gaby david

Gaby David’s dissertation “Processes of Legitimation: 10 Years of Mobile Images” examines the legitimation and validation processes that vernacular mobile images underwent between the years 2005 and 2015. Her thesis explores answers to questions like: How did the production and consumption of private colloquial mobile images, as a visual phenomenon, develop from being a practice among a few individuals to being a widespread global habit? With an increase in use of mobile images in everyday life, how have its socio-cultural and visual effects been perceived? In what places has this happened?

The first and second chapters are a study of the cameraphone and its amateur use in early years, and the legitimation and value given to this early creation by artistic and media cultural gatekeepers. This is done through an ethnographic analysis of the Pocket Films Festival, and a global journalistic timeline of cameraphone images and the mediatization of them to create hard news. She also looks at the times during and after the smartphone mass penetration of the market and the use of its images. The third chapter focuses on studying peer-centered validations, as communities of practice, and it highlights the latest passage of the use of mobile images to a more conversational-connected use, demonstrating how the selfie and the short-lived or momentary snapshot dynamic influences today’s sharing of such. She shows the results of focus groups, and online/offline interviews, that she has conducted. The fourth and last chapter is an a posteriori autoethnography of her own practices.

Are we finally experiencing what Alexandre Astruc dreamt of: the fact that everyone would be able to use a camera pen? What transpired once this practice became adopted into the mainstream? Overall, this thesis is an endeavor to understand the evolving use of mobile images to convey complex communicative and multifaceted emotionally private and/or intimate meanings.

Comment la production et la consommation d’images mobiles privées, vernaculaires, passent-elles d’une relative confidentialité à une large exposition médiatique, voire à un habitus généralisé, véritable phénomène social ? Avec l’accroissement de l’utilisation de ces images mobiles dans la vie quotidienne, comment et où ces effets ont-ils été perçus ?

Afin de comprendre les mécanismes qui ont conduit à construire l’acceptation sociale de l’image mobile, la thèse de Gaby David explore les processus de légitimation et de validation que l’imagerie mobile a subis entre 2005 et 2015.

Processus de légitimation : 10 années d’images mobiles, tente de retracer l’histoire récente des processus de légitimation de ces images en la divisant en deux grandes périodes. La première partie, structurale, comporte une double étude des processus de construction et de légitimation de ce phénomène par le biais de diverses industries culturelles, artistiques ou médiatiques - notamment à travers une analyse ethnographique du festival Pocket Films, appuyée ensuite sur une série d’études de cas des images mobiles dans les circuits institutionnels de l’information.

La deuxième partie se concentre sur l’étude de la validation faite par les groupes de pairs, comme dans le cas des communautés de pratiques, ou quand les images mobiles deviennent ordinaires : y est mise en évidence la prise de pouvoir des utilisateurs sur le processus d’auto-légitimation. Enfin, une auto-ethnographie, réflexion sur les propres pratiques de l’auteure observées rétrospectivement, révèle comment la pratique des selfies a stimulé les échanges instantanés et éphémères, vers une utilisation encore plus connectée et conversationnelle de ces images.

Mots clés : affects, culture visuelle, dispositifs, ethnographie, études culturelles, films de poche, images mobiles, légitimation, mobile, pratiques, selfie, vernaculaire.

Usually, we share what we are not ashamed of. The purpose of this review article is to undertake a meta-analysis of articles that have explored and sought to clarify ways in which mobile image sharing occurs. Firstly, I provide an outline and introductory contextualization. Secondly, I reintroduce a corpus of 13 key articles from the prehistory of smartphones (2002–2008). These papers are early conceptualizations and taxonomies that theorize about sharing mobile photos. They are analyzed relative to Lasswell’s (1948) communication model. In this context, this model provides theoretical cues in a more current context to questions such as: when, how, and why do people share their mobile photos and what happens when they do so. The relevance of revising early conceptualizations not only helps understand how mobile sharing practices can be theorized and understood but also contributes to and strengthens an analysis of shame and share.

Drawing from a constructivist approach, this qualitative research presents results of teaching the Doctoral English Course (DEC) at the Center for Languages (CDL), University Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis. The DEC aims to train doctoral candidates in the practice of scientific communication in English. By allowing students to (re)think and approach their thesis in English, concrete research methods and tools to produce results related to their research were provided. The analysis explored students’ experiences on classroom activities and their reflections at the end of the course. Students reflected on meaningful experiences, collaborative learning, and impact of the process in developing their research. Overall, the study offers insightful contributions on the way rethinking in a different language influenced the way scientific meaning is reconstructed.

This special issue coedited by Gaby David and Amparo Lasén, compiles 13 articles that explore the articulation of contemporary affective and digital cultures, regarding shame and shaming associated with online image sharing. The convergence of social structures, social norms and digital affordances shapes the vulnerability of different social groups into shame and modulates the potential of that experienced shame to exert a pedagogic and productive effect.

Gaby David's dissertation "Processes of Legitimation: 10 Years of Mobile Images" examines the legitimation and validation processes that vernacular mobile images underwent between the years 2005 and 2015. Her thesis explores answers to questions like: How did the production and consumption of private colloquial mobile images, as a visual phenomenon, develop from being a practice among a few individuals to being a widespread global habit? With an increase in use of mobile images in everyday life, how have its socio-cultural and visual effects been perceived? In what places has this happened ? The first and second chapters are a study of the cameraphone and its amateur use in early years, and the legitimation and value given to this early creation by artistic and media cultural gatekeepers. This is done through an ethnographic analysis of the Pocket Films Festival, and a global journalistic timeline of cameraphone images and the mediatization of them to create hard news....

This article seeks to amplify discursive constructions of social connection through technology with an examination of the proposed and presumed intimacies of the Tinder app. In the first half, we ethnographically examine the sociotechnical dynamics of how users navigate the app and take up or resist the subject positions encouraged by the user interface feature of swiping. In the second half, we provide a discussion of the implications of the swipe logic through post-structural conceptual lenses interrogating the ironic disruption of intimacy of Tinder’s interface.

The types of communicating vessel systems that form public and private "spheres" constitute a multifaceted, complex system that is connected to an almost intractable range of issues. The fact is that the facets of mobile technology – ubiquity, multimediality, multidirectionality – form a new context in which trends to renegotiate, defend, adapt or challenge notions of public and private are developed by individuals in their everyday lives and by social institutions through their rules and goals. This book, which brings together presentations from the conference "Public and Private in Mobile Communications", held in March 2015 at Beira Interior University, Portugal, particularly favors discussions on the uses that individuals make of mobile devices in their everyday practices. However, as a background issue, it also includes the sometimes implicit approach about the transformations that connect new technologies to certain cultural practices, forms of interaction a...

she is vigorously biting the arm of one of the three policemen who is forcibly detaining her. Her direct, rather than passive, resistance creates a dynamic motion in the scene effectively amplified by the blurring in the image. While not a ‘good’ photo by dint of composition or focus, the photo unambiguously documents both the desperation of the white police force and the tenacity of African American women citizens’ involvement in the struggle. I was compelled to look at the image over and over and to verbally describe its power to convey this important historical insight to more than one of my unsuspecting colleagues, students, and neighbours.

The social acceptance of mobile images: a 10-year long process In order to understand the mechanisms that led to the social acceptance of the mobile image, and so as to explore the processes of legitimation and cultural validation that imagery had between 2005 and 2015, this article stems from Gaby David’s doctoral thesis “Process of Legitimation: 10 years of mobile images”. The first part, structural, involves a double study of the phenomenon by various cultural, artistic and media industries; an ethnographic analysis of the Pocket Films festival, and a historicization of mobile images used in institutional circuits of information. The second part focuses on peer-validation, communities of practice, and highlights the empowerment of users’ self-legitimating process. Moreover, in a self-ethnographic reflection, the author studies retrospectively her own practices, and reveals selfies as more connected, instantaneous and ephemeral visual exchanges.

Afin de comprendre et d’explorer les mécanismes qui ont provoqué l’acceptation sociale de l’image mobile en tant qu’objet culturel, en d’autres termes, les processus de légitimation et de validation que l’imagerie mobile a eu entre 2005 et 2015, cet article revient sur la thèse de doctorat Processus de légitimation : 10 années d’images mobiles de Gaby David. La première partie, structurelle, comporte une double étude du phénomène par diverses industries culturelles, artistiques et  médiatiques  ;  une  analyse  ethnographique du festival Pocket Films, et une historicisation des images mobiles
utilisées dans les circuits institutionnels de l’information. La deuxième partie se concentre sur la validation par les pairs, les communautés de pratiques, et met en évidence la prise de pouvoir des utilisateurs sur les processus d’autolégitimation.  Par  le  biais  d’une auto-ethnographie et d’une réflexion sur ses propres pratiques, l’auteure s’observe rétrospectivement et révèle ses selfies, ainsi que des échanges visuels plus
connectés, instantanés et éphémères.

Las imágenes móviles y su aceptación social: un proceso de 10 años Con el fin de explorar los procesos culturales legitimantes y validantes que las imágenes móviles tuvieron entre 2005-2015, y para comprender los mecanismos que llevaron a la aceptación social de dichas imágenes, este artículo decanta de la tesis doctoral “Procesos de legitimación: 10 años de imágenes en movimiento“ de Gaby David. La primera parte estructural, estudia el fenómeno a través de dos industrias culturales: las artes y los medios de comunicación, comenzando con un análisis etnográfico del festival Pocket Films, y continuando con una historización de las imágenes en movimiento utilizadas en canales tradicionales de información. La segunda parte, centrada en la validación efectuada por los pares y comunidades de práctica, estudia los procesos de auto-legitimación de los usuarios mismos. Al concluir con una auto-etnografía y un reflexionar sobre sus propias prácticas, la autora se observa retrospectivamente, analiza el uso de selfies, y decortica los intercambios visuales, cada vez más conectados y a través de imágenes más instantáneas y efímeras.

Technically, mobile images belong to the ‘point-and-shoot’ tradition. In this scheme, mobile visual applications have facilitated changes in both the aesthetic qualities of mobile images and their effortless sharing. This mobile technology has developed hand-in-hand with its many different imaginable uses; for instance, mobile modalities allowing families and friends to communicate enable the formation of strong audio-visual bonds. This type of ‘mobile visual habitus’ is created through various sharing channels and can activate creativity, affection and social networks. Taking into account the intimacy involved in the use of mobile visual apps, this article seeks to shed light on aspects of this everyday affective mobile visual usage. How does mobile technology change our relationships with our own mobile visualities, our strong ties (i.e., bonds with friends and family), and thus our own audio-visual private history construction and those of our loved ones? As this question is overly broad, no exact answer or position can be determined. Nevertheless, through micro-social networking examples, I intend to analyse how usage of mobile visual apps will continue to change, influencing and enlarging possible methods of communication and engagement through and with private mobile images. These overarching practices will definitely continue to have an increasing impact in connection with broader cultural and social changes.

The types of communicating vessel systems that form public and private "spheres" constitute a multifaceted, complex system that is connected to an almost intractable range of issues. The fact is that the facets of mobile technology – ubiquity, multimediality, multidirectionality – form a new context in which trends to renegotiate, defend, adapt or challenge notions of public and private are developed by individuals in their everyday lives and by social institutions through their rules and goals. This book, which brings together presentations from the conference "Public and Private in Mobile Communications", held in March 2015 at Beira Interior University, Portugal, particularly favors discussions on the uses that individuals make of mobile devices in their everyday practices. However, as a background issue, it also includes the sometimes implicit approach about the transformations that connect new technologies to certain cultural practices, forms of interaction and political uses. In fact, as happened in the past with other technological innovations, it is practically impossible to discuss the penetration of mobile devices and their social appropriations without the perspective of a historical side, even if it is "only" an epistemological background. - See more at: http://www.livroslabcom.ubi.pt/book/141#sthash.VfN7TSa0.dpuf

L’image est un média, peut-être le premier, le plus ancien. Depuis Lascaux, les individus, les groupes, les pouvoirs politiques et religieux en ont fait un allié ou un péril. Tout au long du xx siècle, les images se sont immiscées partout. Acheminées par le cinéma, la télévision ou la presse écrite, véhiculées par Internet, elles s’installent au cœur du public comme du privé. Avec l’émergence des médias de masse, l’image et la politique ont renforcé leurs liens, forgeant une relation où les deux champs s’interpellent et se nourrissent intensément.

L’étude du champ politique doit donc se saisir de ce corpus toujours plus foisonnant. Elle doit s’y atteler sans se fixer de limites a priori sur une définition des images politiques et sans se contenter d’étudier leur contenu (politique).

Réunissant une trentaine de contributions dans une perspective internationale et interdisciplinaire, cet ouvrage croise les supports, les espaces socioculturels et les temporalités afin de mettre au jour les invariants et les ruptures, qu’il s’agisse du choix des thèmes ou des modes de mise en scène de la politique à chaque époque ou selon chaque régime. Couvrant les xxe et xxie siècles, l’ouvrage permet de relier différentes « époques médiatiques » et de voir les continuités, les filiations, les apports, les recompositions et les complémentarités entre des médias dits traditionnels (cinéma, télévision, photographie, presse écrite) et les nouveaux médias à l’âge du numérique (Internet, téléphones portables, jeux vidéo) dans leur façon de s’emparer ou d’être saisis par la politique.

The rise of mobile communications is a major development in social and cultural history. This development has once more arrived at a turning-point: mobile communications are merging with online social networking, presenting a new challenge to the humanities.
Social networking sites have in the past few years become extremely popular, and have turned the web into a markedly social medium. However, online social networking has led to concerns about privacy, as well as about possible counter-productive effects on making new real-world acquaintances. These effects are, in the short run, aggravated by permanent mobile connectivity. In the long run, however, mobile social networking might actually enhance real-world connections, with persons in your physical vicinity able to introduce themselves on the screen of your handheld. Privacy, anonymity, virtuality, friendship – the topic of mobile social networking clearly invites philosophical, and, in particular, ethical discussions. The volume contains papers by, among others, Charles Ess, Leopoldina Fortunati, Richard Harper, James E. Katz, Rich Ling, and Kurt Röttgers In J. K. Nyíri (Ed.) Engagement and Exposure: Mobile communication and the Ethics of social networking (pp. 77-87). Wien: Passagen.