Centre for Digital Cultures

Organisational unit: Institute

Organisation profile

Contemporary culture is characterized by the ubiquity of digital media technologies and infrastructures, which are constantly configuring our techniques for processing, storing, and transmitting data. As a result, our everyday practices of connecting, relating, reading, writing, perceiving, sharing, competing, and communicating are undergoing significant changes. At the same time, these technologies are closely tied to major societal challenges such as climate change, global conflicts, digital divides and social unjustness. In this dynamic context, the Centre for Digital Cultures (CDC) directly addresses the emergence of new and complex qualities of vernacular socio-technical life. This involves the development of advanced theory and innovative study programmes. We are concerned with the question of how we can understand and shape digital cultures today​​​​​​​.

Main research areas

The digital shift re-shapes the cultural sectors, and, indeed, everyday life, politics, law, and economics. the Centre for Digital Cultures (CDC), affiliated to Leuphana University of Lüneburg, examines this shift through a range of interdisciplinary methodologies, including media, cultural and social studies, through knowledge creation and transfer, as well as by developing experimental and interventionist media practices. Established in 2012, as one of the first research centres in Europe to research the emergence of digital cultures, the CDC continues to produce cutting-edge research on socio-technical regimes of inclusion and exclusion. Since its inception, the CDC has built an innovative network and research environment, where academic institutions, practitioners, and civil society stakeholders engage with new concepts, formats, and applications within digital cultures.

Current Research Areas

  • Climate Futures
  • (B)Orders, Identities and Belonging in the Digital Age
  • Cities, Infrastructures, Logistics, Platforms 
  1. Published

    Friedrich Kittler: E-Special Introduction

    Parikka, J. & Feigelfeld, P., 12.2015, In: Theory, Culture & Society. 32, 7-8, p. 349-358 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Friedrich Kittler und der »Mißbrauch von Heeresgerät«: Zur Situation eines Denkbildes 1964 – 1984 – 2014

    Pias, C., 04.2015, In: Merkur. 69, 791, p. 31-34 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Friedrich Kittler und der „Mißbrauch von Heeresgerät“: Zur Situation eines Denkbilds 1964 / 1984 / 2014

    Pias, C., 2016, Zweckentfremdung: 'Unsachgemäßer' Gebrauch als kulturelle Praxis. Keller, D. & Dillschnitter, M. (eds.). 1 ed. Parderborn: Wilhelm Fink Verlag, p. 63-80 18 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    From engagement to life, or: How to do things with gamification?

    Ruffino, P., 2014, Rethinking Gamification. Fuchs, M., Fizek, S., Ruffino, P. & Schrape, N. (eds.). Lüneburg: meson press, p. 47-69 23 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    From GUI to No-UI: Locating the interface for the internet of things

    Shah, N., 26.06.2017, Digitisation: Theories and Concepts for Empirical Cultural Research. Koch, G. (ed.). London: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, p. 180-196 17 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  6. Published

    From Open Access to Open Science: The Path From Scientific Reality to Open Scientific Communication

    Heise, C. & Pearce, J. M., 01.04.2020, In: SAGE Open. 10, 2, 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    From the open road to the high seas? Piracy, damnation and resistance in academic consumption of publishing

    Beverungen, A., Böhm, S. & Land, C., 09.2013, In: Prometheus: Critical Studies in Innovation. 31, 3, p. 241-247 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Für das Politische in der politischen Ökonomie: Einleitung

    Freudenschuß, M. & Scheele, A., 2013, In: Femina Politica. 1, p. 9-20 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Für ein Bestiarium der Organisation - Kafkas Grenzwesen

    Beyes, T. & Holt, R., 01.05.2019, Kafka: Organisation, Recht, Schrift. Ortmann, G. & Schuller, M. (eds.). Weilerswist: Velbrück Wissenschaft, p. 103-124 22 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Für ein Bestiarium der Organisation – Kafkas Grenzwesen

    Beyes, T. & Holt, R. D., 2019, Kafka: Organisation, Recht und Schrift. Ortmann, G. & Schuller, M. (eds.). Weilerswist: Velbrück Wissenschaft, p. 103-124 22 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearchpeer-review