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A 1 day expert-led workshop
📅 Save the date: Friday 11th April, 2025
🕗 Time: 9:00 am - 5.30 pm (GMT)
📍 Location: Lancaster University, UK
Introduction
Join us as we examine the intersection of cybersecurity, consumption, and socio-cultural dynamics...
The workshop will provide a space for sharing and collaboration between those with expertise in consumer culture, marketing, cultural theory, and the cybersecurity ecosystem. Oral presentations and roundtable conversations will centre on the most pressing social issues emerging from cybernetic culture, theoretical conceptualisations of these problems, and ideas which can inform solutions.
This is a one-off opportunity to engage with colleagues, gain valuable feedback, and contribute to the broader conversation within our community.
This workshop has been made possible through the generous support of
Workshop Objectives
We aim to cultivate an interdisciplinary dialogue that bridges epistemic gaps between critical marketing, consumer culture theory, cybersecurity behaviours, and cyber culture more widely.
By connecting scholars, researchers, and innovators from diverse fields, the workshop objectives are as follows:
Facilitate
the creation of interdisciplinary research connections to tackle complex questions related to the impact of cyber culture on consumer well-being and decision-making.
Develop
interdisciplinary cybersecurity research agendas that integrate technical, ethical, historical, humanist, and/or socio-cultural perspectives.
Explore
how pervasive cyber environments are reshaping consumer behaviours and expectations related to perceived risk and security.
Challenge
traditional marketing narratives related to cyber culture by utilising critical toolkits and reflexive analytical modes of enquiry.
Workshop Overview
The concept of cybernetic culture was first crystallised in the 1990s to invite critical commentary on the complex intersection of computational systems with human imagination, community, material culture, and political economy. Since its initial formulation, cybernetic culture’s borders have rapidly widened and intersected with consumer culture to encompass many aspects of everyday life leading to academic and popular concerns about privacy and digital sovereignty, commercial surveillance, the spread of misinformation, ‘deepfakes’, online populism, radicalisation, cybercrime, and the damaging effects of ‘callout culture’ or ‘cancel culture’.
This workshop invites interdisciplinary contributions to critically explore these and other issues pertaining to digitalisation, consumption, deviant leisure, and social harm.
The workshop provides a space for sharing and collaboration between those with expertise in consumer culture, marketing, cultural theory, and the cybersecurity ecosystem. Oral presentations and roundtable conversations will centre on the most pressing social issues emerging from cybernetic culture, theoretical conceptualisations of these problems, and ideas which can inform solutions.
Your Workshop Chairs
We are delighted to welcome you to our upcoming event, "Cybernetic Culture Workshop: Consumption, Security & Society in the Digital Age". As co-chairs, we are thrilled for you to join us for what promises to be an engaging and insightful event. This workshop is designed to bring together experts, enthusiasts, and innovators to explore new ideas, share knowledge, and foster collaboration.
Our program will be packed with thought-provoking sessions and opportunities for networking, and we are confident that you will leave with valuable insights and connections. We encourage you to participate actively, share your experiences, and take full advantage of the diverse perspectives that will be represented.
Thank you for being a part of this exciting event - we look forward to your contributions and to making this workshop a memorable and productive experience for everyone.
Sophie James & James Cronin
Workshop Themes
Join us as we examine the intersection of cybersecurity, consumption, and socio-cultural dynamics, exploring how digital interactions shape security practices and vice versa. We invite submissions which focus on all areas of digital consumer behaviour, cybersecurity, and political economy including conceptual and empirical papers.
Areas of consideration include (but are not limited to):
Free speech & cyber-libertarianism
Social media & virtual communities
Online radicalisation