Theoretical approach 4: Theory on timespace disjuncture

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Theoretical approach 4Theory on time/space
disjuncture

• MEVIT 3220/ 4220 Fall 2007
• Media and Globalization
• Sarah Chiumbu - 23 November 2007

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This lecture

• The last in the series of the four Theoretical
  approaches
• 1 Structuration theory
• 2 Network society theory / Information society
  theory
• 3 Theory on global flows of communication
• 4 Theory on time/space disjuncture

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Structure of the lecture

• Theoretical Debates
• Mediated Globalisation
• Time, Place and Space
• Channels of mediation
• Television
• Internet
• Examples from the curriculum

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Revisiting the theory of structuration

• Anthony Giddens
• Structure / Agency
• Agents and structure are not independent of each
  other (dualism)
• But dependent upon each other (duality)
• Structure is not external to individuals
• The duality of structure is always the main
  grounding of continuities in social reproduction
  across time-space.

Picture from Wikipedia
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From Wikipedia

• The structuration approach does not focus on the
  individual actor or societal totality "but social
  practices ordered across space and time". Its
  proponents adopt this balanced position,
  attempting to treat influences of structure
  (which inherently includes culture) and agency
  equally.

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Conceptualising Time-Space

• Time-Space distaciation (Giddens, 1990)
• The interlacing of social relations at distance
  with local contextualities
• Social relationships are becoming stretched
  across great distances
• Time-Space compression (Harvey, 1990)
• Involves the shortening of time and shrinking of
  space the time to do things is reduced
• Social relationships become more intense and
  robust
• Harvey, D (1990) The Condition of Postemodernity
  An Inquiry into the Origins of Cultural Change.

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The Globalising of Modernity

• Modernity is inherently globalising.
• Since social life is ordered across space and
  time, the problematic of space-time distanciation
  is key to modernity and globalisation.
• The complex relations between local involvements
  and interaction across distance.
• Relations between local and distant social forms
  are stretched. Globalisation refers essentially
  to that stretching process.
• Local transformations are part of globalisation.
• Giddens The Consequences of Modernity pp.
  63-65

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Globalisation

• Anthony Giddens defines globalisation as
• the intensification of world-wide social
  relations, whic link distant localities in such
  as way that local happenings are shaped by events
  occuring many miles away and vice versa
• (Giddens, 1990 4)
• Giddens does not tell us how these happenings are
  shaped, but implicitly he points out to the role
  of the media in globalisation - a mediated
  reality.

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John B. Thompson (1995)

• An aspect of technical media is that they allow
  for some degree of space-time distanciation
• Any process of symbolic exchange generally
  involves the detachment of a symbolic form from
  its context of production it is distanced from
  this context, both spatially and temporally, and
  re-embedded in new contexts which may be located
  at different times and places (p. 21).

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Thompson ...

• All forms of communication involve some degree
  of space-time distanciation - but the extent of
  distanciation varies greatly (p. 21)
• gt Globalisation
• Mass communication extends the availability of
  symbolic forms in space and time (p. 30).
• gt Mediated interaction
• gt Mediated experience

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Mediated Globalisation

• A focus on mediation means that we
  increasingly experience globalisation through the
  media (Rantanen, 2005)
• Globalisation through the media transforms
• Peoples social relations
• Forms of interaction
• Peoples experience

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Mediated Globalisation

• Mediated globalisation refers to the reality
  that one of the salient features of globalisation
  today is that it takes place increasingly through
  the media and communications.
• Thus Rantanen (20058) defines globalisation as
• a process in which worldwide economic,
  political and cultural and socialrelations have
  become increasingly mediated across time and
  space
• it is too simple to think that the media just
  connects people rather they mediate, which is a
  far more complex process that involves
  individuals and their practices (Rantanen,
  200511)

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Hjarvard A Mediated World.Globalisation and the
Role of Media

• Sociological conceptions of modernity (esp.
  Giddens) with detachment from time and space, and
• disembedding lifting out of social relations
  from local contexts
• re-embedding creation of new, less personal
  social networks
• Globalisation represents a radicalized form of
  modernity (an immanent consequence of
  modernity)
• The scope make globalisation a new social order.

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Hjarvard on the role of media in globalisation

• Media as channels of communication
• the media are prerequisites for action from a
  distance
• results in mobility and disembedding of social
  acts
• coordination of action over time and space
• Media as messengers
• the consequence is a heightend reflexivity
• Media as social infrastructure
• the media profoundly influence the global
  infrastructure
• the media mold the ways in which interaction
  takes place

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Time, Place and Space

• Mediated globalisation changes our sense of
  time, place and space
• Time, place and space are social constructs and
  are not natural and stagnate.

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Time, Place and Space

• Place and Media
• In pre-modern times, time and place was in one
  place - no knowledge of anything beyond ones
  experience.
• Place - physical settings of social activity as
  situated geographically
• Place helps us form our identities
• New forms of media encourage placelessness
• Media leads to nearly dissociation of phyisical
  place and social place

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Time, Place and Space

• Time and Media
• Calendars and mechanical clocks
• Introduction of time-zones
• Scheduling (e.g. Trains, news)
• Telegraph
• Electronic media (e.g. Radio, TV and Internet)
  have created new concept of time.

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Time, Place and Space

• Space and Media
• Space and place are related, but space is more
  abstract (Malls, Supermarkets, Community Halls)
• Spaces are flexible and can be constructed in a
  symbolic way
• Media and new technologies are bringing time,
  place and space closer to each other.
• Media transforms place and space
• connecting places with each other and shortening
  distance through them
• Creating new spaces within and outside places
  where former rules and norms dop not hold

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Channels of Mediation

• Television News
• Time no longer relevant with 24-hour news (e.g.
  BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, Online news).
• Place becoming less important as we experience
  events in distant places in real time (Football
  World matches, funeral of Princess Diana, Iraq
  War, Tsunami, etc)
• New spaces are created as we are able to watch
  news in airports, buses, mobile phones etc

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Channels of Mediation

• New Media ( Internet / Mobile Phones)
• Time no longer important (internet shopping
  anytime of the day) emails cut down time as
  messages are received instantly
• Place no longer important (wireless
  connections). We can send email from anywhere
  (under a tree, on the train etc)
• New spaces are created (MySpace, Facebook,
  YouTube and other chat rooms)
• Mobile phones have changed social interaction
  (SMS, MMS)

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Examples from the literature

• Kirsten Frandsen Globalisation and Localisation
• TV coverage of the Olympic Games in Sydney 2000.
• Constant interplay between forces of
  globalisation and localisation
• Decisions and productions simultaneously take
  place on
• global level
• European/regional level
• local/national level
• Globalisation is expressed by various forms of
  localisation of the global event.

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Examples from the literature

• Kevin Robins Beyond Imagined Community
• Article concerned with cultural and media
  practices of the Turkish-speaking communities in
  London.
• Proposes the use of transnationalism as opposed
  to diasporic and imagined community.
• Questions the utility of the use of identity,
  community and nation when discussing
  consequences of satellite television.
• No such thing as Turkish culture or behaviour
  in a transnational setting Turks in Europe
  involved in a complex process of negotiation
• Kevin Robins makes us think differently on issues
  of the so-called diasporic media, imagined
  community and identity and effects of global
  flows of communication.

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Announcements...

• MEVIT 4220 - compiled reading list for term
  papers to be submitted by Friday (23 November).
• Next week lecture summing up, exams and term
  papers.