Beyond the legacy of the Enlightenment? Online encyclopaedias as digital heterotopias
Haider, Jutta LU and Sundin, Olof LU
(2010)
In First Monday
15(1).
- Abstract
- This article explores how we can understand contemporary participatory online encyclopaedic expressions, particularly Wikipedia, in their traditional role as continuation of the Enlightenment ideal, as well as in the distinctly different space of the Internet. Firstly we position these encyclopaedias in a historical tradition. Secondly, we assign them a place in contemporary digital networks which marks them out as sites in which Enlightenment ideals of universal knowledge take on a new shape. We argue that the Foucauldian concept of heterotopia, that is special spaces which exist within society, transferred online, can serve to understand Wikipedia and similar participatory online encyclopaedias in their role as unique spaces for the... (More)
- This article explores how we can understand contemporary participatory online encyclopaedic expressions, particularly Wikipedia, in their traditional role as continuation of the Enlightenment ideal, as well as in the distinctly different space of the Internet. Firstly we position these encyclopaedias in a historical tradition. Secondly, we assign them a place in contemporary digital networks which marks them out as sites in which Enlightenment ideals of universal knowledge take on a new shape. We argue that the Foucauldian concept of heterotopia, that is special spaces which exist within society, transferred online, can serve to understand Wikipedia and similar participatory online encyclopaedias in their role as unique spaces for the construction of knowledge, memory and culture in late modern society. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/1530538
- author
- Haider, Jutta
LU
and Sundin, Olof
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2010
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- encyclopaedia, wikipedia, heterotopia, enlightenment
- in
- First Monday
- volume
- 15
- issue
- 1
- publisher
- University of Illinois
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:77950278331
- ISSN
- 1396-0466
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 87c34359-cafa-4a89-8aeb-d8381728b52c (old id 1530538)
- alternative location
- http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/viewArticle/2744/2428
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-04 09:31:34
- date last changed
- 2024-01-27 12:32:21
@article{87c34359-cafa-4a89-8aeb-d8381728b52c,
abstract = {{This article explores how we can understand contemporary participatory online encyclopaedic expressions, particularly Wikipedia, in their traditional role as continuation of the Enlightenment ideal, as well as in the distinctly different space of the Internet. Firstly we position these encyclopaedias in a historical tradition. Secondly, we assign them a place in contemporary digital networks which marks them out as sites in which Enlightenment ideals of universal knowledge take on a new shape. We argue that the Foucauldian concept of heterotopia, that is special spaces which exist within society, transferred online, can serve to understand Wikipedia and similar participatory online encyclopaedias in their role as unique spaces for the construction of knowledge, memory and culture in late modern society.}},
author = {{Haider, Jutta and Sundin, Olof}},
issn = {{1396-0466}},
keywords = {{encyclopaedia; wikipedia; heterotopia; enlightenment}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
publisher = {{University of Illinois}},
series = {{First Monday}},
title = {{Beyond the legacy of the Enlightenment? Online encyclopaedias as digital heterotopias}},
url = {{http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/viewArticle/2744/2428}},
volume = {{15}},
year = {{2010}},
}