Socio-cultural & socio-technical aspects of media & communication

Media technologies and social processes are becoming increasingly intertwined. Whether social media, e-government or finance: nothing works without digital infrastructures. Social and cultural aspects are not unaffected by this. Quite the opposite: the social sphere is being reconfigured by digital infrastructures, interfaces, algorithms and end devices and possibilities for action are being reorganised. This also has far-reaching consequences for the formation of the subject and the self-image of a society and its institutions. Media literacy is proving to be an important social resource that needs to be developed and its relationship to digitalisation dynamics, big data and AI needs to be explored.

The Research Area "Socio-cultural & socio-technical aspects of media & communication" focuses in particular on the following topics:

The situation described above gives rise to a social need for structural, reflective and orientational knowledge. The research area, which is historically linked to the establishment of the Institute and emerged from media education, outlines a critical approach informed by media studies and affects all levels of the education chain.

In many respects, AI appears to be ushering in a paradigm shift for the basis of knowledge in societies: for example, whereas government action and science were previously guided by statistics, stochastically generated knowledge is becoming increasingly relevant to decision-making. The consequences of such an epistemic change are only just beginning to emerge. This topic area is dedicated to the consequences of a switch to AI for societies and subjects.

This research area is concerned with the development of new approaches to film education. While traditional film education focuses on the history, repertoire and aesthetics of feature films and documentaries, this research area focuses on current and everyday practices of using moving images (Facetime, short videos on social media, video conferencing, etc.). Based on these praxeological approaches, new concepts of mediation are discussed and developed, which in turn enable an understanding of the history, narration and aesthetics of cinematography.

The electricity requirements of digital infrastructures continue to grow. The production of servers, cables and end devices itself has far-reaching ecological and social consequences. Furthermore, a distribution battle for water is increasingly developing. CO2 emissions from digital infrastructures continue to rise unabated. This topic area deals with the epochal intensification of media change and climate change.

Body-related geomedia are playing an increasingly important role in security and health configurations. This research area explores practices of governmentality that move fluidly between bodies and media. This research area implies tracking technologies in health and criminal justice management and also investigates digitality practices in the relationship between citizens and the state (keywords eGovernment and digital citizenship).

Members

University Professor Dr Theo Hug

Associate Professor Dr Petra Missomelius

Dr Oliver Leistert

Current projects (selection)

  • AI Media Lab at the Department of Media, Society and Communication: The Lab sees itself as an intervention in urgent social issues relating to AI. Workshops and lectures are offered at irregular intervals to help critically reflect on the problems of AI and digital infrastructures.
  • Moving education: Research collaborations with German, Swiss and Austrian partner institutions,
  • Qualitative surveys on eGovernment and electronic process management.

Current publications (selection)

  • Beuster, G.; Leistert, O.; Röhle, T. (2022). "Protocol", in: Internet Policy Review, 11 (1), https://doi.org/10.14763/2022.1.1651
  • Hug, T.; Missomelius, P.; Ortner, H. (2024): Artificial intelligence in discourse. Interdisciplinary perspectives on the present and future of AI applications. Innsbruck: innsbruck university press (IUP). [http:​/​/dx.doi.org​/10.15203​/99106-139-7]http:​/​/dx.doi.org​/10.15203​/99106-139-7
  • Leistert, O. (2024). "AI and sustainability". In T. Hug, P. Missomelius, & H. Ortner (Eds.), Artificial Intelligence in Discourse: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Present and Future of AI Applications. Innsbruck: innsbruck university press, pp. 115-125.
  • Leistert, O. (2024). "Hashing in digital cultures: How cryptography secures the apparatus of capture." In R. Adelmann, & T. Matzner (Eds.), 4th DFG Symposium on Media Studies. University of Paderborn. https://doi.org/10.25969/MEDIAREP/22944
  • Leistert, O; Shnayien, M. (2023). Special Issue Protocols in Journal of Media Studies 28. https://mediarep.org/handle/doc/20581
  • Missomelius, P. (2025, forthcoming). "The Relevance of the Frankfurt Triangle for Critical Media Literacy and Digital Citizenship". In seminar.net special issue on "Customised Diversity? Education, capitalism and diversity in the digital condition", open access.
  • Missomelius, P.; Engelberger, L. (2024): "Überwachung und Kontrolle durch Nahkörpertechnologie am Beispiel der GPS-Fußfessel". In: Heinritz, A.; Sexl, M. (eds.): The materiality of the digital. Innsbruck: innsbruck university press (IUP), pp. 175 - 192.
  • Missomelius, P. (2024): "Digital Citizenship and Education". In: Dander, V.; Grünberger, N.; Niesyto, H.; Pohlmann, H. (eds.): Education and digital capitalism. Munich: kopaed.
  • Missomelius, P. (2023): Digital citizenship between skills and competence models: the digital competence offensive. In: Media impulses. Contributions to media education 61/2, p. 1 - 10. [http://dx.doi.org/10.21243/mi-02-23-20]http://dx.doi.org/10.21243/mi-02-23-20
  • Missomelius, P. (2022). Education - media - people. Maturity in the digital . V&R / Brill open access, https://www.vr-elibrary.de/doi/book/10.14220/9783737012638
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