Cyberculture: An Introduction

It is the study of the cultural practices¹ constructed (in relationship) with digital devices. The word ‘Cyber’ refers to the science of ‘cybernetics’, is derived from Greek verb “Kubernao”, which means to “to steer”, in present context it means “to govern”. It connotes the idea of navigation through a space of electronic data and also a knowhow of controlling it, achieved by manipulating the data. Culture studies is a vast field of literary study that devotes in the understanding of the ways a meaning is generated, disseminated and produced and commonly includes the social phenomenon of ideology, ethnicity, class, gender and sexual orientation².

In understanding the vast subject of cyber-culture it is imperative to understand the key concepts and terminology associated with it, for example- Cyborg , Virtual Reality, Cyber text, Ubiquitous computing, Web 2.0 technology, California ideology , etc.
The concept of Cyber-Space is also essential. When we say we are in office, that denotes a location where the building is situated, but where is the exact location, when we say ‘I am online’. Cyber-space is a virtual space where communication appears to occur. The term was first coined by William Gibson where he described his vision of a global computer network, linking all people, machines and sources of information in the world, and through which one can move or navigate as through a virtual space². Cyber activities and sciences are best venture of new media. The distinguishing feature that makes it different from all other Medias is its domain of ‘interactivity’. The audience can communicate with the content, program, person via digital interface.

It’s a new accessible communication space and certainly can’t claim that everything digital is “good” , the issue doesn’t remain whether we are for or against technology, but “whether we recognize the qualitative changes in the ecology of signs, the unfamiliar environment that results from the extension of new communication networks throughout social and cultural life.”³

References:

1)      Lamal, P. A. (Ed.) (1997). Cultural contingencies: Behavior analytic perspectives on cultural practices. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.

2)      Class Presentation of Dr. Gavin Stewart in Uni of Beds.

3)      Levy, P. (2001). Cyberculture. Translated by: Robert Bononno. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. (p. X)
Image References:
1) http://www.erowid.org/library/books/images/chaos_cyberculture.jpg
[Accessed: 14-11-2011]
2) http://www.artie.com/cm/art/artists/barclayshaw/neuromancer.jpg
[Accessed: 14-11-2011