Pam Brown's Blog l emission - control. net

2010 Critical Themes Conference

I will be presenting some ideas on neoliberalism and a post-social world at the Critical Themes in Media Studies conference at the New School in NYC this Saturday, April 17th at 12 noon.  The event is free and open to the public.  Please be sure to introduce yourself to me after my presentation, if you make it!

Here is a schedule of the conference events which begin tomorrow afternoon:  Download Critical_Themes_Schedule_2010

For more information on the conference please visit the Critical Themes website.

Here is an abstract for my paper, which is a work in progress:

Over recent years, the American conversation has shifted from concern over equality to concern over freedom. The turn toward ideals of freedom and individualism has been termed “neoliberalism.” Most research on this transition focuses on the political and economic conditions associated with neoliberalism, and not on the relationship between this transition and the revolutionary change our media environment has undergone simultaneously. The paper argues that although accounts that seek to understand neoliberalism as a part of an ongoing ideological debate between conservatives and liberals are partially true, these accounts fail to provide a satisfying explanation of why these ideas have resonated so strongly at this time. By perceiving the moving image as the foundation of a fundamentally different mode of production, and by perceiving neoliberalism as an outgrowth of the breakdown of the historic relationship between labor and capital, we can understand neoliberalism as a change to social ethic associated with new technology.

2009 Critical Themes in Media Studies Conference!

I'm pleased to announce that my paper, Moving the Net Neutrality Debate Forward by Changing the Conversation has been accepted for presentation at the 2009 Critical Themes in Media Studies Conference!  Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! will be the keynote speaker, and the event is free and open to the public.  I will update this posting as soon as I know what time my presentation is scheduled for, just in case you would like to hear some of my thoughts.

Here's a link for information about the conference and an abstract for the paper:

Critical Themes in Media Studies

Abstract:

The recent Comcast case involving their use of “network management” practices to block peer-to-peer file transfers has challenged the FCC to uphold their Internet Policy Statement, and has called attention to the issue of codifying net neutrality principles once again.  In spite of the FCC’s enforcement of this policy, Comcast has continued to test its boundaries, even objecting to the FCC’s authority to regulate the Internet at all.  Thus far, the net neutrality debate has centered on business and technological concerns, leaving the subtext of this conversation rarely examined or challenged.  The paper argues that although refuting anti-neutrality arguments on both practical and philosophical grounds is necessary, the underlying neoliberal framework to this debate necessitates a fundamental shift in the conversation.  The ongoing Comcast case and the opportunity of new American leadership make this a critical time to pose important value-driven arguments that center on ideals of democracy, commons and progress.

Read the paper: Moving the Net Neutrality Debate Forward by Changing the Conversation