East Asia: Politics, Economy, and Society

Majid TehranianPhD, Director of Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research, 11 Tivoli Court, Newport Coast, CA 92657, USAmajid@post. harvard. edu
Abstract: Civilization is a double-edged concept. During the last two centuries, it has been employed as an ideological weapon to distinguish between us and them, the so-called “civilized” and “barbarians ”. The 20th century, the bloodiest century in all human history, has not deterred the ideologues to continue speaking of civilization as the possession of one group of humanity against another. This paper is an attempt to disentangle “civilization” from its ideological uses.
Keywords: empire, civilization, modes of production, modes of legitimacy, modes of communication, digital empire.
Education, mass media and information
Hooshang NayebiAssistant Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Tehran Hnayebi@ut.ac.irAlireza DehghanAssistant Professor, Department of Communication, University of Tehran adehghan@ut.ac.irSaid MoidfarAssistant Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Tehran Smoidfar@ut.ac.ir
AbstractThe aim of this paper is to address the following question: Can the usage of mass media, particularly the usage of television which is an easily accessible medium, close the gap between high and low social-economic status groups based on the theory of information gap? According to this theory, the member of upper stratum gain the information transmitted through the mass media rapidly than the lower stratum and thus the gap between those who are rich and those who are poor in information widens. This is a question which has not been addressed in Iran before. Thus to answer this question, we have drawn some testable hypothesis from the mentioned theory and test them by using of the data gathered in a large-scale national survey.
Keywords: information gap, mass media, television, Education, social-economic status.
Political Economic Theory and Communication Research
Vincent MoscoCanada Research Chair in Communication and Society, Queen’s Universitymoscov@mac.comDavid LavinResearch Analyst, Queen’s University, Canada.
Abstract:This paper provides an overview of the political economy approach to communication studies. The paper begins by defining the approach, identifies its fundamental characteristics, and maps major schools of thought. From here, it proceeds to examine how communication scholars have drawn on the theoretical framework to carry out research on the mass media and information technologies. The paper then describes the process of rethinking the political economy of communication by proposing the means to address its philosophical assumptions. Specifically, it calls for an approach to knowing that accepts the reality of both concepts and observations and rejects the view, prominent in some theories, that all explanations can be reduced to one essential cause, such as the economy or culture. Rethinking political economy also emphasizes social change, social processes and social relations over the traditional tendency in political economy to start from social structures and institutions. Putting this agenda into practice, the paper identifies three processes that make up the main starting points for political economy research. Commodification is the process of transforming things valued for their use into marketable products that are valued for what they can bring in exchange. Spatialization is the process of overcoming the constraints of geographical space with, mainly, mass media and communication technologies. Structuration is the process of creating social relations, mainly those organized around social class, gender and race. The paper concludes by describing how this renewed political economy of communication responds to challenges on its borders from the disciplines of cultural studies and policy science. Keyword: political economy, communication theory, critical media studies, social class.
Cyber World: An Enabling Agora or a Constraining Mirage?
Ali ZohooriBradley University, USA.zohoori@bumail.bradley.edu
Abstract:This article is based on Jacques Elull's notion of "fascinated people" in relation to technique and technology. It briefly reviews some of the advantages of the democratic aspects of the cyber world and analyzes the limits and future worries regarding the cyber world. Notwithstanding the limitations on the creation, management, and control of the cyber world resulting from the digital divide and constraints imposed by government and corporate interests, this article stresses the democratic nature of the participatory attribute of the cyber world. The article advances the possibility that through peoples' participation in the cyber world's public sphere a world utopian civilization is possible.
Keywords: cyber world, technological fascination, democracy, information market, public sphere, disinformation.