Understanding grey matter: tracking the trackers and unearthing Facebook’s experiments with different forms of personhood Event

This lecture will explore the concept of personhood, its interrelation with capitalism and property, and how this "reshaping" converts into capital gain.

“Capital as an abstract form does not require a particular form of personhood, or subjectivity. However, capitalists have a long history of developing, using and manipulating categories of different persons, to fulfil their own interests. Historically the shaping of personhood within capitalism - and its analysis - has been closely hinged to property relations. With a quick trip through neo-liberal imperatives to propertise personhood this lecture will show how relationship between property and personhood are being refigured by Facebook, as it individuates in order to dividuate. The call to revelation and authenticity enables data to be more effectively divulged for trading purposes.”

Professor Skeggs will draw on a recent ESRC research project (using software developed by Simon Yuill) to detail how this reshaping of personhood is integral to a new regime of accumulation based on profit without production.

Professor Skeggs is currently an ESRC Professorial Fellow in the department of Sociology at Goldsmiths, University of London. She also worked at Keele, York, Lancaster and Manchester Universities. Her publications have included studies of class, gender, sexuality, violence, television audiences, and Bourdieu. Her main publications include Formations of Class and Gender (1997), Class, Self, Culture (2004), Sexuality and the Politics of Violence and Safety (2004 with Les Moran), Feminism After Bourdieu (2004 with Lisa Adkins), Reality TV and Class (2011) and Reacting to Reality Television: Audience, Performance, Value (2012) (both with Helen Wood). She is the managing editor of The Sociological Review.

PROGRAMME

17:30 Light refreshments

18:00 Marshall Lecture 2016 - Understanding grey matter: tracking the trackers and unearthing Facebook’s experiments with different forms of personhood

19:15 Drinks reception