity. As a concept, network has been highly conducive to theorizing phenomena and processes such as globalization, digital media (Internet), speed, symbiosis and complexity. This in turn enables us to rethink what constitutes the foundations of intelligence, knowledge and even life itself. One particularly useful application of network as a concept is the notion of the gift, which is often seen as the archetypical figure for understanding the nature of economics and social relationships

‘Digital Engagement: America’s Use (and Misuse) of Marshall McLuhan’

Abstract In recent years the United States has turned to digital technologies to buoy its response to anti-Americanism in the so-called “Muslim world.” At least three concepts appear to be shaping this effort. The first is a marketing-based strategy called “engagement.” The other two are derivations of Marshall McLuhan\u27s “global village” and his aphorism that “the medium is the message.” This article focuses on the uses and misuses of McLuhan\u27s work by foreign policy officials in Washington. It argues that their stated purpose—to empower people and further inter-cultural understanding through dialogue—is dubious. Indeed, pronouncements regarding these potentials now sit uncomfortably alongside Washington\u27s use of these same technologies to manage dissent. By assessing digital engagement and a more general initiative called “internet freedom” (both in the light of what McLuhan, in fact, says), American aspirations involving digital communications are shown to be more than just contradictory; they are dangerously misguided

The Use of Mobile Technology in Lectures: Using an Audience Response System (Padlet) to Enhance the Student Learning Experience

This paper explores the usefulness of mobile technologies in the classroom, focusing on the Audience Response System of Padlet used during a specific module. Questionnaires (with both closed and open ended questions) were used to research how students engaged with this technology, particularly whether it encouraged greater participation as well as deep learning. Overall, the students had positive responses to Padlet as highlighted by the statistical findings. The comments in the open ended sections, though, noted that there are some issues with using such technology in classrooms. Importantly, it is worth noting that the technology should be embedded into the sessions within a variety of different methods in order to encourage deep learning