2015 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Lethal Appetites: Media, Connectivity and Consumption in the Age of Discreet War
| Project/Area Number |
26590104
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| Research Institution | Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University |
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Principal Investigator |
MANTELLO Peter・A 立命館アジア太平洋大学, アジア太平洋学部, 教授 (10454977)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
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| Keywords | jihadist / cyber security / sacrificial death / social media / neo-security / privacy / surveillance / power |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
I conducted several successful field research trips and activities, among which were the following: conference at Catania University regarding media’s influence on shaping European opinion of Syrian war and exodus migrants to Europe; EISA conference in Taormina, where I learned more about various theoretical aspects of conflict; travel to Canada to do archival research at Toronto University and conduct interview with an expert on cinematographic techniques used in ISIS videos; travel to Montreal to do archival research at Concordia University and McGill University and the Canadian Armed Forces recruiting center, as well as collaborative writing with Professor Elene Tremblay; archival research at the Canadian National War Museum in Ottawa; interview with Professor Pantangiotou as well as guest lectures at the University of Thessaloniki and archival research at the Thessaloniki War and Byzantine Museums; design and development of a computer simulation game that looks at connectivity, media and conflict, premiered at Deutsche Welle’s Global Media Forum, Foreign Policy in the Digital age; field interviews at Amsterdam University with academics working on social networks.
In later part of 2015/early 2016, I researched the history of surveillance and began writing on the big data/surveillance. I presented my work in progress findings on surveillance at a workshop in Cardiff on Privacy.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
I have been able to compile a large amount of raw data that is helping with my research. The field research conducted in 2015 has opened up new avenues of thought and methodological practice that were previously unknown to me. As such, while the focus of my research project remains the same, I have been able to gain much deeper knowledge concerning the complexity of various aspects for my research. Specifically, the way in which the processes of authorization exist between the public domain/government and commercial or private institutional bodies in regards to media, consumption and connectivity in an increasingly asymmetrical world.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
My research for FY2016 is now focused on issues pertaining to the use of social media and conflict. My investigation will follow two distinct trajectories - firstly, an assessment of how social media and its connectivity shapes or at least influences the media practices and understanding of audiences in regards to their perceptions of terrorism. Specifically, I am intending to conduct research with journalists and media outlets in order to gauge how current security threats are narrated through the media and the various disconnect between what is happening in Western countries in terms of terror related attacks and the events that are going on in the Middle East.
Moreover, I will also investigate new policy develops relating to the installment of the new liberal prime minister Justin Trudeau in Canada. Until late 2015, Canada has had the same conservative government for almost a decade. I wish to examine the one hundred and eighty degree direction change in Canadian foreign policy concerning its military role and presence in the Middle East (notably Iraq and Afghanistan) in relation to the conservative policies of the previous neo-conservative and hawkish leader Steven Harper. I have no reason to change any issue of my work, although I do want to concentrate on issues that were only revealed during this year. As such I intend to make a concerted effort to address the new content. I wish to present my research and articles in progress at several international conferences in the US, Canada, Europe and domestically.
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| Causes of Carryover |
Some research funds were transferred over from 2015 to this coming fiscal year because one of my field trips had to be postponed due to several key exhibitors for the SPIE 2015 exhibition not being available for interviews due to scheduling issues.
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| Expenditure Plan for Carryover Budget |
My plan is to attend SPIE conference in late September as well as to use the research funding for domestic research field trips and conference presentations in Japan in May - July 2016.
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Research Products
(3 results)
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[Presentation] Conflict in Kulmeria2015
Author(s)
Peter Mantello
Organizer
Global Media Forum: Foreign Policy in the Digital Age
Place of Presentation
Deutsche Welle, Bonn, Germany
Year and Date
2015-06-23
Int'l Joint Research / Invited
