Just Societies LIVE: New Media and New Narratives

April 16, 2019 12:00 pm - 12:30 pm

Event Organizer

CSSW Communications
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Join us on Facebook Tuesday at noon with host Michael Friedman.

When: Tuesday, April 16, 2019; 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Where: Tune in remotely on Facebook.*
Topic: New Media and New Narratives
Guests: Columbia Professors Courtney Cogburn (bio) & Lance Weiler (bio)

The April 16 episode is the second of several Just Societies Facebook Live programs featuring faculty from Columbia School of Social Work and schools across Columbia University.

About This Week’s Episode

Creating a common understanding of diverse experiences through storytelling has been a crucial component of the social justice mission since people first dreamed of a more just society. In the 21st century, what new tools do we have for pursuing this age-old goal? Emergent technologies like augmented and virtual reality offer new means of communication, but what potential do they have for driving social change? In this episode of Just Societies LIVE, host Michael Friedman will interview Columbia professors Courtney D. Cogburn and Lance Weiler about their experiences with research that uses emergent technologies to achieve social justice.

About This Week’s Guests

Courtney D. Cogburn, Columbia School of Social Work Assistant Professor, is exploring the potential of virtual reality to address racism in her piece 1000 Cut Journey, which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2018. Intended for a white liberal audience, 1000 Cut Journey places users in the shoes of Michael Sterling, a fictitious Black American male, and takes them through three key moments in his life, from childhood to adulthood.

Lance Weiler, a founding member and director of the Columbia University School of the Arts’ Digital Storytelling Lab (DSL), has also used digital mediums like Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things to educate, mobilize, and communicate. His work Collapsus: The Energy Risk Conspiracy, which was nominated for an International Emmy, used fiction, animation, and documentary to create an interactive experience that raises awareness for climate change and the need for green energy.

About the Host

Michael Friedman is a social worker with over 50 years of experience in mental health and public policy. He has chaired, founded, or directed numerous city and state agencies and published approximately 200 articles, chapters, and essays, including a parody, The Diagnostic Manual of Mishegas. He teaches at the Columbia School of Social Work and writes about mental health, aging, and other topics.

About Just Societies

The Columbia Commitment to Just Societies, one of the pillars of the University-wide campaign, encourages support for Columbians, students, and faculty, working on fairness in every discipline—from law to public health, from social science and data science to social work and health care delivery. Learn more.

Questions?

Please contact swcommunications@columbia.edu.

*Links to FB Live Sessions are not generated until the event has started. Register to receive a reminder as well as a link to the stream shortly after the program begins (the link isn’t generated until we go live). Alternatively, you can go to CSSW’s Facebook page at noon. The stream will appear as the first post on the page.