Page 1
ANETWORKEDSELFIDENTITY::SOCIALITY::CULTURE::PLATFORMS::POLITICS::SOCIALMEDIA
AdvancedTopics/COMM594
ZiziPapacharissi,PhDProfessorandHead,Communication
Office BSB1140AOfficehours Mon–Wed12-2pmandbyappointmentOfficephone 312.996.3188E-mail [email protected] CoursedescriptionWehavealwaysbeensocialandwewillalwaysbesocial.Socialityisthemodusoperandiandameanstoself-actualizationforhumanbeings.Thiscoursewillexaminehownewermedia,frequentlyreferredtoassocial,recalibrateourpathstobeingsocial.Thesocialhereisdefinedquitebroadly,andisinclusiveofandnotseparatefromotherpractices,processesandhabitsthatincludethepolitical,cultural,economic,andpersonalsphere.Thecourseisstructuredaroundthetermnetworkedself,whichcaptureshowcontemporaryindividualsself-actualizewithinaworldwheretechnologiesofexpressionandconnectionareomnipresent,ubiquitous,andembeddedintheeveryday.Webeginbyexaminingtheselfinmodernityandlatemodernity,thenconsideridentityandsocialitypracticesinlatemodernityandasenabledthroughemergingtechnologies.Associalityandidentityareperformedinavarietyofspheres,wethenfurtherexaminethecultural,political,andeconomicramificationsofthetechnosocialenvironmentsweinhabit.Wereadfromavarietyofsources,includingbooks,articlesandthepopularpress,andwheneverpossibleweinvitetheauthorstodiscussthetextswithusinclassviaSkype.
Page 2
CourseObjectives
• Tosurveytheoryandresearchontheself,presentationsoftheselfandrepresentationsoftheselfinlatemodernityanddigitallynetworkedcontexts.
• Tobecomewell-versedinquestionsofsociality,culture,andplatformpoliticsastheymanifestthroughonlinemedia.
• Torunastudyandproducearesearchpapersubmittedtoaconferenceandscholarlyjournal.• Tolearnhowtopromoteyourownwork.• Tofigureoutyourownidentityasscholarsandhowtoarticulatethatidentity.
ReadingmaterialsReadingswillbeavailableonline,throughtheblackboardsiteforthecourse,andmayalsobeobtainedviaonlinevendors.Allregisteredstudentshavebeenregisteredtotheblackboardsitebydefault.RequirementsGradesforthecoursewillbebasedonin-classperformance,ashortmediacommentary/essay,abookreview,aresearchpaper,andaresearchpresentation.MediaCommentary/EssayThisassignmentrequiresbingewatchingwithyourmediascholarhatson.Youwillselectoneofthefollowingseries,whichcomment,amongotherthings,abouttheeverydayrealityoflivingwith/inmedia.Hereareyouroptions:Sense8,Mr.Robot,Humans,BlackMirror,MasterofNone.Youwillthenwriteasinglepage,singlespacedthinkpiececritiqueoftheshow,focusingononeissue/aspect/questionthatitraises.Thetonemustbescholarlyandrelatabletoourclass.ThefinalessaysmayalsobesubmittedforpublicationascommentariestotheopenaccessjournalSocialMediaandSociety.Thisissupposedtobefun.So,beimaginative,creative,butalso,don’tforgetthatyouaremediascholars.So,nocolloquialisms.Thisissupposedtobeengagingandbite-sizedscholarshipforpublicconsumption.
15%ofyourgrade,dueFebruary19 BookReviewYouwillcompleteareviewofabookofyourchoosing.Thebookmusthavebeenpublishedin2014,2015,or2016,relevanttotheclass,andapprovedbyme.Thebookreviewitselfwillconsistoftwoparts:1)Asinglepage,singlespacedreviewofthebook,whereyousumupthebookinoneparagraph,andspendtherestofthetimediscussingandcritiquingtheissuesitraises.DoNOTspendmostofthebookreviewsummarizingthebook–thatisanautomaticfail.2)Youwillseekouttheauthor(s)ofthebook,anddoashortinterviewwiththem.Youwillaskthemnomorethanthreequestions,overemail.Thatwillbethesecondpageofyourreview.Youmayalsointerviewthemliveand
Page 3
submittheinterviewintheformofapodcast.YourreviewsmaybesubmittedforconsiderationtotheopenaccessjournalSocialMediaandSociety,wheretheywillbevettedforpublication,andprovidedtheymeetourcriteria,published.ThebookreviewwillbedueMarch20,rightbeforespringbreak.Iadviseyougetstartedassoonaspossible,asauthorsmaybedifficulttocontact.Iaskthatyourunthebooksbyme,sothatIcanhelpwithcontactingtheauthors,ifneeded. 15%ofyourgrade,dueMarch20
ResearchProject–tobecompletedinfiveparts
1. ResearchProposalYouwillformulatearesearchquestion,reviewtherelevanttheoryandresearch,andproposeastudythatinvestigatesthisquestion.Nomorethan250words,excludingreferences.Youwillsubmitthistomeandtoaconferenceinyourfieldofstudy. DUEMARCH12. LiteratureReview:Fleshoutyourproposalintothefirstpartofyourresearchpaper,includingyourintroduction,literaturereview,andleadingintoyourresearchquestion(s).3. Method/Analysis:Detailyourmethodandresearchdesign. DRAFTDUEAPRIL14. ResultsandDiscussion–Themes/Discussion:Writeadescriptionoftheresultsandconclusionsofthestudy.5. PaperPresentations:CreateaPowerPointand/ormultimediasummaryofyourworkandpresenttotheclass,duringthelastclassmeetings.Presentationswillbefollowedbyquestionandanswersessions.
Draftsarenotgraded.TheyareturnedinsothatIcanofferadviceandhelpmakethepapersbetter.Onlythefinalversionofthepaperandyourpresentationwillbegraded,althoughyouwillgetdirectfeedbackonyourprogressthroughoutthesemester.Foryourpresentation,youmustspecifyconferencepresentation,publicationandpromotionplansforyourwork.Latesubmissionsarenotacceptedandincompletesnotgranted.Pickyourprojectswisely,sothattheyareexecutablewithinthetimeframeofasemester.
40%forfinalversion,10%forpresentation,dueApril25ParticipationYourattendanceandparticipationtoclassdiscussionsisessentialandexpected.Thisisagraduateseminar,meanttoinformyouonthistopicbuttoalsoteachyoutoarticulateyourownopinionswithconfidence.Allreadingsshouldbecompletedbeforetheassigneddate,andyoushouldcometoclasspreparedtotalk.Eachweek,Iexpectthatyouhighlight3-5paragraphs/pages/sentencesfromthereadingsthatyoufoundinteresting,andcomepreparedtotalk.Ialsoexpectthatyouwillfollownewsandpublicaffairsclosely,andcometoclasswithoneitemfromthepopularpressthattouchesonthetopicwediscussthatweekorintheclassingeneral.
Worth20%ofyourgrade
Page 4
SpecialNeedsItisourdesirethatallstudentsparticipatefullyinthecurriculumofourdepartment.Ifyouhaveadisabilityorspecialconditionthatcompromisesyourabilitytosuccessfullyparticipateinthisclass,pleasenotifymeassoonaspossibleandmakesureyouregisterwiththeappropriateUniversityoffice.Alleffortswillbemadetoaccommodateyourneeds.HonorCodeAllstudentsareexpectedtoreadandobservetheUICHonorCodePolicyconcerningacademicintegrity.PlagiarizingWhenfactsorothermaterialareobtainedfromanoutsidesource,thatsourceshouldbecitedproperlyinthetextandthebibliography/referencessectionofyourwork.Plagiarismisdefinedastakingthewordsorideasofanotherpersonandpresentingthemasone'sownwithoutpropercredit.Plagiarizingisconsideredcheating,andastudentwhoplagiarizeswillreceiveazeroforthatassignmentand/orafailinggradeforthecourse.Ifyouarenotcertainthatyouarecitingmaterialsproperly,feelfreetodoublecheckyourcitationswithme.SecurityandSafetyPleasemakesurethatyoudownloadtheUICappandreadtheguidelinesoncampussecurityandsafetycarefully.
Page 5
COURSESCHEDULE
Readingassignmentsshouldbecompletedpriortothedateforwhichtheyareassigned.Youshouldcometoclasspreparedtodiscusswhatyouhaveread.Thisscheduleistentative–youwillbeadvisedofchanges.Thesyllabuscontainsactivelinkstopurchasingebooksonline,andlivelinkstoarticlesavailablefreeofcost.Allotherreadingswillbeavailableviablackboard(BB).DATE
TOPICS
READINGS
Jan.11 Courseoverview Syllabus–orderbooks,watchshows,pre-read,gatherpopularpressmaterialsJan.18 MLKDAY NoclassJan.25 THESELFANDMODERNITY
Simmel,OnIndividualityandSocialForms(BB)Goffman,ThePresentationofSelfinEverydayLifeLitt–Knock,Knock,Who’sthere?Theimaginedaudience(BB)
Feb.1 RESEARCHINGTHESELF
Hargittai&Sandvig:DigitalResearchConfidentialSkypein:EszterHargittai
Feb.8 THESELF,SOCIALITYANDSOCIALMEDIA
Marwick,StatusUpdateboyd,It’sComplicatedSkypein:AliceMarwick
Feb.15 THESELF,EXPRESSIONANDCONNECTION
Gergen,TheSaturatedSelfPapacharissi(Ed.)ANetworkedSelf(BB)Skypein:danahboyd(2:30pm)MEDIACOMMENTARY/ESSAYDUEFEB19
Page 6
Feb.22 PERSONALCONNECTIONS
PersonalConnectionsSkypein:NancyBaym
Feb.29 SELFIECULTUREANDMICROCELEBRITY
IJOCSelfieSpecialIssue,editedbySenftandBaymAccessonlineviaijocsiteTheSkinoftheSelfieessaySkypein:TerriSenftRESEARCHPROPOSALDUEMARCH1
Mar.7 PLATFORMSANDPOLITICSTHEQUANTIFIEDSELF
NeffandNafus:TheQuantifiedSelf/Self-Tracking(proofsonBB)Skypein:GinaNeff
Mar.14 IDENTITY,MARGINALIZATION,VOICE
Gray,OutintheCountry,tba(BB)MaryL.Gray,SiddharthSuri,SyedShoaibAli,andDeeptiKulkarni,TheCrowdisaCollaborativeNetwork,inComputer-SupportedCooperativeWorkandSocialComputing,February2016.Gray-YourjobTaskifiedSkypein:MaryGrayBOOKREVIEWDUEMARCH20
March21-25SpringBreakMar.28 CONNECTION,
DISCONNECTIONANDSPECTATORSHIP
TheIronicSpectator–LilieChouliarakiActiveSpectatorship–DanKreissetalSkypein:Lilie(tbc)andDanFIRSTPAPERDRAFTDUEAPRIL1
Apr.4 LIFELOVEDEATH Bauman,LiquidLoveRecommended,notrequired:LiquidLifeandTheArtofLife,alsobyBaumanAnsari&Klinenberg:ModernRomanceNicoleEllisonetalProfileasPromise,Thereisn’tWifiinHeavenSkypein,NicoleEllison
Apr.11 DAYOFF WORKONPROJECTSApr.18 WHATISSOCIAL Speak–LouisaHall(novel,scifi)
SocialMediaandSocietyspecialissue(pick10)
Apr.25 CompletedResearchPapers,WorkdisseminationplanandPresentationsdue