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The Internet has taken on an ever-widening role not only in the production and sharing of information, but also in the political, social, and economic processes of everyday life around the world. The Net has been heralded by many as nothing less than a means of fundamentally transforming our world into one that is more just, more democratic, and more affluent, while redrawing the boundaries of political and economic power. However, the ''frontierism'' of the early Internet provoked ''regulatory'' responses, followed by various attempts to develop collective control via [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergence ''emergent'' structure].  This course asks: what now is the balance between these forces, and what, if anything, should be done?
It is hard to overstate the role the Internet plays in our lives. The Net has developed not only as the greatest means of producing and sharing information that the world has ever known, but also as a fundamental tool in global political, social, and economic processes. The Net has been heralded by many as nothing less than a means of fundamentally transforming our world into one that is more just, more democratic, and more affluent, while redrawing the boundaries of political and economic power.


With pirates, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacktivism hacktivists], booms, busts and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance_fee_fraud#History 419s], the language of the Internet suggests a cross between a bygone era and a new frontier.  Much of the evolution of the Internet has been organic and user-driven, beginning with its creation and continuing today as new contributors begin to engage this new space with limited government intrusion and few traditional mechanisms for enforcing social norms.
But the Net is no longer a frontier, and the early days of the Internet exceptionalism have given way to increased regulatory responses. Just as the Internet allowed users to discover new and interesting ways to transform lives, those who seek to control the levers of power around the Internet have discovered means of controlling its content and dissemination, through technological, monetary, normative, and legal means.


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'''Course Themes'''
'''Course Themes'''
* The Individual and the State
* Control and Code
* Internet Economics
* The Cultural Commons
* The Role of Law
* The Role of Law
* Control and Code
* Online Free Expression
* Digital Civil Society
* Digital Civil Society
* The Cultural Commons
* Technology and Development
* Technology and Development
|}As author William Gibson observed, the future is here, it’s just not evenly distributed,€ and it i™s [http://www.worldonip.com/thefuture.htm not necessarily coincidental].  Indeed, for some people, the Internet has changed everything, yet others remain untouched – or even harmed. Beyond reflecting existing gaps and choices, the rise of the Net has also led to counter-revolutions aimed at reining in the perceived excesses of cyberspace. The prospect of eroding profits, political power and social influence stemming from Internet-enabled competition and freedom has likewise spurred moves, sometimes subtle and others not, to protect existing economic, technological, social, political and legal structures.
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And we are increasingly aware of how networked technology and its promises for cultural improvement have not been evenly distributed amongst all peoples. Indeed, for some people, the Internet has changed everything, yet others remain untouched – or even harmed. Beyond reflecting existing gaps and choices, the rise of the Net has also led to counter-revolutions aimed at reining in the perceived excesses of cyberspace. The prospect of eroding profits, political power, personal privacy, and social influence stemming from Internet-enabled competition and freedom has likewise spurred moves to protect existing economic, technological, social, political and legal structures.


In this class, we will explore the collision of cyberspace with traditional political, social and economic spaces and focus on the role of technology, law and policy in shaping these interactions. Many of these battles are still brewing or remain unresolved; we will draw on the brief history of the Internet and emergent trends to identify the most likely future directions of – and levers for – change.  
This class investigates who and what controls the Internet, and how that control is achieved. It asks what now is the balance between these forces, and what, if anything, should be done.


The focus of this class is preparing participants to take a national and international perspective on public policy issues regarding the Internet and related technologies. The approach is multidisciplinary, drawing primarily upon law, political science, economics, technology, and social theory. Discussion and debate will play an important role in the class; students are expected to actively participate in the dialogue, whether in person or remotely. Assignments will consist of a number of small, applied projects and one final project that incorporate and address the tools and media of the Internet, which along with in-class and online participation will form the basis of your grade.
The focus of this class is enabling participants to develop a national and international perspective on public policy issues regarding the Internet and related technologies. The approach is multidisciplinary, drawing primarily upon law, political science, economics, technology, and social theory. Discussion and debate will play an important role in the class; students are expected to actively participate in the dialogue, whether in person or remotely. During the semester, students will work individually or in groups on assignments contributing to a final research project that draws upon the concepts and theories of the class and applies them to current issues in cyberspace.

Latest revision as of 10:52, 21 January 2013

Internet and Society: Technologies and Politics of Control

It is hard to overstate the role the Internet plays in our lives. The Net has developed not only as the greatest means of producing and sharing information that the world has ever known, but also as a fundamental tool in global political, social, and economic processes. The Net has been heralded by many as nothing less than a means of fundamentally transforming our world into one that is more just, more democratic, and more affluent, while redrawing the boundaries of political and economic power.

But the Net is no longer a frontier, and the early days of the Internet exceptionalism have given way to increased regulatory responses. Just as the Internet allowed users to discover new and interesting ways to transform lives, those who seek to control the levers of power around the Internet have discovered means of controlling its content and dissemination, through technological, monetary, normative, and legal means.

Course Themes

  • Control and Code
  • The Role of Law
  • Online Free Expression
  • Digital Civil Society
  • The Cultural Commons
  • Technology and Development

And we are increasingly aware of how networked technology and its promises for cultural improvement have not been evenly distributed amongst all peoples. Indeed, for some people, the Internet has changed everything, yet others remain untouched – or even harmed. Beyond reflecting existing gaps and choices, the rise of the Net has also led to counter-revolutions aimed at reining in the perceived excesses of cyberspace. The prospect of eroding profits, political power, personal privacy, and social influence stemming from Internet-enabled competition and freedom has likewise spurred moves to protect existing economic, technological, social, political and legal structures.

This class investigates who and what controls the Internet, and how that control is achieved. It asks what now is the balance between these forces, and what, if anything, should be done.

The focus of this class is enabling participants to develop a national and international perspective on public policy issues regarding the Internet and related technologies. The approach is multidisciplinary, drawing primarily upon law, political science, economics, technology, and social theory. Discussion and debate will play an important role in the class; students are expected to actively participate in the dialogue, whether in person or remotely. During the semester, students will work individually or in groups on assignments contributing to a final research project that draws upon the concepts and theories of the class and applies them to current issues in cyberspace.

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