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Link to Project ideas Global Communication

Contents 1 Subjects 2 Assessment 2.1 Annotated Bibliography 2.2 Research Project Proposal 2.3 Research Project 3 Links

Subjects

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1. KCB336 New Media Technologies
   OLT for KCB336
   ISBN 0195508599

1. KJB232 Radio and Television Journalism 1
   OLT for KJB232

1. LWB143 Legal Research and Writing
   OLT for LWB143

1. LWB144 Laws and Global Perspectives
   OLT for LWB144

Assessment

Annotated Bibliography

Barr, Trevor.(2000) "Forces for change : Communications as catalyst", in newmedia.com.au:The changing face of Australia’s Media and Communications, St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin, pp. 20-39. ISBN 1865080497

In ‘Forces for change: Communications as catalyst’ Barr briefly describes the evolution of global communication with an emphasis on the idea that throughout history, different cultures have adopted different modes of communication, but all are information societies of some kind. This is relevant to global communication as Barr talks of the growth of technology which inevitably leads to enhancement in modes of communication. This chapter asks questions such as: Why is there now such extraordinary growth and dependence on information systems and processes? Where does this unprecedented attention and energy, focused around the world’s communications industries come from? And what is behind the changes and who is driving them? In seeking to answer these questions Barr explores the several major forces that he identifies at work in the formation of a new communications era, notably globalisation and information technology and telecommunications networks, the associated re-evaluation of the nation state, and the drive for privatisation and deregulation.

Beniger, J.(1991) "Information society and global science" in Dunlop and Kling (ed.) Computerization and controversy:Value conflicts and social choices,Boston:Harcourt BraceJovanovich, Publishers. pp. 383-408 ISBN 0122243560

In ‘Information society and global science’ Beniger talks of the world as an information society becoming global aided by computers. He speaks of part of the world such as the United States, Canada, Western Europe and Japan being the bulk of the labour force that now work in informational tasks, measuring the timing and direction of the social transformation using United States ‘labor force statistics’ beginning in the 1980’s. This is relevant to show the influence that the western world has on the movement of technology and communication via new media. The author also speaks of an emerging global sector, stating that parallel developments have transformed the economies of at least a dozen advanced industrial countries. Beniger writes of Information that has emerged as a distinct and critical commodity because of the control revolution – a concentration of abrupt changes in the technological and economic arrangements by which information is collected, stored, processed, and communicated and this influence that this has had on the scientific community.

Bhagavan, M R.(1990) The Technological Transformation of the Third World:Strategies and Prospects, London:Zed Books Ltd. ISBN 0862328128

In ‘The Technological Transformation of the Third World’ Bhagavan examines the global impact of modern technology, specifically Bhagavan argues that technology, along with politics and economics, have made it possible for the Western capital to penetrate all corners of the world. This book is relevant as the third world have less of an ability to interact and broadcast to other nations, therefore the Western world dominates much of communication via new media technologies. The author states the belief that technology is an “irresistible force� that carries with it the great possibilities of improvement in the material standards of life and for this reason the author believes that it has been placed at the top of the agenda of developing third world countries. This book traces the processes by which new technologies have been integrated into third world countries and the internal and external forces behind the evolution are explored. The author speaks mainly of global communication and sets the scene for discussion of future strategies that the third world countries could perhaps employ in order to advance further technologically. This book also deals with the obstacles of the third world to keep up with new media technologies dealing with costs and the lack of access to global communications such as the telephone, internet and television in many developing countries.

Cairncross, F. (2001) "Changing the World" in The Death of Distance:How the Communication Revolution is Changing Our Lives, Boston, Mass:Harvard Business School Press pp 1–17. ISBN 0875848060

In the chapter ‘Changing the World’ Cairncross states the assumption that new technology has the power to change the social and physical world. Cairncross describes the advancement of the technologies of the communications revolution, of which examples include the voice, video and data, "digitally delivered across interconnecting networks to a variety of different terminals with different users". Cairncross also discusses the consequences for society as technology takes shape, and the inability for people to know how technology will affect them as technology will continually shape society before consequences are evident. Cairncross speaks of the death of distance as one manifestation of the changes that take place as communications and computers are combined in new ways such as the processes involved with the internet, this is relevant as it follows new modes of communication over the globe. One way in particular is in the high-capacity of fibre-optic networks and digital compression, these methods have already been adopted to carry voice, video, and data around the globe effectively. Cairncross estimates that new media has made communication so global that the additional cost of sending a message an extra hundred kilometres is effectively zero. Wireless communication is also putting the world in our pockets. The book attempts to guess where all these new technological changes will lead in the future.

Cairncross, Francis (2001). "A New Economy" The Death of Distance:How the Communication Revolution is Changing Our Lives, Boston, Mass:Harvard Business School Press pp 187–212 ISBN 0875848060

Francis Cairncross discusses the impacts of the communication revolution on economic structure and the ability to use global communication for economic advantage. This chapter considers the advantages of global communication such as the allowance for companies to site themselves further away from markets, the decline in transport costs as aided by the internet, the effects this has on the moving of jobs to poorer economic climates, and the advantages for buyer and sellers obtaining global best rather than local best. This is more of a business aspect to global communication and is relevant to explore the use of technology in global communication. Effectively Cairncross visits the way in which the global communication is occurring between societies. This Chapter also discusses the limitations that global communication can create such as the fact that there are still limitations to distances despite certain companies abilities to site themselves further away from markets, and the need for intellectually skilled workers rather than physically skilled which may disadvantage less learned countries.

Garson, G.D. (1995) Computer Technologies and Social Issues, U.S.A: Idea Group Publishing. pp 187-222 ISBN 1878289284

In ‘Computer Technologies and Social Issues’ the author discusses how computers have changed the way that people relate to each another. This is relevant as the internet has altered communication to such an extent that it is one of the most important communication tools that society has. In Chapter six Garson looks at how computer-based telecommunications, whether in the form of electronic mail, computerised data-base services, or teleconferencing, effect human behaviour. The next half of chapter six looks at how the introduction of computer technology creates employee resistance and organisational change, as those without knowledge of new technologies get left behind. Chapter seven, entitled ‘Information Technology and Global Competition’ discusses how the absence of information technology makes it almost impossible to compete on a global scale and explores the global aspects of information technology using specific case studies.

Green, L.(2002) "Fragmenting Mass Media in the Postmodern Information Society" in Technoculture:From Alphabet to Cybersex, N.S.W:Allen & Unwin pp. 61-77

Green, in the chapter ‘Fragmenting Mass Media in the Postmodern Information Society’ claims that the mass media, in addition to more personal informational sources such as letters and phone calls, set the agenda for shared discussions in society. This sets the agenda for communication among all nations and hence can be altered drastically by new forms of technology. The chapter discusses the research into the media effects over the past 80 years that has led to the development of subtle and complex models of communication. Green also considers the domination of the global media by western society, in particular by the Americans and the British and the concern about the concentrated association of global media with the interests of the powerful western nations. Green also communicates the inability of Western societies influence through the new technologies and the media to eradicate other cultures stating that “Worldwide audiences are mot mindlessly accepting of American culture�. The experience of peripheral countries is that cultures do survive. While people may watch an American television show, they don’t simply override local traditions and culture by becoming like the Americans in those television shows.

Harasim, L. (Ed) (1993) Global Networks:Computers and International Communication, U.S.A: The MIT Press. ISBN 0262082225

The book ‘Global Networks: Computers and International Communication’ examines global networking from a variety of viewpoints: social, educational, political, and work-related. Harasim describes global networks as communication networks, that is media that connect people. The major theme through the book is global networks as a social space, shaped for and by human communication and cultures. This is relevant as it discusses the way that people interact via global networks. This book is organised along four perspectives, which are:

• Overview: From Technology to Community. This part of the book introduces and examines the social nature of global networks
• Issues in globalising networks. This part of the book discusses issues related to policy, organisational communication, and cross-cultural communication which have been examined from several perspectives.
• Applications of global networking. These chapters present and analyse case studies of practical experiences.
• Visions for the future: The final four chapters look towards the future and based on experiences in communication networking look at questions such as : where are we headed, and what concepts, goals, and concern should guide us.

This book, written by experts in their fields, analyses the topic of global networking from diverse but interrelated perspectives to create a comprehensive look at global networking.

Meikle, G. (2002) "Open publishing, open technologies" in Future Active :Media Activism and the Internet NSW: Pluto. pp 88-112 ISBN 0415943213

The chapter ‘Open publishing, open technologies’ reviews the Sydney Independent Media Centre (IMC) at the lead up to the Sydney Olympic games in 2000, in particular it discusses new media such as the internet and internet activism. Meikle reasons that the two key aspects of the IMC movement are: its advocacy of open publishing and its links with the open source software movement. Meikle describes the communication via this new media technology as open to all and the content generated is by anyone who wishes to take part. Through this means there is no gatekeeping and no editorial process, and hence everyone with access to the technology has the ability to write their own opinions for all to read. Meikle states that do it yourself media and news narratives and specific parts of the Net that take on aspects of open publishing tend to be enormously popular. Using Internet sites that have developed this technology as examples.

Porter, M.E. (1999) "Clusters and the New Economics of Competition" in Magretta, J.(ed) Managing in the New Economy, Boston:Harvard Business School Publishing pp 25-48. ISBN 1578511860

The chapter ‘Clusters and the new economics of competition’ comments on the ability of companies to source capital, goods, information, and technology from around the world, often with the click of a mouse, as a result of new media technologies. This is relevant as it shows the new communications on a global scale and the limits that still exist to this form of communication. It discusses the fact that while new technologies are making society global and free of boundaries location does still matter. While communication, via recent technological advances has meant that location is less of a hindrance for companies, there are still constraints to communication. Porter describes the world as dominated by clusters and examines why clusters are critical to competition, such as Silicon Valley. The explanations include that clusters allow companies to operate more productively, allow better access to employees and suppliers, access to specialised information, complementarities, access to institutions and public goods, and better motivation and measurement.

Saxby, S. (1990) "Telecommunications – the global transition" in The Age of Information, London: The Macmillan Press Ltd. ISBN 0333548329

Saxby in ‘Telecommunication – the global transition’ states that the traditional human skills of communication and craftsmanship have always benefited from the technological advances achieved throughout history. In particular Saxby speaks of the onset of digital communication combined with the development of computers, which has introduced a more personalised information culture in which individuals have a greater degree of personal choice and opportunity for accessing and sending information. The increased capabilities of communication, according to Saxby lie in the convergence of picture, sound and text in digital format. This chapter gives a detailed history of the importance of the telephone in communication and the evolution of the digital network, the advantages of fiber-optics and satellite communication, the radio spectrum specifically detailing the development of mobile radio communications and the advance towards an ‘intelligent’ digital network that sees the convergence of computers and communications. Saxby also discusses digitisation and the new environment that is associated with it, which he explains as an automated, simulated reality that produces real products and services from it. Above all else this chapter demonstrates that through digitisation all media becomes immediately translatable into another, capable of instant recall and transmission to any point within the network.

Wiseman, J. (1998) "Wired to the World? Australia and the Globalisation of Media and Information Technologies" in ''Global Nation?'':Australia and the Politics of Globalisation, United Kingdom:Cambridge University Press. pp 70-85 ISBN 0521592275

In ‘Wired to the World? Australia and the Globalisation of Media and Information Technologies’ Wiseman states that we are moving into an age of information in which there are creative possibilities for new modes of communication, new combinations of ideas and new forms of identity and community. On example the Wiseman uses is the privatisation of Telstra and the effects that this has had. The chapter explores the possibilities and risks of a globalised information society by looking at the technological, political, economic and cultural dimensions of new media relationships with particular emphasis on the telephone, the internet and television. The main argument that Wiseman makes is that there are enormous dangers in the corporate globalisation of media and he uses major corporations run by tycoons like Kerry Packer and Rupert Murdoch who have interests in many aspects of global communication and media. He also discusses the significant contradictions, ambiguities and possibilities for resistance and creativity.

Belinda Dickson 10:25, 12 Aug 2004 (EST)

Research Project Proposal

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Belinda Dickson 16:28, 28 Jul 2004 (EST)