Next session (june 6th): ‘Liveness and E-jamming’

In the last session of this academic year, Karin van Es will present her case study research on ‘Liveness and E-jamming, which is part of her PhD project described below. The session will take place at Janskerkhof 13, room 0.06. Afterwards, it’s time to close the academic year with dinner and drinks (location will follow)!

Karin van Es’ PhD project is on liveness in the Web 2.0 age, wherein the symbolic power of ‘the media’ (Couldry 2000 and 2003) is seemingly challenged by multiple online production/consumption centers, but, as she argues, the media’s framing function is maintained through (platform) design. More specifically, Karin sets out to analyze the constellations of liveness in eJAMMING (online music collaboration), YouTube (video-sharing platform), Facebook (social networking site) and in the television program The Voice of Holland (2010) examining how these forms of liveness help construct the ‘ritual category’ liveness (Couldry 2000; 2003; 2004) and, by extension, how they help underscore the power of the media to frame the social (ibid.). Analyzing the constellation involves analysis of: 1) the discursive construction of liveness through paratexts around the platform, 2) the construction of liveness via the platform and 3) a consideration of user practices.