Transformation of Monopolies of Knowledge through Diffusion of New Media Technologies

Synopsis: Current discussions regarding the unequal distribution of communication capabilities and the so called ‘’Digital Divide’’ also point to the relation between new media technologies, knowledge and power. This relation is at the core of the concept of monopolies of knowledge developed by Harold Adams Innis. In the thesis, such monopolies are regarded as expressions of power structures which are also subject to transformation processes.

It is the author’s aim to extend and more precisely define Innis’s concept in order to make it useful for the analysis of historical as well as actual instances of monopolies of knowledge. The resulting transdisciplinary definition focuses on how the monopolizing subject controls access to and use of specific knowledge.

Two types of monopolies of knowledge and a method for examining their activation are derived from the definition. The method is applied in two case studies – one for each type – concerning the influence of the Internet on the monopolization of knowledge. The first study deals with the opposition of proprietary and free software production, the second one questions how the technological development helped change the situation of classical and alternative news agencies.

By explaining central functions of monopolies of knowledge, the definition and method contribute to an understanding of how knowledge is converted into power with the help of new media technologies.

Reference: Aznavour, Kars. “Transformation von Wissensmonopolen durch Diffusion neuer Medientechnologien”. Master’s Thesis, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 2005. (unpublished)