Course syllabus

SOCIOL 318: Sociology of the Media

SEMESTER 1, 2018

15 points

 
Course Convenor: 

Bruce Curtis - b.curtis@auckland.ac.nz

Teacher:

 Bruce Curtis - b.curtis@auckland.ac.nz

 

Office Hours:

Monday 1-3, Room 910, Human Sciences Building.

Course delivery format:

2 hours of lectures and 1 hour of tutorial

(Timetable and room details can be viewed on Student Services Online)

Summary of Course Description:              

The sociology of the media now extends beyond the exploration of media ownership, textual analysis and audiences as passive or active consumers; it reaches into the ways that everyday lives are mediated and transformed. Technology is the driver of profound changes in social media that transcend news, entertainment and propaganda, and prefigure the transformation of occupations, career structures and life skills. Social media platforms are increasingly the basis of power and participation in society, with phenomena ranging from Big Data, Google, Wikileaks and Uber everything. 

 Course outcomes:

Have knowledge of key debates in the sociology of media.

Develop a critical dimension in your dealings with social media.

Have appreciation of important developments in social media.

 Assessment Summary:

SOCIOL318 is based on 100% course work. There is no end of year examination, instead there is a take home test which must be returned on the last day of lectures. There are THREE pieces of assessment in this course.

In-Class Test: Worth 20%. Due, 26 March, 2018.1000 words.

Research Essay: Worth 30%. Due, 14 May, 2018. 2000 words.

Take home test: Worth 50%. Due, 30 May, 2018 (to be handed out on 15 May, 2018). 3000 words.

Weekly Topics:

We will follow the textbook very closely. it is a fantastic text:-

Introduction: What is a Critical Introduction to Social Media?

What are Social Media and Big Data?

Social Media as Participatory Culture

Social Media and Communication Power

The Power and Political Economy of Social Media

Google: Good or Evil Search Engine?

Facebook: Surveillance in the Age of Edward Snowden

Twitter and Democracy: A New Public Sphere?

Weibo and Chinese Capitalism

The Political Economy of Online Sharing Platforms in the Age of Airbnb and Uber

Wikipedia: A New Democratic Form of Collaborative Work and Production?

Conclusion: Social Media and its Alternatives – Towards a Truly Social Media

Prescribed Texts:

UBS will have copies of the textbook. it is essential. We will be using at least one of the suggested readings and associated questions from each chapter in the tutorials (weeks 2-12).

TITLE	Social Media: A Critical Introduction (2nd edition).
AUTHOR	FUCHS, Christian

 

 Workload and deadlines for submission of coursework:           

The University of Auckland's expectation is that students spend 10 hours per week on a 15-point course, including time in class and personal study. Students should manage their academic workload and other commitments accordingly. Deadlines for coursework are set by course convenors and will be advertised in course material. You should submit your work on time. In extreme circumstances, such as illness, you may seek an extension but you may be required to provide supporting information before the assignment is due. Late assignments without a pre-approved extension may be penalised by loss of marks – check course information for details.