Comments on: Comments on Cultural Environmentalism http://madisonian.net/2006/03/14/comments-on-cultural-environmentalism/ a blog about law, tech, culture, and related things Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:59:42 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: madisonian.net » Back in Business http://madisonian.net/2006/03/14/comments-on-cultural-environmentalism/comment-page-1/#comment-22281 madisonian.net » Back in Business Tue, 25 Apr 2006 19:26:15 +0000 http://madisonian.net/?p=583#comment-22281 [...] I suspect (and hope) that all of us who were there came away inspired to expand our various research approaches, and to continue to reach out to other disciplines for insights about the why’s and what’s and how’s of IP. If I were to unify those approaches, though, it would be under the banner of “the ethnographic turn” in IP analysis. In that respect the conference had much thematically in common with the recent Cultural Environmentalism conference at Stanford. But comparing this conference to law-based conferences on related topics, there were some important distinctions. I sensed a real humility among the non-lawyers at Case regarding the limits of their various disciplines. The beliefs and practices of academic lawyers vary widely when it comes to prescriptive scholarship. The disciplinary presumption that we should prescribe, however, is fairly strong. Trackback URL: http://madisonian.net/archives/2006/04/25/back-in-business/trackback/ [...] [...] I suspect (and hope) that all of us who were there came away inspired to expand our various research approaches, and to continue to reach out to other disciplines for insights about the why’s and what’s and how’s of IP. If I were to unify those approaches, though, it would be under the banner of “the ethnographic turn” in IP analysis. In that respect the conference had much thematically in common with the recent Cultural Environmentalism conference at Stanford. But comparing this conference to law-based conferences on related topics, there were some important distinctions. I sensed a real humility among the non-lawyers at Case regarding the limits of their various disciplines. The beliefs and practices of academic lawyers vary widely when it comes to prescriptive scholarship. The disciplinary presumption that we should prescribe, however, is fairly strong. Trackback URL: http://madisonian.net/archives/2006/04/25/back-in-business/trackback/ [...]

]]> By: madisonian.net » IRBs, Ethnography, and Blogging http://madisonian.net/2006/03/14/comments-on-cultural-environmentalism/comment-page-1/#comment-21401 madisonian.net » IRBs, Ethnography, and Blogging Thu, 23 Mar 2006 20:14:44 +0000 http://madisonian.net/?p=583#comment-21401 [...] Interest in law-and-sociology and law-and-anthropology research is growing among among law faculty. This is certaintly true in my corner of intellectual property law; read the presentations and comments from the recent Cultural Environmentalism conference at Stanford (particularly those by Rebecca Tushnet and Julie Cohen) for examples of what ethnography might do. Interest in this approach is also growing, judging from my conversations with colleagues, in areas of law as diverse as international law and hate crimes law. [...] [...] Interest in law-and-sociology and law-and-anthropology research is growing among among law faculty. This is certaintly true in my corner of intellectual property law; read the presentations and comments from the recent Cultural Environmentalism conference at Stanford (particularly those by Rebecca Tushnet and Julie Cohen) for examples of what ethnography might do. Interest in this approach is also growing, judging from my conversations with colleagues, in areas of law as diverse as international law and hate crimes law. [...]

]]> By: Siva Vaidhyanathan http://madisonian.net/2006/03/14/comments-on-cultural-environmentalism/comment-page-1/#comment-21349 Siva Vaidhyanathan Mon, 20 Mar 2006 22:01:15 +0000 http://madisonian.net/?p=583#comment-21349 I agree with all of this. You might dig this article, which is forthcoming in Cultural Studies: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=788984 Critical Information Studies: A Bibliographic Manifesto SIVA VAIDHYANATHAN New York University - Department of Culture and Communication August 23, 2005 Abstract: This paper takes measure of an emerging scholarly field that sits at the intersection of many important areas of study. Critical Information Studies (CIS) considers the ways that culture and information are regulated and their relationship to commerce, creativity, and other human affairs. CIS captures the variety of approaches and bodies of knowledge needed to make sense of interesting, important phenomena such as copyright policy, electronic voting, encryption, the state of libraries, the preservation of ancient cultural traditions, and markets for cultural production. It necessarily stretches to a wide array of scholarly subjects, employs multiple complementary methodologies, and influences conversations far beyond the gates of the university. This field can serve as a model for how engaged, relevant scholarship in other areas might be done. Economists, sociologists, linguists, anthropologists, ethnomusicologists, communication scholars, lawyers, computer scientists, philosophers, and librarians have all contributed to this field. CIS interrogates the structures, functions, habits, norms, and practices that guide global flows of information and cultural elements. Instead of being concerned merely with one's right to speak (or sing or publish), CIS asks questions about access, costs, and chilling effects on, within, and among audiences, citizens, emerging cultural creators, indigenous cultural groups, teachers, and students. Central to these issues is the idea of semiotic democracy, the ability of citizens to employ the signs and symbols ubiquitous in their environments in manners that they determine. I agree with all of this.

You might dig this article, which is forthcoming in Cultural Studies:

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=788984

Critical Information Studies: A Bibliographic Manifesto

SIVA VAIDHYANATHAN
New York University – Department of Culture and Communication August 23, 2005

Abstract:
This paper takes measure of an emerging scholarly field that sits at the intersection of many important areas of study. Critical Information Studies (CIS) considers the ways that culture and information are regulated and their relationship to commerce, creativity, and other human affairs. CIS captures the variety of approaches and bodies of knowledge needed to make sense of interesting, important phenomena such as copyright policy, electronic voting, encryption, the state of libraries, the preservation of ancient cultural traditions, and markets for cultural production. It necessarily stretches to a wide array of scholarly subjects, employs multiple complementary methodologies, and influences conversations far beyond the gates of the university. This field can serve as a model for how engaged, relevant scholarship in other areas might be done. Economists, sociologists, linguists, anthropologists, ethnomusicologists, communication scholars, lawyers, computer scientists, philosophers, and librarians have all contributed to this field. CIS interrogates the structures, functions, habits, norms, and practices that guide global flows of information and cultural elements. Instead of being concerned merely with one’s right to speak (or sing or publish), CIS asks questions about access, costs, and chilling effects on, within, and among audiences, citizens, emerging cultural creators, indigenous cultural groups, teachers, and students. Central to these issues is the idea of semiotic democracy, the ability of citizens to employ the signs and symbols ubiquitous in their environments in manners that they determine.

]]>