Structuralism, attitude and the computer: Questioning the notion of "cultural computing"

Authors

Warren Burt, University of WollongongFollow

RIS ID

97815

Publication Details

Burt, W. A. (2010). Structuralism, attitude and the computer: Questioning the notion of "cultural computing". Cultural Computing: Second IFIP TC 14 Entertainment Computing Symposium, ECS 2010, Held As Part of WCC 2010, Brisbane, Australia, September 20-23, 2010, Proceedings. (pp. 128-136). United States: Springer New York LLC.

Link to publisher version (URL)

Springer

Additional Publication Information

ISBN: 9783642152139

Abstract

The terms "cultural computing" and "entertainment computing" can be disturbing if looked at from the artists' point of view. Computing has always been part of the culture of the time, and this was especially true in the decades surrounding the birth of computing, when the structuralist paradigm was dominant in many areas of human endeavour. Perhaps what distinguishes, or should distinguish, "cultural" computing from other types of computing is its attitude: one of playfulness and light-hearted cleverness. This premise is discussed mainly from a musical point-of-view-examples from the computer music literature, including works by the author, are discussed in this context.