Ari Stillman | University of Edinburgh (original) (raw)

Books by Ari Stillman

Digital Death: Mortality and Beyond in the Online Age, 2014

This chapter explores how Facebook has permanently, though perhaps indirectly, altered religiocul... more This chapter explores how Facebook has permanently, though perhaps indirectly, altered religiocultural constructs of grieving by transcending their conventional temporal, social, and special boundaries. It examines the medium’s affordances as revealed through its use and the symbolic interactions therein, as well as the implications of both for how users relate to each other and themselves. After establishing the stakes, the chapter fleshes out how users can safeguard against falling victim to the mirage of essentializing identities on Facebook.
I begin with a brief overview situating the contemporary culture of death and grieving that paved the way for its emergent discourse on Facebook. Next, I delve into the therapeutic culture that has emerged on Facebook as evidenced by the medium’s mediation of the grieving processes of its users. Following this, I then engage in a Sartrian critique of the culture of mourning on Facebook. Although other phenomenological accounts of how Facebook mediates the grieving process focus on what Heidegger terms “being-toward-death,” Sartrian existentialism is more suitable to the present ontological discourse in problematizing the nature of essentialism. Finally, I consider the implications that the paradigm shift of mourning on Facebook suggest about its emergent culture and how its deleterious effects could be attenuated.

Digital Death: Mortality and Beyond in the Online Age, 2014

This chapter explores how Facebook has permanently, though perhaps indirectly, altered religiocul... more This chapter explores how Facebook has permanently, though perhaps indirectly, altered religiocultural constructs of grieving by transcending their conventional temporal, social, and special boundaries. It examines the medium’s affordances as revealed through its use and the symbolic interactions therein, as well as the implications of both for how users relate to each other and themselves. After establishing the stakes, the chapter fleshes out how users can safeguard against falling victim to the mirage of essentializing identities on Facebook.
I begin with a brief overview situating the contemporary culture of death and grieving that paved the way for its emergent discourse on Facebook. Next, I delve into the therapeutic culture that has emerged on Facebook as evidenced by the medium’s mediation of the grieving processes of its users. Following this, I then engage in a Sartrian critique of the culture of mourning on Facebook. Although other phenomenological accounts of how Facebook mediates the grieving process focus on what Heidegger terms “being-toward-death,” Sartrian existentialism is more suitable to the present ontological discourse in problematizing the nature of essentialism. Finally, I consider the implications that the paradigm shift of mourning on Facebook suggest about its emergent culture and how its deleterious effects could be attenuated.

Papers by Ari Stillman

Selected papers of internet research, Dec 31, 2023

What informs an organization's identity? Older organizations have annals that record the history ... more What informs an organization's identity? Older organizations have annals that record the history for posterity, but what of newer organizations? Their history has yet to be made and much of it is as open to negotiation as their future unfolds. To explore this contingency, I delve into one organization, a young fraternity, during an occasion in which memories are exchanged and organizational identity is expanded. What I discovered elucidates the power of living memory and the fecundity of an occasion such as a national convention for keeping it alive.

This chapter explores how Facebook has permanently, though perhaps indirectly, altered religiocul... more This chapter explores how Facebook has permanently, though perhaps indirectly, altered religiocultural constructs of grieving by transcending their conventional temporal, social, and special boundaries. It examines the medium’s affordances as revealed through its use and the symbolic interactions therein, as well as the implications of both for how users relate to each other and themselves. After establishing the stakes, the chapter fleshes out how users can safeguard against falling victim to the mirage of essentializing identities on Facebook. I begin with a brief overview situating the contemporary culture of death and grieving that paved the way for its emergent discourse on Facebook. Next, I delve into the therapeutic culture that has emerged on Facebook as evidenced by the medium’s mediation of the grieving processes of its users. Following this, I then engage in a Sartrian critique of the culture of mourning on Facebook. Although other phenomenological accounts of how Facebook mediates the grieving process focus on what Heidegger terms “being-toward-death,” Sartrian existentialism is more suitable to the present ontological discourse in problematizing the nature of essentialism. Finally, I consider the implications that the paradigm shift of mourning on Facebook suggest about its emergent culture and how its deleterious effects could be attenuated.

Time & Society, Jul 8, 2022

AFA Oracle, 2017

What informs an organization's identity? Older organizations have annals that record the history ... more What informs an organization's identity? Older organizations have annals that record the history for posterity, but what of newer organizations? Their history has yet to be made and much of it is as open to negotiation as their future unfolds. To explore this contingency, I delve into one organization, a young fraternity, during an occasion in which memories are exchanged and organizational identity is expanded. What I discovered elucidates the power of living memory and the fecundity of an occasion such as a national convention for keeping it alive.

Digital Death: Mortality and Beyond in the Online Age, 2014

This chapter explores how Facebook has permanently, though perhaps indirectly, altered religiocul... more This chapter explores how Facebook has permanently, though perhaps indirectly, altered religiocultural constructs of grieving by transcending their conventional temporal, social, and special boundaries. It examines the medium’s affordances as revealed through its use and the symbolic interactions therein, as well as the implications of both for how users relate to each other and themselves. After establishing the stakes, the chapter fleshes out how users can safeguard against falling victim to the mirage of essentializing identities on Facebook.
I begin with a brief overview situating the contemporary culture of death and grieving that paved the way for its emergent discourse on Facebook. Next, I delve into the therapeutic culture that has emerged on Facebook as evidenced by the medium’s mediation of the grieving processes of its users. Following this, I then engage in a Sartrian critique of the culture of mourning on Facebook. Although other phenomenological accounts of how Facebook mediates the grieving process focus on what Heidegger terms “being-toward-death,” Sartrian existentialism is more suitable to the present ontological discourse in problematizing the nature of essentialism. Finally, I consider the implications that the paradigm shift of mourning on Facebook suggest about its emergent culture and how its deleterious effects could be attenuated.

Digital Death: Mortality and Beyond in the Online Age, 2014

This chapter explores how Facebook has permanently, though perhaps indirectly, altered religiocul... more This chapter explores how Facebook has permanently, though perhaps indirectly, altered religiocultural constructs of grieving by transcending their conventional temporal, social, and special boundaries. It examines the medium’s affordances as revealed through its use and the symbolic interactions therein, as well as the implications of both for how users relate to each other and themselves. After establishing the stakes, the chapter fleshes out how users can safeguard against falling victim to the mirage of essentializing identities on Facebook.
I begin with a brief overview situating the contemporary culture of death and grieving that paved the way for its emergent discourse on Facebook. Next, I delve into the therapeutic culture that has emerged on Facebook as evidenced by the medium’s mediation of the grieving processes of its users. Following this, I then engage in a Sartrian critique of the culture of mourning on Facebook. Although other phenomenological accounts of how Facebook mediates the grieving process focus on what Heidegger terms “being-toward-death,” Sartrian existentialism is more suitable to the present ontological discourse in problematizing the nature of essentialism. Finally, I consider the implications that the paradigm shift of mourning on Facebook suggest about its emergent culture and how its deleterious effects could be attenuated.

Selected papers of internet research, Dec 31, 2023

What informs an organization's identity? Older organizations have annals that record the history ... more What informs an organization's identity? Older organizations have annals that record the history for posterity, but what of newer organizations? Their history has yet to be made and much of it is as open to negotiation as their future unfolds. To explore this contingency, I delve into one organization, a young fraternity, during an occasion in which memories are exchanged and organizational identity is expanded. What I discovered elucidates the power of living memory and the fecundity of an occasion such as a national convention for keeping it alive.

This chapter explores how Facebook has permanently, though perhaps indirectly, altered religiocul... more This chapter explores how Facebook has permanently, though perhaps indirectly, altered religiocultural constructs of grieving by transcending their conventional temporal, social, and special boundaries. It examines the medium’s affordances as revealed through its use and the symbolic interactions therein, as well as the implications of both for how users relate to each other and themselves. After establishing the stakes, the chapter fleshes out how users can safeguard against falling victim to the mirage of essentializing identities on Facebook. I begin with a brief overview situating the contemporary culture of death and grieving that paved the way for its emergent discourse on Facebook. Next, I delve into the therapeutic culture that has emerged on Facebook as evidenced by the medium’s mediation of the grieving processes of its users. Following this, I then engage in a Sartrian critique of the culture of mourning on Facebook. Although other phenomenological accounts of how Facebook mediates the grieving process focus on what Heidegger terms “being-toward-death,” Sartrian existentialism is more suitable to the present ontological discourse in problematizing the nature of essentialism. Finally, I consider the implications that the paradigm shift of mourning on Facebook suggest about its emergent culture and how its deleterious effects could be attenuated.

Time & Society, Jul 8, 2022

AFA Oracle, 2017

What informs an organization's identity? Older organizations have annals that record the history ... more What informs an organization's identity? Older organizations have annals that record the history for posterity, but what of newer organizations? Their history has yet to be made and much of it is as open to negotiation as their future unfolds. To explore this contingency, I delve into one organization, a young fraternity, during an occasion in which memories are exchanged and organizational identity is expanded. What I discovered elucidates the power of living memory and the fecundity of an occasion such as a national convention for keeping it alive.