This course
explores how
communication technologies -- ranging from the printed book to
computers
and the
internet -- play a role in social change. Are computers and the
internet changing the world? How has information technology shaped the
character of social life in the past? Do new technologies bring people
together, or
do they
drive us apart? Do new technologies have unintentional consequences? Or
are they
just more of the same? Why are there controversies over things like
privacy,
digital music, and free speech over the internet? What do we
know about
past changes in information
technology and their role in social change?
What can
they teach us about current technological shifts?
This
course will have a
strong research component. You won't learn everything there is to know
about
information technology and society (no one person knows it all), but
you will
learn how
to find and make sense of
information and
ideas about
information technology and society. This is why research, research
skills, and
your research paper will be a central component of this course.
To view the
syllabus and related
materials, click here.
