‘I am the heart and soul of this organization, its founder, philosopher, spokesperson, original coder, organizer, financier and all the rest. If you have a problem with me, piss off’ (Julian Assange, 2010, as cited in Poulsen & Zetter, 2010) Introduction In his article, The Mediatisation of Society Theory, Hjarvard (2008) deduces that media simultaneously become an integrated part of society, not to mention the existence of new media like the Internet. In fact, this integration of Internet into our daily life has made us live in the digital age where information is shared in real time and in global context. Castells (2007) even argues that in this digital age, people are able to expand their local communication activities to interactive global communication in chosen time. Consequently, this new communication realm has conceptualized people of the world into a networked society. In other words, the globe is now “a global village” by way of a single click (McLuhan, 1962, as cited in Berger, 2007 ). One of recent Internet phenomenal, yet controversial, entities is Wikileaks. Since its first introduction, this website had gained international attention. By posting a huge number of confidential documents regarding diverse newsworthy public figures and governments, Wikileaks is claimed to generate major impacts to related countries such as Africa, the U.S, Western Europe and Indonesia also. Robert Gates (2010, as cited in Pilger, 2010, p. 1), the U.S Secretary of Defence, even states that the website “has blood on its hand”. Similarly, the continuing controversy around Wikileaks also reflects the role of individual in the networked public sphere. The global nature of the platform as well as the freedom that the Internet giv... ... middle of paper ... ...nsw/hsie/identity-and-values/national-identity/australian-patriotism-and-stereotypes Sterner, E. (2011). Wikileaks and Cyberspace Cultures in Conflict, from http://www.marshall.org/article.php?id=931 The Guardian. (2011). Julian Assange awarded Australian peace prize Retrieved 19 September, 2011, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/11/julian-assange-australian-peace-prize-wikileaks Uysal, N. (2011). The Battle of Wikileaks: Mass Self-Communication, Hacker Culture, and Financial Institutions. Paper presented at the IACM 24th Annual Conference, Istambul, Turkey. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1872564 West-Pavlov, R. (2005 ). Who's Australia? - Whose Australia? : contemporary politics, society and culture in Australia. Trier: Wissenschaftlicher Verlag Trier. Wikileaks. (2010). About Retrieved 12 September, 2011, from http://wikileaks.org/About.html
The 2014 Walkley Award winning documentary, "Cronulla Riots: the day that shocked the nation" reveals to us a whole new side of Aussie culture. No more she’ll be right, no more fair go and sadly no more fair dinkum. The doco proved to all of us (or is it just me?) that the Australian identity isn’t really what we believe it to be. After viewing this documentary
Elder, Catriona. "The Working Man Is Everywhere: Class and National Identity." Being Australian: Narratives of National Identity. Crows Nest, N.S.W: Allen & Unwin, 2007. 40-53. Print.
Maestro by Peter Goldsworthy provides an insight into 1960s/70s Australia and helps reinforce common conceptions about Australian culture. One common conception Goldsworthy reinforces in this text is Australia’s increasing acceptance of multiculturalism. Maestro, set in the 1960s to 1970s, shows Australians growing more accepting and tolerant of other cultures. This shift in perspective was occurring near the end of the White Australia/Assimilation Policy, which was phased out in the late 1970s/early 1980s. An example of this shifted perspective in Maestro is Paul’s father’s opinion about living in Darwin:
MacDermott, D. (1993). As we see you. In D. Grant & G. Seal (Eds.), Australia in the world (pp. 86-91). Perth: Black Swan Press
Reynolds, H. (2005). Nowhere People: How international race thinking shaped Australia’s identity. Australia: Penguin Group
With the introduction of the internet being a relatively new phenomenon, the act of cyber espionage is not something that has been properly acknowledged by society. The American Government has done a stand up job of keeping its methods in the shadows and away from the eyes of its people since its documented domestic surveillance began on October 4th, 2001; Twenty three days after the Twin Towers fell President George Bush signed an order to begin a secret domestic eavesdropping operation, an operation which was so sensitive that even many of the country's senior national security officials with the...
As decades and centuries pass, technology evolves. Machines become more efficient, and communication between locations becomes easier. Due to this, the process of doing things changes. With the advent of the Internet, it is important to understand and look deeper into the effects of technology on society, as it is “complexly woven into the circumstances and rhythms of social life” (Gasher, Skinner and Lorimer, 2012, p. 155). For this reason, there are various perspectives on technology.
Most are already aware of the level of surveillance the federal government has on our internet lives - with the amount of arrests related to movements referred to by names such as 'cyber-terrorism', it's obvious to see why. The constant clashing of opinionated groups behind the wall of a digital screen can lead to real-life danger. In addition, once one decides to take a peek into examples of this, they unearth a plethora of criminal activity and chain-reaction events, ranging from drug networking, to assassination and shooting plans, to popularized images and videos of murder and cruelty.
Julian Assange an Australian editor, activist, journalist and publisher launched the WikiLeaks website in the year 2006. From that moment, the site spiraled rapidly into the limelight all over the world. It then came to be known as the most powerful whistle-blowing and also the most scandalous “media” in the online world. WikiLeaks profanes and violates the right of privacy, right of accountability and confidentiality among Information and data sharing also it has a negative impact on governments, private sectors or businesses and also individuals, there is also a big question of accountability.
We are promised a global village instead we inhibit the drab cul-de-sac and endless freeways of vast suburb of information.” Though we have a multitude of ways to communicate that are much faster and and newer, we are constantly participating in ways that alienate us from each other and the world around us. Marche describes this as an “epidemic of loneliness”. He discusses the effect this has on our modern society.
Working thesis: The advancements in technology have caused the social norms of society to adapt to its rapid change, by becoming captivated to its simple access; which is effecting the way we communicate and act.
As case and point, “the impact of the Internet is far greater than any other communicative tool in the history of mass communications” (Elliot, 2008, para. 1). With an expansive, yet extremely convenient means to electronically join people through business, relationships, education and more, Sociology assumes the ...
The Web. The Web. 22 Jan. 2014. • "Profile: Edward Snowden. "
For example, print technology highlights the visual aspect of the media, but isolates sound. However, electronic media, such as television, allows us to see and hear, and therefore, reconnects senses that have been isolated by previous media (e.g., print and radio). McLuhan expands on the effects of electronic media in War and Peace in the Global Village, arguing that electronic media creates a “global village.” Because electronic media allows people all over the world to see and hear the same information, physical distance is no longer a barrier.
Media and technology have an ever increasing role in how we as humans communicate with one another as well as help impact our culture. The printed word, once able to be mass produced helped usher in an era where where people could seek the education and reading skills they desired, brought print and knowledge to the masses. Now with the more common use of digital communication and media outlets, our options for information and communication are almost entirely unimpeded. Technology allows us to live through multiple Renaissance type periods filled with ever growing pools of information from which to share, and culture changing happenings coming from every corner of our connected world.