Mike Dahan

Name: Michael (Mike) Dahan
Date and Place of Birth: June 4th, 1964, NYC, NY USA
Date of Immigration: June 24th, 1982
Regular Military Service: August 15th, 1983 – February 28th, 1986
Marital Status: Married, 4 Children
Work Address: Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Faculty of the Social Sciences and the Humanities, Department of Communication Studies, PO Box 653, Beer Sheba, Israel, 84105. Tel. +972 8 6477211 Email: mdahan@bgu.ac.il

Home Address: 27/24 Kubovy St, Jerusalem Israel 96757. Tel. +972 54 4622545

Education

BA: 1988 – 1991, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Department of Political Science.

MA: 1991 – 1994, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Department of Political Science. Advisor: Prof. G. Sheffer. Thesis Title: “The Virtual Commons: A Case Study”, Magna cum Laude

Ph.D.: 1994 – 2001, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Department of Political Science. Advisor: Prof. G. Sheffer. Dissertation Title: “Of Dirt Roads and Superhighways: Civil Society, Global Civil Society and Computer Mediated Communication”.


Professional Activities

Positions in Academic Administration:

2004/5 MA Student Advisor, Department of Communication Studies, Faculty of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel

2003 – 2005 BA Student Advisor, Department of Communication Studies, Faculty of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel

2003 – 2005 Senate Faculty Representative for the Department of Communication Studies, Faculty of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel

2002 Coordinator, Departmental Seminars, Department of Communication Studies, Ben Gurion University of the Negev

2001 Computing Committee, Department of Communication Studies, Ben Gurion University of the Negev

2000 – Present Member, Scientific Advisory Board, The Burda Center for Innovative Communication, Ben Gurion University of the Negev

1998 – 2000, Vice Chairperson and Representative for the Social Sciences, Union of PhD Candidates, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

1997 – 1998, Representative for the Social Sciences, Union of PhD Candidates, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Professional Functions in External Institutions:

1997 – 2000, Research Associate and Project Coordinator, the Truman Center for the Advancement of Peace, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

1993 – 1996, Junior Research Associate and Deputy Director of Parliamentary Information Center, the Israel Democracy Institute, Jerusalem, Israel

Professional Consulting:

1999 – Present, Internet Strategy Advisor, major Israeli political party

Expert Witness, Federal Court, Columbus, Ohio, USA 2004

1997 – Present, Advisor, Knesset Parliamentary Committee on Science and Technology, advice on issues related to the Internet from a political and social perspective.

1995 Advisor, Knesset Parliamentary Committee on the Internet: Putting the Knesset Online

Editorial Boards of Scientific Journals:

Global Digital Culture, March 2003 to present

Fibreculture: Internet Theory, Criticism and Research, April 2004 to present

Membership in Professional and Scientific Societies:

1994 – Present, Israeli Political Science Association
1998 – Present, American Political Science Association
2000 – Present, Association of Internet Researchers
1995 – 2000, Israeli Association for Civil Rights
1997 – Present, Association for Computing Machinery
2001 – Present, International Communication Association (ICA)

Educational Activities

Partial List Courses Taught:

“Comparative Study of Communication Technologies – Digital Culture” Graduate Core course, Department of Communication Studies, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel

“Comparative Study of Communication Technologies – Technologies”, Graduate Core course, Department of Communication Studies, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, with Prof. Martin Elton

“The Matrix as Metaphor: Technology and Reality from Plato to Baudrillard”, Graduate Elective, Department of Communication Studies, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel

“The Third Sector and the Internet”, Graduate seminar, Department of Communication Studies, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel

“Political and Social Aspects of the Internet”, Undergraduate Seminar, Department of Communication Studies, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel

“Civil Society, the Public Sphere and the Internet”, Undergraduate Elective, Department of Communication Studies, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel.

“Hacker Culture”, Undergraduate Seminar, Department of Communication Studies, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel.

“Israeli Democracy in Action”, Undergraduate Core course, Lauder School of Government, The Interdisciplinary Center, Hertzeliya

“Computation Policy”, Undergraduate Core course, Lauder School of Government, The Interdisciplinary Center, Hertzeliya

“Introduction to Information Society”, Undergraduate Core course, Lauder School of Government, The Interdisciplinary Center, Hertzeliya

“Government and Politics of the Middle East”, Undergraduate Elective, Department of Political Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH, USA.

“Citizenship in Technologically Advanced Societies”, Graduate Elective, Department of Political Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH, USA.

“Political Science or Science Fiction?: Theoretical and Practical Aspects of the Personal Computer and Computer Mediated Communication in Public Policy and Public Administration”, Graduate Elective, Program in Public Policy, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

“Social and Political Aspects of the Internet”, Undergraduate Elective, Department of Political Science, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

“Introduction to Academic Writing and Research”, Undergraduate Core Course, Department of Political Science, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Coordinator of course, responsible for 6 teachers

“Introduction to Israeli Government and Political System”, Undergraduate Elective, The Rothberg School for Overseas Students, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

“Introduction to Computer Mediated Communication”, Graduate Level Core course, Program in Political Communication, Bar Ilan University, Israel


Research Students:
Currently Supervised
Carmit Weislitz, PhD Candidate, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, with Prof. Dov Shinar
Adele Raemer, PhD Candidate, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, with Prof. Martin Elton

Donna Albeck, MA student, Ben Gurion University of the Negev
Alon Molian, MA Student, Ben Gurion University of the Negev
Eran Dinar, MA Student, Ben Gurion University of the Negev
Ashkenazi Sharon, MA Student, Ben Gurion University of the Negev with Hillel Nosak
Ze’ev Ariel, MA Student, Ben Gurion University of the Negev
Liad Ben Shabat, MA Student, Ben Gurion University of the Negev
Ronit Krispin, MA Student, Ben Gurion University of the Negev
Sarit HaCohen, MA Student, Ben Gurion University of the Negev
Bili Broaris Tshuva, MA Student, Ben Gurion University of the Negev
Ayelet Baram, MA Student, Ben Gurion University of the Negev
Tali Rein, MA Student, Ben Gurion University of the Negev
Yaron Toren, MA Student, School of Public Policy and Public Administration, Hebrew University of Jerusalem


Awards, Citations, Honors, Fellowships

Honors, Citations, Awards

1998, Hebrew University, Rothschild Award
1997, Hebrew University, Eshkol Award for Research in the Social Sciences

1995, Hebrew University, Bouri Prize for Outstanding Masters Thesis

1994, Hebrew University, Graduation Magna cum Laude, Masters Degree

Fellowships

2000, University of Cincinnati, USA, $30,000 Taft Postdoctoral Fellowship


Scientific Publications

Published:

Refereed Journal Articles:

Dahan, Michael, “National Security, Democracy, and the Internet in Israel”, Javnost: The Public, vol. 7, (4), 1999.
Dahan, Michael, “The Internet in the Middle East: Some Political and Social Implications,” Journal of the Faculty of Political Science at the Universita` degli studi Federico II of Naples, Winter 1999/2000.
Dahan, Michael, Sheffer, G., “Ethnic Groups and Distance Shrinking Communication Technologies,” Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, Vol. 7 no. 1 (Spring 2001).
* Dahan, Michael “Between a Rock and a Hard Place: The Changing Public Sphere of Palestinian Israelis”, Journal of Computer Mediated Communication, Vol. 8, no. 2 (January 2003).

Publications in Conference proceedings:

Dahan, Michael. “The Internet and Government Censorship: The Case of the Israeli Secret Service”, Paper presented at the ONLINE 95 Conference, London England December, 1995. Paper published in the conference proceedings.
Dahan, Michael and Lael, Rachel. “The Old and the New: Broadcast Media, the Internet and the Public Sphere in Israel”, Paper Presented at the October 1997 International Conference on Political Communication, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Paper Published in Conference Proceedings
*Dahan, Michael “The Internet and Tolerance: The Arab Israeli Conflict” ISSEI 2002 Conference, Aberyswyth, Wales. Published in proceedings
*Dahan, Michael “The Political Economy of ICTs in Israel and Palestine: Perpetuating the Imbalance” Robert Shuman Center for Advanced Studies, Fifth Mediterranean Social and Political Research Meeting, European University Institute, Florence Italy. Published in proceedings.
*Dahan, Michael and Epstein, D. “Attitudes and Perceptions of ICTs: A Cross Cultural Survey”, Cultural Attitudes Towards Technology and Communication (CATaC) ’04, Karlstad, Sweden. Published in proceedings.

Unrefereed Professional Articles and Publications

Dahan, Michael “Political and Social Aspects of the Internet”, chapter in Introduction to the Internet (Hebrew), July 1997, Snunit. This is a text book intended for secondary education use in Israel.
Dahan, Michael. Review of Tomorrow’s Politics, by Ian Hargreaves and Ian Christie (eds.). The European Legacy, Vol. 5. No.6 2000
*Dahan, Michael. “The State of Cyberculture Studies”, Panim Journal (Hebrew), (30), Winter 2004.


Lectures and Presentations at Meetings and Invited Seminars

Invited Plenary Lectures and Seminars:

2001 “Computer Mediated Communication as a Bridge for Peace”, The Israeli Palestinian Crisis: New Conversations for a Pluralist Future, UCLA and Open Tent, Los Angeles, California.

2001 “The Internet as a Tool for war and Peace in the Middle East”, Seminar conducted by invitation, The Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

Presentations of Papers at Conferences and Meetings (w/out proceedings):

2005: Dahan, M. “The Internet as a Tool for Social Transformation”, The Future of Society in a World of Open Information: Internet and Another Kind of Politics Conference, Sapir College, May, 2005

2005 *Dahan, M. and Bahour, S. “ICTs as a Tool for Israeli Arab Peace”, Center for the Study of the Internet, Tel Aviv University, January 2005

2004 *Dahan, M. Chair and discussant, “Media and National Conflicts” at the conference on New Media in the Middle East, The Herzog Center for Middle East Studies and Diplomacy, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, December 2004.

2004 *Dahan, M. “Israelis, Palestinian Israelis and Palestinians: ICT Usage in Different Sectors”, Association of Internet Researchers 5th Annual Conference, University of Sussex, UK. September, 2004.

2003 *Dahan, M. “Tolerance, Deliberation and the Public Sphere of the Arab Israeli Conflict” on the panel “The Arab Israeli Conflict in Mediated Reality”, International Communication Association annual conference, San Diego California, USA.

2003 *Dahan, M. “The Internet: A New tool to Transmit Hatred?”, Anti-Semitism and Prejudice in Contemporary Media Conference, The Vidal Sassoon Center for the Study of Anti-Semitism, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

2003 *Dahan, M. “Perspectives on the Palestinian Israeli Conflict”, Speaker and Participant, two week seminar on inter cultural and inter religious dialogue and research, focusing on Judaism, Christianity and Islam, UCSIA (Saint Ignatius Catholic University), Antwerp, Belgium

2002 *Dahan, M. “Between a Rock and a Hard Place: The Changing Public Sphere of Palestinian Israelis” Speaker and Workshop Leader, CATaC 2002 Conference, Montreal, Canada.

2001 Dahan, M. “The New ‘Inter-Fada’”, Battle of the Servers, Battle of the Hearts: New Media and Cyberwars, Ben Gurion University, Israel, The Burda Center for Innovative Communications, January 2001

2000 Dahan, M. and Sheffer, G. “Ethnic Groups and Distance Shrinking Communication Technologies”, Presented at the European Social Science History Conference, April, 2000, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

1998 Dahan, M. National Security, Democracy, and the Internet in Israel. Paper presented at the CATaC '98 International Conference, London, England, August 1998.


Seminar Presentations at Universities

2005 “The Political Economy of Open Source Software”, Seminar, Program in Philosophy of Science, Bar Ilan University

2003 “Where’s the Beef? The Political Economy of ICTs”, Presentation at Departmental Seminar, Sociology and Anthropology Forum, Ben Gurion University of the Negev.

2001 “The Internet as a Tool for war and Peace in the Middle East”, Seminar conducted by invitation, The Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.



Research Grants

2003 Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Grants for New Faculty. “The Role of Information Technology in the Process of State Building in Palestine.” Michael Dahan. Grant Period: 2003-2004, $1,700.

2004 Burda Center for Innovative Communication, Ben Gurion University of the Negev. “New Social Movements, Informational Economies, and the Politics of Space: Examining Network Societies in Australia, Israel, Palestine and Taiwan”, this research is part of a multi national research project, led by Ned Rossiter, at the Center for Media Research, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland. I am conducting research on the Israeli and Palestinian modules. Grant Period: 2004, $3,500



Synopsis of Research


My main research interests focus on the effects of technology on the matrix of society, politics and culture. Of particular interest is the use made by civil society organizations of the “new media”, and to what extent the new technologies contribute to empowerment. Closely related to this, I am looking at alternative media and its expression on the Internet. Also of interest is the extent to which computer mediated communications (CMC) contribute to greater discourse in areas of conflict, particularly in the Middle East. In addition I look at the uses made by the public sector of new technologies in the framework of electronic government, and uses of new technologies by political parties. A current area of research focuses on the political economy of ICTs and the play between different actors in ICT development, adoption, and diffusion with a particular emphasis on political economy as a framework for analysis. Indeed, my research is guided by a combination of theoretical frameworks, i.e. political economy and social constructivism. Social constructivism seeks to identify the human factor in ICT diffusion and use. That is, what contribution do society, culture and politics have in the diffusion of ICTs, their adoption and adaptation? The political economy framework is used in order to complete the picture by looking at the role that hegemonic (political and economic) forces in society play in ICT diffusion.

Beyond ICT diffusion and usage, I am also looking at two cutting edge issues: the first deals with “open source” software and its implication for development in less developed countries; and the political and social significance of peer to peer (P2P) file sharing networks.

Secondary research focuses on Israeli politics, particularly in the framework of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Additional research is being conducted on humiliation in the Middle East, together with a research group, of which I am a founding member, at the Center for Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies at Columbia University, NYC, NY.


Present Academic Activities

Research in Progress:

Collaborative Research Projects:
2004
“New Social Movements, Informational Economies, and the Politics of Space: Examining Network Societies in Australia, Israel, Palestine and Taiwan”, with Ned Rossiter, Monash University, Australia. Courteously funded by the Burda Center, this research is part of a multi national research project, led by Ned Rossiter, at the Center for Media Research, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland. I am conducting research on the Israeli and Palestinian modules. Expected date of completion: 2005


2004
“The Political Economy of Internet Search Engines”, research being conducted with Daniel Pargman, Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden. Expected date of completion: 2005


2004
"Impact of Israeli laws, Administrative Acts and Practices on the Palestinian ICT Environment", together with Rafal Rohozinski, University of Cambridge, UK (lead researcher), and Sam Bahour, Ramallah, Palestine. Funded by the International Development Research Council (IDRC) of Canada. Expected date of completion: 2005


2003-present
Member, multi-national research team on the uses made by political parties of CMC during elections. Research coordinated by Ken Hacker and Randy Kluver. Ongoing research project, no completion date due to the character of research.




Individual Research:
2004
“Cross Cultural Survey of Hackers and Hacker Culture”: To date no comparative research has been conducted comparing hackers and hacker culture across cultures and society. This initial research is meant to fill this gap. Expected date of completion: 2006



2004
“Civil Society and the Internet”: Why do some organizations of civil society benefit more than others from the use of ICTs? Based in part on research conducted in the framework of my
PhD dissertation, here I seek to analyze how the political structures and the political culture of different countries impact on successful ICT use in various societies. Expected date of completion: 2006


2004
A Protestant Technological Ethic?: Max Weber's canonical text on the Protestant ethic laid down important differences between Catholic and Protestant societies. Can this also be applied to technology? Is technological diffusion, adoption, and adaptation different in Protestant and Catholic societies? How does this bode for Muslim society? Expected date of completion: 2006


2003-4
“The Role of Information Technology in the Process of State Building in Palestine.” This multi disciplinary and long term research project seeks to map and explore the role of information technology (IT) in the process of state building. Funded by a grant for new faculty, the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Humanities, Ben Gurion University of the Negev. Expected date of completion: 2006



2003-4
“Political Economy of ICTs in Israel and Palestine”: Ongoing research looking at the political economy of ICTs in the region, issues related to the digital divide and the diffusion and adoption of ICTs in the Middle East and North Africa. Ongoing, no completion date.


Books and Articles to be Published:

In Preparation:

A prospectus for a book on ICTs and Civil Society, based on my PhD dissertation, has been sent out to leading academic publishers.

Languages

Hebrew, completely fluent
English, completely fluent
French, fluent
Arabic, partially fluent, Moroccan Arabic and “northern” (shami/Palestinian) dialects