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| Semester | fall semester 2022 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers |
Daniel Kunzelmann (daniel.kunzelmann@unibas.ch, Assessor)
Remo Reginold (remo.reginold@unibas.ch) |
| Content | The virtual space is a complex and volatile sphere that produces real consequences in the physical world. These consequences are political and equally global and local. Taking this as a starting point, we explore three specific questions in this seminar: (1) What are cyberspaces (as distinct from analog and digital worlds)? (2) What ideas, interpretations and symbols of information are produced within them? (3) Which facts, actors, infrastructures, and sciences are mobilized for their production and conflictive clashes in geopolitical and transnational contexts? First, the seminar is about clarifying buzzwords such as "artificial intelligence," "big data," "internet of things," "quantum computing," and "virtual reality." Such imaginaries of the digital are increasingly used in political contexts and often deployed for power projections and geopolitics. Precisely because there is much ignorance and half-knowledge, the term “cyberspace” can be used in highly political and strategic ways. Beyond mere symbolic struggles, cyberspaces – in very real terms – are also being exploited and shaped by actors, for example, in order to fuel information-led wars. And in many countries "infrastructures of control" are becoming the subject of strategic foreign and security policies (cf. submarine cables, satellites, technology companies, and data centers). Ultimately, the abstract term "cyber" is thus about very concrete, political issues. We would like to address some of them by confronting, contrasting and discussing corresponding models of (spatial) and political order: the Chinese model (cf. Silk Road and Citizen Score), technology-capitalist models (cf. “Nation-AGs”, tech corporations, Silicon Valley myth) and democratic models (cf. GDPR, Pirate Party, etc.). The aim of this interdisciplinary seminar is to create a well-founded cultural anthropological, media ethnographic and political science counterpoint in the so-called “cyber debate”. This is necessary since this debate is still strongly dominated by technology and driven by functionalities. In opposition to such technical approaches, we understand cyberspaces as historically grown, social and (geo)political spaces that have to be culturally negotiated. As such, these spaces remain open for societal changes. In order to clarify our counterpoint in this debate, we would like to also consciously break down the separation of theory and practice in this seminar. For this purpose, we will invite selected interdisciplinary experts from politics, administration, economy or culture to specific sessions. This seminar is supported by the Swiss Institute for Global Affairs (SIGA) and their ongoing cycle “Cyber 2022”: www.globalaffairs.ch |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Course auditors welcome |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Monday | 14.15-15.45 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 26.09.2022 | 14.15-15.45 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Monday 03.10.2022 | 14.15-15.45 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Monday 10.10.2022 | 14.15-15.45 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Monday 17.10.2022 | 14.15-15.45 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Monday 24.10.2022 | 14.15-15.45 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Monday 31.10.2022 | 14.15-15.45 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Monday 07.11.2022 | 14.15-15.45 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Monday 14.11.2022 | 14.15-15.45 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Monday 21.11.2022 | 14.15-15.45 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Monday 28.11.2022 | 14.15-15.45 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Monday 05.12.2022 | 14.15-15.45 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Monday 12.12.2022 | 14.15-15.45 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Monday 19.12.2022 | 14.15-15.45 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Modules |
Modul: Methoden und Felder der Kulturanthropologie (Bachelor's degree subject: Cultural Anthropology) Modul: Research Lab Kulturanthropologie (Master's degree subject: Cultural Anthropology) Vertiefungsmodul Global Europe: Friedens- und Konfliktforschung (Master's Studies: European Global Studies) Vertiefungsmodul Global Europe: Staatlichkeit, Entwicklung und Globalisierung (Master's Studies: European Global Studies) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Departement Gesellschaftswissenschaften |