Participatory Culture

In Authority-based Culture, I referenced some work by David Dombrosky having to do with the rise of participatory culture. It’s probably a good idea to present a little more of his thinking. He cites access to production tools (like earlier advances that brought desktop publishing to homes and small businesses) and expansion of distribution channels (YouTube, Facebook, etc.) as together providing cost-effective means of getting individuals’ points of view in front of the public and of making connections with others in far-flung locations. Neither of these observations is revolutionary. He goes on to discuss emerging forms of community developing out of this mix. This *was* a new category of thought for me.

Described as “communities of interest,” these new modes of social organization can bring people together who are separated geographically. “Through a variety of means (e.g., profiles, comments, discussion forums, groups, and wikis) geographically dispersed individuals with shared passions grew able to identify each other and converse in real-time as well as asynchronously. In these new communities, participants would share resources and ideas and engage in mutual mentoring.” The option of forming community that is not place-based, while perhaps not totally new (there have long been pen pals), is far easier today and presents the potential for becoming more and more important.

A second type is “physically-based communities that augment their mutual support via technology as a second category of virtual community.” A hybrid of these two types “is also developing–a community that supplements the experience of those in a shared location while simultaneously bringing together geographically dispersed people with a shared interest.”

It is these last two forms of virtual community–those tied in some way to location–that have the most relevance for arts institutions. Touring exhibitions and performances have always sought to expand the impact of arts organizations beyond their home boundaries. On-going relationships–via experiencing art (virtually or in person) and giving feedback–are now possible. This provides the prospect of connections with arts audiences in far-flung locations as well as deeper relationships with those in geographic proximity.

[After the Authority-based Culture post appeared, Tom Borrup sent me a link to an article of his addressing this issue, a study he had done for Granmakers in the Arts about cultural organizations in Silicon Valley–Global Energy, Inventive Economies, and DIY Culture in Silicon Valley: A Cultural Infrastructure for Our Times. It touches on many of the same issues.]

I am not (nor ever will I be) a social media expert. I don’t really even aspire to social media literacy. (I’m just being honest here.) But for the purposes of being part of communities, be they traditional or one of these emerging communities of interest, it is going to be important for arts organizations to understand this potential. This understanding will need to go beyond simple marketing techniques. It will require getting down to the foundations of social organization that are being transformed by these media.

Yes, this gives me a headache like it probably does for many of you. (In moments of supreme weariness, I sometimes do put my head down on my desk and plead, “Don’t make me learn anything else new!”) But it’s out there  and it’s coming. Plus, it provides us yet more ways to

Engage!

Doug

Photo Some rights reserved by Steve Rhodes