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The Network Society

Persone

Lobinger K.

Docente titolare del corso

Venema R.

Assistente

Descrizione

Goals

Research and media discourses tend to use catchy and broad labels that often have indeed quite strong explanatory power – but only if reflected in depth and discussed adequately. One example is the term “networked society” that – even though it seems brand-new – has already been coined in the 1980s, with precursors that date back to the 1970s. The catchy term is indeed related to substantial theoretical work on the role of “new media” and ICTs for social and cultural change that merits close attention and focused reading. In the course “Network society” we will start from Manuel Castells’ seminal theoretical work on the rise of the network society and we will reflect on its key notions, the related keywords and concepts, such as information age, communication power, mass-self communication, the relation of ICTs and social change, networked individualism as well as on the political economy of “new media”.

In the course we will first acquire the necessary theoretical bases by focusing on “classical” readings in the field of the sociology and the political economy of the Web, starting from Castells’ theory. We will then include more recent work on current keywords and buzzwords (such as e.g. sharing, networked publics, algorithmic turn, the “disinformation age”) that have entered research as well as media discourses. We will interpret these concepts against the background of previously acquired theoretical lenses and frameworks. Finally, students will discuss selected exemplary studies in the field of online / digital communication and (critical) Internet studies in short group presentations. The main aim of the course is the development of critical-analytical skills that are necessary for an understanding of the role and “impact” of ICTs in current societies and for the interpretation of labels describing their assumed conditions.

Contents

  1. Theories and concepts related to “network societies”, grand theories about the relations of ICT and socio-cultural change
  2. Current keywords regarding the relation of “new media” and social, cultural and political processes
  3. Presentation and discussion of exemplary studies in the field of online communication and (critical) Internet studies

Structure

The course starts with presentations by the lecturers and plenary discussions of seminar readings in the first weeks of the semester. In the following several keywords / concepts are chosen for a further close examination. The semester concludes with discussions of exemplary studies chosen by the students.

Evaluation

Evaluation will be based on the short group presentations conducted during the semester (30%) and on the written exam (70%). The written exam will consist of 3-4 open ended questions.

References

Castells, M. (2009). The Rise of the Network Society. The Information Age: Economy, Society, and Culture Volume I. 2nd Edition. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell. (E-book: 2011)

Castells, M. (2007). Communication, Power and Counter-power in the Network Society. International Journal of Communication, 1, 238-266.

Further readings

To be announced

Offerta formativa