Comparative Studies in Emerging Media

Greg Smith

This seminar examines the history of new communication technologies. The communication media that now seem old to us (telegraph, telephone, television, widescreen film, sound film, etc.) were once new, and examining these innovations at the point of their inception and diffusion provides a solid historical background for understanding today's new media.

What forces are responsible for the invention of new communication technologies? Why do certain technologies find a receptive audience, while others die out? As we examine several different technologies in their original contexts, we will discuss patterns of social adaptation to the new media. What shapes the expectations that people have about new communication technologies?

In all our historical investigations, we will keep an eye to today's new media, trying to ascertain exactly what is "new" about these current media.

Required texts:

Claude Fischer, America Calling
Tom Standage, The Victorian Internet
Bruno Latour, Aramis
Coursepack (available from the Copyshop, 6 Decatur Street)

Assignments:

25% reading presentation
20% midterm short paper
40% research paper
15% participation

On the day that each reading is due, you must hand in a 50-75 word abstract of each chapter/article and a list of at least (but not limited to) two questions about each chapter/article (things you don't understand, criticisms of the reading, questions inspired by the reading).

The participation grade is based on your in-class performance in oral discussions; on the quality of thinking in your written abstracts/questions; and on your level of preparation demonstrated in your final in-class research presentation. If you miss more than one class in the semester or if you do not regularly hand in written abstracts/questions or if you do not present your research at the scheduled time, your participation grade will suffer greatly.

The reading presentation will consist of a 20-30 minute presentation on one of the books indicated in the reading list by an asterisk. You will choose a book during the first class, and you will be prepared to cover the material in that book during the class period in which we are scheduled to read an excerpt from the book. You will lead class discussion on the material you present and on the portion of the book assigned for everyone to read. In this presentation, you should make sure that you discuss the following key questions, which are at the center of our seminar:

What argument does this reading make?
What counts as "evidence" for this historian?
How are the events of the history organized in time? Why?
What possible causal factors are de-emphasized/left out in this account?
What does this historian believe about the nature of history? Who/what are the primary agents of history? How do they affect events?
What are the strengths of this reading?
What criticisms do you have of this reading? Your presentation will be evaluated based on how well you cover the basic content in the book; how well you address the key questions; and how well you facilitate scholarly discussion.

The midterm short paper assignment is essentially the same as the presentation, except that it is in written form. For the book you have chosen, you should summarize the book's argument and address the key questions above in 5-7 pages. This paper will be evaluated based on how well you address the questions and on how insightful your criticisms/observations about the book are. The short paper is due February 25.

This course also requires a traditional graduate research paper (20 pages) on a subject dealing with the history of emergent technologies. I am including a (non-exhaustive) list of sample topics to give you a sense of the kinds of subjects you might investigate:

The Battle over HDTV Standards
Selling and Subscribing to Second-Generation Satellite TV (DirecTV, Primestar)
Widescreen Aesthetics in Broadway Musical Adaptations of the 1950's
Technological Devices As Personal Style Statements (the iMac, etc.)
The History of the Walkman
The History of Marketing Cellular Phones
The Evolution of Vinyl Record Formats (78, 45, 33 rpm)
Collectors of Superseded Technology (vinyl records)
Congressional battles over Satellite vs. Cable
Importance of Pornography on VCR Sales in the 1980's
The Furor over the "Big Blue" Chess Matches
Popular Discourses about Difficulties in Programming VCRs
The Portrayal of Technological Innovation in Popular Science Magazine

All research paper topics must be approved by the instructor. In addition, you must hand in a tentative research bibliography by March 11. During the last 3 weeks of class you will present your research to the seminar at a scheduled time. The final paper is due by May 6.

Late assignments will not be accepted. Plagiarism/cheating in any form will not be tolerated and will result in failure for the entire course and possible termination from the program. The course syllabus provides a general plan for the course; deviations may be necessary. Please turn off all cellular phones, pagers, etc. at the beginning of class.