HMKK00007U Cultural Policy: Cultural and conflicting policies in the posthuman condition

After students gained an overview of the field of cultural policy in the first part of the module, this course will discuss cultural policy in the light of the posthuman condition. Digital media and communication have significantly changed forms of cultural production and their distribution through prominent platforms like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Consequently, cultural policies are being adjusted to the conditions the digital age shapes in manifold ways. The course will take a look at the impact digital media, digital communication and digital cultures have on an understanding of cultural policy.

Posthumanism has become a strong force in the humanities over the past decades. The origin of this theoretical framework lies in a neglecting of the ideal of “Man” and the decentring of this ideal as a measure of all things. Posthumanist theory is made useful to critique the status quo, whether it be the ecological exploitation of the planet or consequences of neoliberal capitalism. The course will give an introduction for students to theoretical concepts like posthumanism, anthropocene and capitolocene. Consequently, these concepts will be related to current conflicting tendencies in an ever more digitized society. Linking posthumanism to digital cultural policies should engage a critical reflection on relevant issues of the digitized society, like Big Data, net neutrality, data mining, digital currencies or digital rubbish.

In the course, questions like the following will be discussed: How does Facebook’s data politics interfere with EU laws and regulations? How does data politics relate to ideas around citizenship and the ownership of data? How can the concepts of digital labour and the digital archive be read through the perspective of posthuman scholarship? What consequences lie in an abolishment of net neutrality? What chances lie in technological developments like blockchain and digital currencies? Among others, works of the following scholars will be read throughout the course: Rosi Braidotti, Felix Guattari, Donna Haraway, Katherine Hayles, Jussi Parikka, Jennifer Gabrys.

The aim of the course is to give students the theoretical and analytical tools to think about cultural and conflicting policies on the foreground of the critique that posthumanist studies holds for the technosociety. Students should consequently find their own case studies and research questions for the mandatory assignments.