[Upd-discuss] New Journal, Issue No. 2: Economies of Knowledge: Production and Distribution of Knowledge in the Network Society

[Zapopan Martin Muela-Meza]

New Journal, Issue No. 2: Economies of Knowledge: Production and
Distribution of Knowledge in the Network Society
>From Matteo Pasquinelli at Rekombinant, an Italian collective for the self
organization of the cognitive labor <http://www.rekombinant.org/>.
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The European Journal of Higher Arts Education
ISSN 1571-9936
http://www.ejhae.elia-artschools.org/Issue2/en.htm

Editor
Economies of Knowledge: Production and Distribution of Knowledge in the
Network Society
Issue 2
February 2005

Recent changes in the mode of production and dissemination of knowledge
have often been described in the context of what has been fashionably
termed as ‘knowledge economy' . Manuel Castells in The Rise of the Network
Society , (1996) points to the change in the ways technological processes
are organised - from a mode of development focussed on economic growth and
surplus-value (industrialism) to one based on the pursuit of knowledge and
increased levels of complexity of information (informationalism). 

In this way, new technologies have enhanced the effectiveness of global
capitalism, enabling it to become more flexible, adaptable, faster,
efficient and pervasive. Culture, too, and indeed the education system,
has become integrated in the process of the creation of capital, with
cultural regeneration and a link between research and enterprise as an
example of capital's renewal. In this context it is clear that art and art
education follow economic imperatives for the most part but do they also
offer the possibility of influencing it? To what extent can the spaces of
determination be creatively reclaimed? And how might network technologies
support or counter-act this process?

Technological tools have indeed facilitated the access to information, and
the image of an ‹information net› visualizes in a stronger way the
potentially dynamic character of knowledge – as opposed to the historical
library, for example. However, it remains an open question, in how far
those technologies have fundamentally added new aspects to the way in
which knowledge is socially and culturally constituted (Peter Spillmann,
The Sourcebook, 6th Werkleitz Biennale, 2004). 

This issue of the EJHAE attempts to unravel some of the mechanisms and
contradictions inherent in knowledge production and distribution, and the
limitations and hierarchies offered under the so-called knowledge economy.
It does this in relation to the following themes: 

Economising Knowledge 
Information Commons / Intellectual Property, Democracy, Free Information
Movement 
Knowledge Transfer / Cognitive Capitalism and its Resistance 
The first section ‘Economising Knowledge' provides critical responses to
the process of the economisation of knowledge in relation to recent
neo-liberal policies, often described in this context under the term
‘cognitive capitalism'; it discusses the apparent ‘dilemma of
knowledge-based economy' - knowledge as common property versus
copyrighting and monopolisation of knowledge (Marion von Osten);
privatisation and standardisation of education (Nick Dyer-Witheford,
William Bowles); and contests its corporatisation, the so-called
enterprise agendas and third leg funding (Marion von Osten, Lucy Kimbell).


Contributions to ‘Information Commons' section discuss issues around the
economisation and copyrighting of information and its resistance; the
monopolisation and tightening of Intellectual Property copyrighting in
relation to State and corporate control of access on the one hand (Alan
Toner, Jamie King, WIPO, WSIS) and ideas around the Free Information
Movement, Free Networks, Information as Common Property and democracy
based on free exchange on the other hand (Armin Medosch, Brian Holmes,
C.U.K.T). 

The third section ‘Knowledge Transfer' considers mechanisms of knowledge
transfer in cognitive capitalism and presents new models that resist
economisation and monopolisation of knowledge and information in general.
This is best exemplified by the recent appearance of self-instituted
educational projects such as kuda.org or University of Openness; emergence
of open source and free software based tools for knowledge gathering and
dissemination (semantic web, wikipedia and distributed library project);
and finally experimental ideas in teaching at mainstream educational
institutions that incorporate the latest digital technologies (Mark
Amerika, Julian Malins & Ian Pirie, Gianni Corino et al). 

The currency of addressing the current relationship between knowledge,
economy and technology is further reinforced by a number of recent
projects, events and publications on this theme. The ‘FOUND and LINKED /
WEB SPECIALS' section highlights some of these projects, in particular the
most recent issue of MUTE magazine (UK and online, The 6th Werkleitz
Biennale and The Halle School of Common Property (Germany and online). 

Issue 2 of EJHAE has been produced with support from MUTE
www.metamute.com, Werkleitz Biennale www.werkleitz.de, and DATA Browser
www.data-browser.net. 

Joasia Krysa 

Editor, issues 2 of EJHAE.

 

All texts are distributed under the creative commons license agreement 
2004.

> The European Journal of Higher Arts Education
> 
> Issue 2, February 2005
> ISSN 1571-9936
> 
> http://www.ejhae.elia-artschools.org/Issue2/en.htm
> 
> 
> Economies of Knowledge: Production and Distribution of Knowledge in the 
> Network Society
> 
> CONTRIBUTORS:
> Mark Amerika / William Bowles / Gianni Corino / Nick Dyer-Witheford /
> C.U.K.T / Brian Holmes / Lucy Kimbell / Jamie King / Kuda.org / Julian
> Malins / Tatiana Mazali / Armin Medosch / Sara Monaci / Marion von 
> Osten /
> Ian Pirie / Harry Potter / Trebor Scholz / Gabriella Taddeo / Alan 
> Toner  /
> Faculty of Cartography, University of Openness and Marina Llewelyn /
> 
> This issue of EJHAE attempts to unravel some of the mechanisms and
> contradictions inherent in knowledge production and distribution, and 
> the
> limitations and hierarchies offered under the so-called knowledge 
> economy.
> It does this in relation to the following themes:
> - Economisation of Knowledge
> - Information Commons: Democracy, IP, Free Information Movement
> - Knowledge Transfer: Cognitive Capitalism and its Resistance
> 
> 
> Guest edited by Joasia Krysa
> 
> Produced with support from MUTE <http://www.metamute.com>, WERKLEITZ
> BIENNALE <http://www.werkleitz.de>, and DATA Browser
> <http://www.data-browser.net>.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----------------------------(  RK  )
> http://www.rekombinant.org
> http://liste.rekombinant.org/wws/subrequest/rekombinant
> 


=====
ENG: "Corporations are not democratic institutions --their directors and managers owe no accountability to anyone but the shareholders that employ them."
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ESP: "Las corporaciones (empresas) no son instituciones democráticas: a sus directores y gerentes no se les puede fincar responsabilidades ante nadie excepto ante sus accionistas que les emplean."

-- Bakan, Joel. (2004). The Corporation. The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power : La corporación (empresa). La búsqueda patológica de ganancias y poder. London: Constable & Robinson, p. 151


		
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