Media & Communications - Projects

Liberal machines: information poverty, political culture and the uses of new communications technologies

Julian Thomas and Denise Meredyth

ARC Discovery Grant (2003–06)

This project examines two contentious issues in scholarly and policy debate: the nature and consequences of information poverty, and the consequences of new communications technologies for western political culture. Rather than focusing on the emancipatory potential of new technologies, we see these problems through the prism of liberal government, its history and prospects. In particular we are concerned with liberalism's longstanding concerns with security, civil peace, freedom and disadvantage. We explore contemporary developments in electronic government, digital media, online learning, cyber-democracy and wired communities. The result will contribute to our understanding of the political and intellectual uses of information technology.