i’m currently in beautiful budapest for the communication in the 21st century conference.

see what’s happening here: 
http://www.socialscience.t-mobile.hu/2008/

my abstract and etc in pdf: 
http://www.socialscience.t-mobile.hu/2008/Choi_abstract_with_photo.pdf

The university entrance exam is a rite of passage in South Korea. This is a time when many young South Koreans are temporarily emancipated from the traditional pressures of collective belonging, providing a social break that allows self-reflection. This in-between demographic, or trans-youths, are neither children nor adults; they are also situated on the delicate border zone between digital natives and digital immigrants in Prensky’s (2001) term.This paper reports on a research project that is investigating the mobile play culture of transyouths in Seoul. Drawing on in-depth interviews with trans-youth, I analyze their search foridentity through urban social networking. The discussion illustrates the self-searching ofSeoul trans-youths, arguing that technological, socio-cultural and environmental (urban) contexts frame how mobility and ubiquity are (re)created in Seoul, one of the most connected, densely populated and rapidly transforming metropolises in the world. The research providesan unprecedented insight into the lives of trans-youth, in turn illuminating the role of Seoul asa new urban social network.

i’ll be in seoul from tomorrow, well, tonight to sep 24th.

will be at ubicomp 2008, doing a workshop with some great people:

Ubiquitous Sustainability: Citizen Science & Activism

in this workshop we propose to explore new approaches to bring about real environmental change by looking at the success of empowering technologies that enable grassroots activism and bottom up community participation. Ubiquitous computing is transforming from being mostly about professional communication and social interaction to a sensor rich personal measurement platform that can empower individuals and groups to gain an awareness of their surroundings, engage in grassroots activism to promote environmental change, and enable a new social paradigm – citizen science. This workshop brings together fresh ideas and approaches to help elevate individuals to have a powerful voice in society, to act as citizen scientists, and collectively learn and lobby for change worldwide.

—-

if you’re around the area, let’s catch up.

one of my supervisors, michael keane, has published a new book recently.

it’s called created in china: the great new leap forward.

i must admit that i haven’t read the book yet. however, as a student, colleague, and respectful fan of michael and his work, i have no doubt this book will masterfully guide us through the mysterious and massive land of contemporary chinese culture and industries relative to the idea of creativity, something many of us are still finding hard to even draw a rough sketch of in our heads.

i urge you to grab a copy.

i thank him for his wonderful contribution to our knowledge, and he clearly thanks upstairs for his great talent and smarts ;)

m/c journal ‘mobile‘
- edited by larissa hjorth and olivia khoo

Feature Article
“Approaching the Mobile Culture of East Asia”
- Jaz Hee-jeong Choi

Jaz Choi’s paper provides a wonderful introduction to the culture of mobile
technologies in East Asia, focusing largely on South Korea, China and
Japan. She problematises the rhetoric surrounding technological fetishism
and techno-orientalism in definitions of ‘mobile’ and ‘digital’ East Asia
and raises important questions regarding the transformation and future of
East Asia’s mobile cultures.

out now.