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

    Neue Medienpolitik für neue Medien

    Novy, L., 2014, Medienwandel kompakt 2011 - 2013: Netzveröffentlichungen zu Medienökonomie, Medienpolitik & Journalismus. Kappes, C., Krone, J. & Novy, L. (eds.). Wiesbaden: Springer VS, p. 403-406 4 p.

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

  2. Published

    Medienwandel kompakt 2011 - 2013: Netzveröffentlichungen zu Medienökonomie, Medienpolitik & Journalismus

    Kappes, C. (Editor), Jan, K. (Editor) & Novy, L. (Editor), 2014, Wiesbaden: Springer VS. 422 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  3. Published

    Ornament der Mass Customization: Zum Kollektivbewusstsein verstreuter Examinatoren

    Simons, S., 2014, Soziale Medien - Neue Massen. Baxmann, I., Beyes, T. & Pias, C. (eds.). Zürich: Diaphanes Verlag, p. 237-259 23 p. (Medienwissenschaftliche Symposien der DFG).

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

  4. Published

    Das Unvermeidliche vermeiden: Jayne Loaders, Kevin und Pierce Raffertys The Atomic Café (1982)

    Simons, S., 2013, Das Undenkbare filmen: Atomkrieg im Kino. Nanz, T. & Pause, J. (eds.). Bielefeld: transcript Verlag, p. 25-52 28 p. (Film).

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

  5. Published

    Blitzlicht

    Müller-Helle, K. (Editor) & Sprenger, F. (Editor), 2012, Zürich: Diaphanes Verlag. 142 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  6. Published

    Google Books als Medium und Medium

    Sprenger, F., 2012, In: Zeitschrift für Medienwissenschaft. 6, p. 237-240 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Global Immediacy

    Sprenger, F., 2014, McLuhan's Global Village Today: Transatlantic Perspectives. Birkle, C., Krewani, A. & Küster, M. (eds.). London: Pickering & Chatto, p. 31-46 16 p. (Studies for the International Society for Cultural History; vol. 6).

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

  8. Published

    Medien des Immediaten: Elektrizität, Telegraphie, McLuhan

    Sprenger, F., 2012, Berlin: Kulturverlag Kadmos . 514 p. (Kaleidogramme; vol. 87)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Soziale Medien: Neue Massen

    Baxmann, I. (Editor), Beyes, T. (Editor) & Pias, C. (Editor), 01.09.2014, Zürich: Diaphanes Verlag. 368 p. (Medienwissenschaftliche Symposien der DFG)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  10. Published

    Herausforderungen und Potenziale von Online-Medien für die qualitative Forschung: Eine Einführung

    Schirmer, D., Sander, N. & Wenninger, A., 2015, Die qualitative Analyse internetbasierter Daten: Methodische Herausforderungen und Potenziale von Online-Medien. Schirmer, D., Sander, N. & Wenninger, A. (eds.). Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, p. 7-32 26 p.

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