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. 2016
  2. Published

    Theatre and Engineering: Kontrolle und Macht in medialen Umwelten in den 1960er Jahren, und heute?

    Leeker, M., 2016, Räume und Medien des Regierens. Balke, F. & Muhle, M. (eds.). 1 ed. Paderborn: Wilhelm Fink Verlag, p. 198-217 20 p. (Merz Akademie).

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

  3. Published

    The Ornament of Mass Customization: On the Collective Consciousness of Dispersed Examiners

    Simons, S., 2016, Social Media: New Masses. Baxmann, I., Beyes, T. & Pias, C. (eds.). Zürich: Diaphanes Verlag, p. 225-246 22 p.

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

  4. Published

    Trick 17: Mediengeschichten zwischen Zauberkunst und Wissenschaft

    Vehlken, S. (Editor), Müller-Helle, K. (Editor), Müggenburg, J. K. (Editor) & Sprenger, F. (Editor), 2016, Norderstedt: meson press. 118 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  5. Published

    Trick 17 zur Einführung

    Vehlken, S., Müggenburg, J. K., Sprenger, F. & Müller-Helle, K., 2016, Trick 17: Mediengeschichten zwischen Zauberkunst und Wissenschaft. Vehlken, S., Müller-Helle, K., Müggenburg, J. & Sprenger, F. (eds.). Lüneburg: meson press, p. 7-14 8 p.

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

  6. Published

    Volkszählung

    Bernard, A., 2016, Nach Feierabend: Wissen, ca. 1980. Pratschke, M., Stadler, M. & Güttler, N. (eds.). Zürich: Diaphanes Verlag, p. 189 - 196 8 p. (Zürch Jahrbuch für Wissensgeschichte; vol. 11).

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

  7. Published

    Zur Kritik der Fähigkeiten: Ableism als neue Forschungsperspektive der Disability Studies und ihrer Partner_innen.

    Buchner, T., Pfahl, L. & Traue, B. C., 2016, In: inklusion online. 9, 2

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. 2015
  9. Published

    Ecologies of Change: Editorial

    Freudenschuß, M., Feigelfeld, P., Apprich, C., Beverungen, A., Simons, S. & spheres Editorial Collective, 15.12.2015, In: spheres - Journal for Digital Cultures. 2, p. 1-5 5 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsOther (editorial matter etc.)Research

  10. Published

    Die Zeit die aus der Kälte kam

    Pias, C., 05.12.2015, Exploring Cybernetics : Kybernetik im interdisziplinären Diskurs. Jeschke, S., Schmitt, R. & Dröge, A. (eds.). Wiesbaden: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden, p. 227-236 10 p.

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

  11. 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

  12. Published

    Szintetikus történelem

    Pias, C., 16.11.2015, In: Tiszataj. 4, p. 83-92 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review