The Environmentalization of space and listening

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the relationship between listening techniques and technologies and forms of subjectivation in our current auditory culture compared to mid-20th century practices. Applying a media archaeological approach in order to unearth underlying histories of knowledge of the discussed technologies and practices offers a way of understanding how subjectivations and the constitution of environments in the context of large power regimes are intertwined. Against the theoretical backdrop of Gilles Deleuze’s text on “societies of control” and Erich Hörl’s notion of “Environmentalization”, the paper outlines conceptualizations of environments in different forms of sonic control that are inherent in practices and technologies of noise-cancelling headphones and specifi c Spotify playlists. The listening spaces that emerge in the analyzed practices/technologies reveal continuities as well as discontinuities when compared to their historical predecessors. Both the current phenomena are characterized by a process of advancing cybernetization and thus the formation of controllable environments. The depicted transformation corresponds to Deleuze’s observation of a new paradigm of power which he characterized as a shift from “molding” to “modulation”, i.e. a shift from a form-imposing to a self-regulating mode of power. Spotify’s concentration playlists and noisecancelling headphones both operate based on the principle of modulation and represent modes of environmental technologies. In the consideration of the subject-environment relationship on the other hand, current forms of subjectivation become apparent in cybernetic visions of control and environmental power. It is thus shown that listening spaces offer an approach to analyzing power and subjectivation.

[Retracted] Innovation and Exploration of Computer‐Aided New Media Translation Course Teaching Mode under the Ecological Environment

“…All of these methods are based on calculating the similarity between words. In terms of overall structure, laws are mainly summarized from the general characteristics of each word in the sentence to be translated, such as the part-of-speech, part-of-speech subclass, and sequence number, and similar example sentences are preliminarily extracted from the sample sentences database by using these laws [ 23 ]. The emerging ecological language teaching concept creatively integrates the ecological theory with the language teaching process, attaches importance to the interaction relationship between the various elements of language learning, and emphasizes the relevant social and cultural factors, which has a strong advantage of cultural dependence and dynamic and unified and sustainable development.…”

Quantifying headphone listening experience in virtual sound environments using distraction

“…It is a common sight to observe users wearing headphones in various contexts such as on the street, inside a bus, or in a cafe. The history of the sonic interaction of the user and the environment notes that listening technologies over the years have become more individualised [2], giving the user greater ability to adapt their auditory experience -the possibility of personal soundscape curation [3,4]. This can be exhibited in a process as simple as choosing to wear or not wear headphones in a noisy environment, or being able to turn active noise cancellation (ANC) on or off.…”