Attack of the Superzeroes Or is the change in consciousness brought about by speed really a change in self consciousness?
Monday, 11 April 2005 9 a.m. - noon Tait MacKenzie Building, Main Gym HUMA 2920 Final Exam Monday, 11 April 2005 9 a.m. - noon Tait MacKenzie Building, Main Gym
Exam format and instructions: Three short answer and two essay questions Answer ALL THREE short answer questions Answer TWO of four available essay questions Come on time with working pens and some form of photo identification Do not turn over the exam until instructed to do so
Exam review - module listing: Module 4 - Technological device and socio-cultural relations Module 5 - Public sphere, social spaces, politics and IT Module 6 - Meta/physics of techology
Questions about spectacle that we talked about: What is spectacle ? Why is it important? Whose interests does it serve? What do we learn from spectacles? How might they influence us? Why should we be wary of them?
Debord’s hallmarks of spectacle Hegemony becomes reality through simplicity and repetition Distraction. Amuse, don’t challenge Consumption is the only action Public becomes private
Habermas’s theory of the public sphere: Open to persons Free of coercion A place of free assembly and speech An outlet for rational discussion and debate
A place where “private persons come together to form a public A place where “private persons come together to form a public.” Who is a person? What is a public?
Characteristics of the panopticon Prisoners are visible to those in charge, but invisible to each other The constant possibility of surveillance takes the place of actual constant surveillance Power is visible (represented) and unverifiable (you are being watched, but not sure when)
What technological fix does the panopticon offer for punishment? First, to punish Second, to train through disciplining us to participate in the larger panoptic world Third, to use the panopticon to learn how to do 1 and 2 better Fourth, by finally creating a mindset that ‘fits’ so that we regulate ourselves