Histories, Theories, and Cultures of New Media 

What is new about new media? How does the distinction between analog and digital media expand the field of representation? What do the history of technology and the history of data offer to the study of media? Our class will provide an orientation to cultures of new media by exploring different traditions in media theory across generations, regions, languages, and methodological approaches. We will explore distinctions between comparative media studies, media archaeology, new media, and the history of technology with readings drawn from scholars working primarily in French, German, and English. The course will offer an orientation for scholars interested in the intersections of media, digitality, and theory. In addition to the weekly readings, enrolled students will be working on a final project of their own in dialogue with debates and conversations from class.