What is (a) Digital Society?
Full course description
This course introduces you to some of the core themes of the BA Digital Society and provides a basic understanding of how developments in digital technologies and societal trends are inter-related. We pay particular attention to the relationship between technology and society, questioning whether technology is neutral and whether it always leads to social progress. We examine topics such as the digital divide, big data, e-waste, digital activism, and digitisation of cultural heritage through readings from the social sciences and the humanities. You will be introduced to the notion of a digital society. Is there such a thing as a digital society or might there be many? Together with other students, you will discuss where the notion originates from, why it has become popular, and what it means to live in a digital society. To understand these, you will learn to link contemporary and historical examples of digital trends to academic readings and theories.
Course objectives
At the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Demonstrate understanding of how social and technological developments are interrelated in digital societies;
- Define and describe key terms relevant to studying digital society, such as digitalization, digital society and datafication;
- Demonstrate and apply knowledge on reading and processing academic literature from a variety of (interdisciplinary) perspectives;
- Summarize key academic texts discussed in this course, produce an annotated bibliography based on these summaries, and produce a visualisation of how they link to key concepts from the course.
Prerequisites
none/not applicable
Recommended reading
Lindgren, S. (2021). Digital Media and Society 2nd edition. Sage.
- S.M.E. Wyatt
- P. du Plessis
- B. Isabella