Hello, I believe Shu-Kun is right that there can be different combinations of economic and political systems. But I think the matter gets even more complex because we can have democratic economies and undemocratic economies, depending on how the production process is organized and managed. I think what Marx imagined is what later in political theory was called "participatory democracy", where democracy is extended to the economy in the form of self-management. This was not the reality in the USSR. I think the matter is today what Marx's theory of crisis, labour, capitalism can tell us about the contemporary sitatuon, as well as how one can use his theorization of technology, knowledge production, media, ideology and culture and his concept of dialectics. There is today a big interest in Marx, so if we want to discuss foundations of information (society), we should in my opinion engage with him. tripleC's special issue is a call for such engagements ... I think an excellent foundation for such an engagement is Terry Eagleton's new book "Why Marx was right", which discusses and deconstructs 10 common held prejudices against Marx (that he was in favour of dictatorship, a reductionist, determinist, etc).
Best, Christian Am 7/21/11 7:40 PM, schrieb Dr. Shu-Kun Lin: > Dear Igor, > > Dictatorship and democracy is another topic we need to discuss. Maybe > there are 4 combinatorial systems: > > planned/communist + democracy (Is this the most ideal one?) > planned/communist + dictatorship (USSR?, North Korea) > free market/capitalism + dictatorship (China now?) > free market/capitalism + democracy (Most of the Western countries, now) > > Best regards, > Shu-Kun > > On 21.07.2011 17:54, Matutinovic, Igor (GfK Croatia) wrote: >> It is easy to forget some important facts about the presumed >> sustainability of planned/communist, historical and current economies. >> The Soviet block had an immensly polluting industry which paid almost >> no attention to the environemntal nor human health. Citizen protests, >> unlike the NGO acitivity inthe West, were banned. The most >> ecologically destructive economic project recorded so far inthe world >> - the draining of the Aral Sea was done in the USSR - an entirely >> planned disaster! >> >> Under Mao, Chinese population was subject to periodic starvation and >> their economy, despite planning efforts was moving in no direction at >> all. It is after gradually implementing capitalist institutions since >> Deng Xiaoping reforms that China become second world economic power >> and lifted at least a couple of hundred of millions from poverty. In >> the meantime China is destroying its environment - the consequnce of >> joint impact of wild capitalism and communist planning (Three Gorges >> Dam project was initiated under Mao but had economic means for >> realization only under the capitalist institutions). North Corea is >> starving periodically its population and depend on foreign aid. >> >> These former and current communist economies can not be "role models" >> for sustainability in any sense. About the quality of life and human >> rights in former USSR there is a plenty of evidence from those who >> lived there, and very few of them feel pity for its collapse. >> >> Capitalism and free market economy, if not regulated will for sure >> deplete all the nonrenewable resources. >> However, besides planning, which has been very present in the post >> WWII capitalist economies I do not believe that we can learn much from >> the former communist systems. >> >> The solution may lie in the change of the predominat Western wordview, >> which is overconfident in technological fixes and dominated by >> materialist and economic values. Our societies lack substantial >> environental values and we miss the non-material aspects of the >> quality of life. This is a legacy of modernity, and a communist >> ideology pertains to this legacy, and therefore has been equally >> "unfriendly" to environemnt. >> >> Igor Matutuinovic >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: fis-boun...@listas.unizar.es >> [mailto:fis-boun...@listas.unizar.es] On Behalf Of Dr. Shu-Kun Lin >> Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2011 4:40 PM >> To: christian.fu...@uti.at; Christian Fuchs >> Cc: fis@listas.unizar.es >> Subject: Re: [Fis] CfP: Marx is Back - The Importance of Marxist >> Theory and Research for Critical Communication Studies Today >> >> Some very quick comments: This is extremely interesting topic. I have >> this idea also since 2008 when I was reading and considering a lot >> about sustainability. Capitalism and free market economy, if not >> regulated or revised by adding some elements of socialism (Maxism or >> communism) and planned economy, will for sure deplete all the >> nonrenewable resources. I understand now why many people (including >> the father and the brothers of my grandmother from a rich landlord in >> China) from rich families or capitalist families sacrificed their >> lives for the revolutionary cause of communism. North Korea people >> live in a much more sustainable way than other countries. (Democracy >> and dictatorship are another issue of >> discussion.) It is a pity that the great Soviet Union was destroyed >> and China has been actually doing the capitalism not long after the >> death of Mao. >> >> Open Access on the Internet is also actually a socialism movement, in >> my opinion. >> >> On 21.07.2011 11:46, Christian Fuchs wrote: >>> Marx is Back: The Importance of Marxist Theory and Research for >>> Critical Communication Studies Today >> Call for Papers for a Special >>> Issue of tripleC – Journal for a Global Sustainable Information >>> Society. >> Edited by Christian Fuchs and Vincent Mosco >> >> >>> >>> http://fuchs.uti.at/wp-content/uploads/CfP_Marx_tripleC.pdf For >>> inquiries, please contact the two editors. >>> >>> In light of the global capitalist crisis, there is renewed interest in >>> Karl Marx’s works and in concepts like class, exploitation and surplus >>> value. Slavoj Žižek argues that the antagonisms of contemporary >>> capitalism in the context of the ecological crisis, the massive >>> expansion of intellectual property, biogenetics, new forms of >>> apartheid and growing world poverty show that we still need the >>> Marxian notion of class. He concludes that there is an urgent need to >>> renew Marxism and to defend its lost causes in order to render >>> problematic capitalism as the only alternative (Žižek 2008, 6) and the >>> new forms of a soft capitalism that promise, and in its rhetoric >>> makes use of, ideals like participation, self-organization, and >>> co-operation, without realizing them. Žižek (2010, chapter 3) argues >>> that the global capitalistcrisis clearly demonstrates the need to >>> return to the critique of political economy. Göran Therborn suggests >>> that the “new constellations of power and new possibilities of >>> resistance” in the 21st century require retaining the “Marxian idea >>> that human emancipation from exploitation, oppression, discrimination >>> and the inevitable linkage between privilege and misery can only come >>> from struggle by the exploited and disadvantaged themselves” >>> (Therborn 2008, 61). Eric Hobsbawm (2011, 12f) insists that for >>> understanding the global dimension of contemporary capitalism, its >>> contradictions and crises, and the persistence of socio-economic >>> inequality, we “must ask Marx’s questions” (13). >> >> >>> >>> This special issue will publish articles that address the importance >>> of Karl Marx’s works for Critical Media and Communication Studies, >>> what it means to ask Marx’s questions in 21st century informational >>> capitalism, how Marxian theory can be used for critically analyzing >>> and transforming media and communication today, and what the >>> implications of the revival of the interest in Marx are for the field >>> of Media and Communication Studies. >> >>> >>> Questions that can be explored in contributions include, but are not >>> limited to: >> >> >>> >>> * What is Marxist Media and Communication Studies? Why is it needed >>> today? What are the main assumptions, legacies, tasks, methods and >>> categories of Marxist Media and Communication Studies and how do they >>> relate to Karl Marx’s theory? What are the different types of Marxist >>> Media/Communication Studies, how do they differ, what are their >>> commonalities? >> * What is the role of Karl Marx’s theory in >>> different fields, subfields and approaches of Media and Communication >>> Studies? How have the role, status, and importance of Marx’s theory >>> for Media and Communication Studies evolved historically, especially >>> since the 1960s? * In addition to his work as a theorist and activist, >>> Marx was a practicing journalist throughout his career. >>> What can we learn from his journalism about the practice of journalism >>> today, about journalism theory, journalism education and alternative >>> media? >> * What have been the structural conditions, limits >>> and problems for conducting Marxian-inspired Media and Communication >>> Research and for carrying out university teaching in the era of >>> neoliberalism? What are actual or potential effects of the new >>> capitalist crisis on these conditions? >> >> * What is the relevance of >>> Marxian thinking in an age of capitalist crisis for analyzing the role >>> of media and communication in society? >> * How can the Marxian >>> notions of class, class struggle, surplus value, exploitation, >>> commodity/commodification, alienation, globalization, labour, >>> capitalism, militarism and war, ideology/ideology critique, fetishism, >>> and communism best be used for analyzing, transforming and criticizing >>> the role of media, knowledge production and communication in >>> contemporary capitalism? >> * How are media, communication, and >>> information addressed in Marx’s work? * What are commonalities and >>> differences between contemporary approaches in the interpretation of >>> Marx’s analyses of media, communication, knowledge, knowledge labour >>> and technology? >> * What is the role of dialectical philosophy and >>> dialectical analysis as epistemological and methodological tools for >>> Marxian-inspired Media and Communication Studies? >> * What were >>> central assumptions of Marx about media, communication, information, >>> knowledge production, culture and how can these insights be used today >>> for the critical analysis of capitalism? * What is the relevance of >>> Marx’s work for an understanding of social media? >> * >>> Which of Marx’s works can best be used today to theorize media and >>> communication? Why and how? >> * Terry Eagleton (2011) demonstrates >>> that the 10 most common held prejudices against Marx are wrong. What >>> prejudices against Marx can be found in Media and Communication >>> Studies today? What have been the consequences of such prejudices? >>> How can they best be contested? Are there continuities and/or >>> discontinuities of prejudices against Marx in light of the new >>> capitalist crisis? >>> >>> >> All contributions shall genuinely deal with Karl Marx’s original >>> works and discuss their relevance for contemporary Critical >>> Media/Communication Studies. >> >>> >>> Eagleton Terry. 2011. Why Marx was right. London: Yale University >>> Press. Hobsbawm, Eric. 2011. How to change the world. Marx and Marxism >>> 1840-2011. London: Little, Brown. Therborn, Göran. 2008. From Marxism >>> to post-Marxism? London: Verso. Žižek, Slavoj. 2008. In defense of >>> lost causes. London: Verso. Žižek, Slavoj. 2010. Living in the end >>> times. London: Verso. >> Editors >>> >>> >> >> Christian Fuchs is chair professor for Media and Communication >>> Studies at Uppsala University’s Department of Informatics and Media. >>> He is editor of the journal tripleC – Journal for a Global >>> Sustainable Information Society. His areas of interest are: Critical >>> Theory, Social Theory, Media& Society, Critical Political Economy of >>> Media/Communication, Critical Information Society Studies, Critical >>> Internet Studies. He is author of the books “Foundations of Critical >>> Media and Information Studies” (Routledge 2011) and “Internet and >>> Society: Social Theory in the Information Age” >>> (Routledge 2008, paperback 2011). He is co-editor of the collected >>> volume “The Internet and Surveillance. The Challenges of Web 2.0 and >>> Social Media” (Routledge 2011, together with Kees Boersma, Anders >>> Albrechtslund, Marisol Sandoval). He is currently writing a book >>> presenting a critical theory of social media. http://fuchs.uti.at >> >> >>> >>> Vincent Mosco is professor emeritus of sociology at Queen's University >>> and formerly Canada Research Chair in Communication and Society. Dr. >>> Mosco is the author of numerous books on communication, technology, >>> and society. His most recent include Getting the >>> Message: Communications Workers and Global Value Chains (co-edited >>> with Catherine McKercher and Ursula Huws, Merlin, 2010), The Political >>> Economy of Communication, second edition (Sage, 2009), The Laboring of >>> Communication: Will Knowledge Workers of the World Unite (co-authored >>> with Catherine McKercher, Lexington Books, 2008), Knowledge Workers in >>> the Information Society (co-edited with Catherine McKercher, Lexington >>> Books, 2007), and The Digital Sublime: >>> Myth, Power, and Cyberspace (MIT Press, 2004). He is currently writing >>> a book on the relevance of Karl Marx for communication research today. >> >> >>> >>> Publication Schedule and Submission >> >> >>> >>> Structured Abstracts for potential contributions shall be submitted to >>> both editors (christian.fu...@im.uu.se, mos...@mac.com) per e-mail >>> until September 30th, 2011 (submission deadline). The authors of >>> accepted abstracts will be invited to write full papers that are due >>> five months after the feedback from the editors. Full papers must then >>> be submitted to tripleC. Please do not instantly submit full papers, >>> but only structured abstracts to the editors. >> The abstracts >>> should have a maximum of 1 200 words and should be structured by >>> dealing separately with each of the following five dimensions: >> >>> >>> 1) Purpose and main questions of the paper >> 2) Description of the way >>> taken for answering the posed questions >> 3) Relevance of the topic in >>> relation to the CfP >> 4) Main expected outcomes and new insights of >>> the paper >> 5) Contribution to the engagement with Marx’s works and to >>> Marxian-inspired Media and Communication Studies >> >> >>> >>> Journal >>> >>> >> >> tripleC (cognition, communication, co-operation): Open Access >>> Journal for a Global Sustainable Information Society, >>> http://www.triple-c.se >> >> >>> >>> Focus and Scope: >>> >>> Critical Media-/Information-/ Communication-/Internet-/Information >>> Society-Studies >> tripleC provides a forum to discuss the challenges >>> humanity is facing today. It publishes contributions that focus on >>> critical studies of media, information, communication, culture, >>> digital media, social media and the Internet in the information >>> society. The journal’s focus is especially on critical studies and it >>> asks contributors to reflect about normative, political, ethical and >>> critical implications of their research. >>> >>> >> >> Indexing: Scopus, EBSCOHost Communication and Mass Media Complete, >>> Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) >> Open Access: tripleC is >>> an open access journal that publishes articles online and does not >>> charge authors or readers. It uses a Creative Commons license >>> (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License) that allows reproduction >>> of published articles for non-commercial purposes (without changes of >>> the content and only with naming the author). Creative Commons >>> publishing poses a viable alternative to commercial academic >>> publishing that is dominated by big corporate publishing houses. >>> >> _______________________________________________ >> fis mailing list >> fis@listas.unizar.es >> https://webmail.unizar.es/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fis > -- Prof. Christian Fuchs Chair in Media and Communication Studies Department of Informatics and Media Uppsala University Kyrkogårdsgatan 10 Box 513 751 20 Uppsala Sweden christian.fu...@im.uu.se Tel +46 (0) 18 471 1019 http://fuchs.uti.at http://www.im.uu.se NetPolitics Blog: http://fuchs.uti.at/blog Editor of tripleC: http://www.triple-c.se Book "Foundations of Critical Media and Information Studies" (Routledge 2011) Book "Internet and Society" (Paperback, Routledge 2010) _______________________________________________ fis mailing list fis@listas.unizar.es https://webmail.unizar.es/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fis
