Readings should be completed no later than the date under which they are listed. Reading ahead is practical and encouraged.
Changes to readings and assignments may become necessary during the semester, and will be announced in class. It is your responsibility to keep abreast of changes, if you miss class.
Changes to readings and assignments may become necessary during the semester, and will be announced in class. It is your responsibility to keep abreast of changes, if you miss class.
I) Basics: Finding the scholarly conversation about media technology
Sept. 6, 2017:
Sept. 13
Sept. 20
2) Making sense of social media
Sept. 27
Oct. 4
Oct. 11
3) Social Media and Political Movements
Oct. 18
Oct. 25
Nov. 1
Zeynep Tufekci, Part III: pp. 189-278
4) Rhetoric and Society in the Age of Trolling?
Nov. 8
Nov. 15
Nov. 29
Dec. 6
Paper Presentations
Sept. 6, 2017:
- Slack and Wise, Part 1, pp. 1-74
- Marshall Mcluhan, "The Medium is the Message," from Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, NY: McGraw Hill, 1964, pp. 23-35.
- Raymond Williams, "The technology and the society," from Television: Technology and Cultural Form, Middletown, Conn.: Wesleyan University Press ; Hanover, NH : University Press of New England, [1992] (Originally published: [London] : Fontana, [1974].) pp. 9-19. ISBN: 0819562599 (10 pp.) https://www.uvm.edu/~tstreete/readings/RaymondWilliamsTheTechnologyAndTheSociety.pdf
- Langdon Winner, "Do Artifacts Have Politics?" https://www.uvm.edu/~tstreete/readings/winnts295.pdf
Sept. 13
- Slack and Wise, pp. 75-148.
- Thomas Streeter, "The Moment of Wired," Critical Inquiry, 31, Summer 2005, pp. 755-779.
Sept. 20
- Slack and Wise, pp. 149-230
- Oldenburg, Ramon, and Dennis Brissett. 1982. “The Third Place.” Qualitative Sociology 5(4):265-284
2) Making sense of social media
Sept. 27
- boyd pp. 1-53
- Rebecca Solnit, “Diary,” London Review of Books, August 29, 2013.
- Doug Laney, “To Facebook You’re Worth $80.95,” CIO JOURNAL, Wall Street Journal Online, May 3, 2012
Oct. 4
- boyd, pp. 54-152
Oct. 11
- boyd pp. 153- 214
- Mark Granovetter, “The Strength of Weak Ties,”
- Jenny Chan, “ISlave,” The New Internationalist, April 1, 2011
3) Social Media and Political Movements
Oct. 18
- Rebecca Solnit, “The Rain On Our Parade: A letter to my dismal allies,” guernicamag.com, September 28, 2012
- Zeynep Tufekci, Part I: pp. xxi-114
Oct. 25
- Zeynep Tufekci, Part II: pp. 115-188
Nov. 1
Zeynep Tufekci, Part III: pp. 189-278
4) Rhetoric and Society in the Age of Trolling?
Nov. 8
- [warning: this audio segment discusses internet rape threats in detail; it is upsetting, and so optional] Lindy West, This American Life “Ask not for whom the bell trolls: it trolls for thee.” (First 26 minutes)
- Whitney Philips, pp. 1-48
Nov. 15
- Whitney Philips, pp. 49-134
Nov. 29
- Philips, 135-169
Dec. 6
Paper Presentations