Democracy Bytes: New Media, New Politics and Generational Change PDF
Preview Democracy Bytes: New Media, New Politics and Generational Change
Democracy Bytes This page intentionally left blank Democracy Bytes New Media, New Politics and Generational Change Judith Bessant School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Melbourne, Australia © Judith Bessant 2014 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2014 978-1-137-30825-2 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted her rights to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2014 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Palgrave Macmillan in the UK is an imprint of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan in the US is a division of St Martin’s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries ISBN 978-1-349-45590-4 ISBN 978-1-137-30826-9 (eBook) DOI 10.1057/9781137308269 This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. For Harry Bessant and Matilda Bessant This page intentionally left blank Contents Acknowledgements v iii Introduction 1 1 Politics in the Age of the Digital 1 9 2 How the Light Gets in: Change and Continuity 5 1 3 Change and Generation 82 4 Coming of Age in a Digital Neoliberal World: Generation and Politics 109 5 A Heuristic, or a Guiding Framework 1 36 6 Democratic Renewal, Pussy Riot and Flash Gigs in the Kremlin 153 7 The Graduate’s Future and Neoliberal Education: New Generation Politics on the Campus 1 77 8 The Stop Online Piracy Act Case 2 04 9 The Digital, Indigenous Art and Politics 2 29 Conclusion 2 61 Notes 269 References 2 82 Index 3 13 vii Acknowledgments While any major research project like the writing of a book involves many people, there are two people without whom this book would not have seen the light of day. One is Peter Gray, former Justice in the Federal Court of Australia, who was able to figure what was going on and help put things right. For that I am most grateful. The other is Rob Watts, the brightest star in the galaxy, a man with a kind heart and generous soul who provided immeasurable support, especially over the last few years. Toward the end of my writing this book, my dear mother began asking, ‘How much longer before it’s finished?’ I replied to her that it was a bit like her making one of her beautiful quilts. There is a long way between the initial bright idea of making it, and the moment when she gets to put it on the bed or give it to friends or family. The design and subpatterns have to be dreamed up and drafted. Then there is the material, selecting the right colors and textures, working out how all the different colors and shapes fit together into an overall design. Next is the task of getting the weight right, the cutting, pinning, tacking, quilting and padding, all of which entails endless hours bent over sewing, by hand or on a machine. Then there are those times it did not quite go right and you had to undo it, reconfigure it and sew it all back up again. She knows this can take years, years in which many other things happen: loved ones die; new family members are born; there are trips away, building projects, sickness and fun times, all of which can slow things down. She got the picture. This project took a few years to complete. Conceived under adverse conditions, it worked to keep me focused and served as a reminder of the purpose, joys and trials of academic work. I am indebted to my children Rebekah and Macgregor, and their partners Emma and Flynn for their support and love. And of course Harrison and Matilda, who reminded me how beautiful bubbles and dancing can be. I thank other members Laura, Neil, Jennie, Heather and Debbie. I also acknowledge support from the following people who in different ways helped me during the time in which this book was written: Sandy Cook, Margaret Thornton, Kerry Carrington and Tom Kompas. viii Acknowledgments ix Many thanks also to my colleagues at the Victorian state office of the National Tertiary Education Union, and to my good friends, colleagues and students at RMIT University. Finally, I thank the staff at Palgrave Macmillan with whom I worked directly for their professional attitude and skills during the editing and production of this book.
The list of books you might like
