FINAL CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

PhD Workshop - Researching Social Software

28-30 November, 2007

Course Leader: Adrian Mackenzie, University of Lancaster.

Location: Instituto de Ci�ncias Sociais, Campus de Gualtar, Braga,
Portugal


NEW application deadline is 20th November 2007.

See:
http://socialsoftware-portugal.blogspot.com/

Organized by:
Communication and Society Research Center, University of Minho,
Portugal and Social Sciences Research Center, University of Minho,
Portugal

Workshop language: english

Description and objective

This PhD-course aims to examine and discuss different versions and
definitions of social software and how experiences of relation to
others can be understood in social software. It also aims to situate
software in terms of processes of production, consumption and
exchange, and to discuss different approaches, techniques and
difficulties involved in researching software.

Structure of the course
Each session would be 2.5 to 3 hours. Each session would have one or
two readings to be done in advance. There are also websites and
internet examples that should be consulted in advance. Student
presentations would be part of each session.

Background reading for the workshop:
Maurizio Lazzarato (1996) 'Immaterial Labour', in Paolo Virno &
Michael Hardt (eds.) Radical Thought in Italy: A Potential Politics,
Minneapolis:
University of Minnesota Press.

Programme

Session 1: What is social software?
Oreilly, Tim. What Is Web 2.0 Design Patterns and Business Models for
the Next Generation of Software,
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/whatisweb20.html
Scholz, Trebor, `The Participatory Challenge' [from: Krysa, J., ed.
(2006) DATA Browser 03. Curating immateriality. The work of the
curator in the age of network systems. Autonomedia: New York.
http://www.collectivate.net/theparticipatorychallenge/

Exploration of different versions and definitions of social software.
This would best be done by working with same major examples including
ebay, facebook, myspace, flickr, and youtube. The session would centre
on close analysis of the visual and material cultures of examples. The
reading for this session comes from a well known internet commentator,
and publisher, Tim O'Reilly.

Session 2: Living with social software: self-other relations and
sociality Terranova, T. 2004 Network Culture. Politics for the
Information Age, London: Pluto Press, chapter 5. KnorrCetina, K. and
Bruegger, U. 2002 'Traders' Engagement with Markets. A Postsocial
Relationship', Theory, Culture and Society 19(5/6): 161185.

Key example: Facebook or Second Life
Main focus of this session will be on how experiences of sociality, of
belonging, of relation to others can be understood in social software.
The readings analyse this from very different angles. The first is
informed by Marxist thought, the second by social studies of technology.

Session 3: Social software in technological economies
Barry, A. and Slater, D. 2005 The technological economy, London ; New
York: Routledge.(introduction)
Benkler, Y. 2006 The wealth of networks : how social production
transforms markets and freedom, New Haven [Conn.]:Yale University
Press. chapters 3-4

Key example: Google
This session will situate software in terms of processes of
production, consumption and exchange. The readings offer very
different perspectives on this. Barry and Slater's article comes from
sociologies of science and technology. Benkler's work comes from
liberal political thought.

Session 4: Researching social software
Mackenzie, A. 2006 Cutting code: software and sociality, New York:
Peter Lang. (Introduction) Rabinow, P. 2003 Anthropos Today.
Reflections on Modern Equipment, Princeton
and Oxford: Princeton University Press. (Chapter 2)

Session on different approaches, techniques and difficulties in
researching software.

Registration and contact:

The application deadline is 20th November 2007. Please send by email a
short description (no more than one page) of your project, specifying
your name, email address, affiliation, supervisor, your particular
interest in the seminar and why you would benefit from attending it,
to the organization committee (social.software.portugal@...).
Number of participants: max. 15.

A fee will be charged for participation to cover administrative costs,
tea/coffee and lunches and one dinner during the seminar. .The fee is
60 euros, payable on the first day of the seminar in cash (an official
receipt will be given). Travel and accommodation are the
responsibility of the participant.

For more information, contact:

Jose Pinheiro Neves (social.software.portugal@...)or
Zara Pinto-Coelho (social.software.portugal@...)