There are three main goals for this course. First, we will explore the relationship between the Internet and the social phenomena that sociologists traditionally explore. These "social phenomena" include the development of communities, political participation, deviance, and the reproduction of social inequality. Second, we will explore the social implications of the Internet on a personal level. We will work directly with Internet applications and reflect upon how these application alter or modify our everyday activities. Third, we will explore how social scientists conduct research on the Internet. We will do this by reading literature on the Internet, developing a research question, gathering data from the Internet, and drawing conclusions based upon this data.
Course Materials
Readings
Shirky, Clay. 2009. Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations. New York, NY: Penguin Press - Chapter 1, 2, and 8
Palfrey, John and Urs Gasser. 2008. Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives. New York, NY: Basic Books - Chapters 1,2 and 5
Baym, Nancy. 2010. Personal Connections in a Digital Age.Malden, MA: Polity - Chapter 4
Goldsmith, Jack and Tim Wu. 2006. Who Controls the Internet?: Illusions of a Borderless World. New York : Oxford University Press - Chapters 5 and 6
Witte, James C. and Susan Mannon. 2010. The Internet and Social Inequalities. Taylor and Francis: New York, NY. - Chapters 1 and 2
Brenner, Susan W. 2010. Cybercrime: Criminal Threats from Cyberspace. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger - Chapters 3 and 7
Lectures
I will give several lectures on selected topics during the semester. Tentatively, these lectures are:
“Basic Sociological Concepts”
“The History of the Internet"
“Doing Research Online, Doing Online Research”
“Sociological Questions and the Internet"
“How does the Internet Build or Break down Community?”
“How does the Internet Facilitate Deviance and Crime?"
“How has the Internet affected Political Participation?”
“What are the consequences of Unequal Internet Usage?"
Check the course schedule at the end of this document for the tentative dates of these lectures. PowerPoint presentations of these lectures will be posted on this website in Class Documents (click)
Internet and Computer Access
Students will be given time during class to work in groups on their projects.
Also, if time is needed outside of class, students can access the course webpage and all course documents at any time from the library, campus computer labs, or from home.
Supplemental Texts
Because students will need to do research outside of class, it is expected that they will use the Adams Library. I have preselected some books that may be of help to you and listed them here (click)
Wiki
A wiki is a website that allows users to produce their own web page (or series of webpages). Users do not need to know how to program or code a website. Users can simply log on and use the basic tools provided to design webpages.
A good example of a wiki is the page you are currently on. This page can be edited at anytime, and simultaneously, by anyone who has access to it. No web design or coding experience is required.
The beauty of wikis is that many users can work together simultaneously to produce a single product.
In this course everyone will be required to develop their own webpage via a wiki. The class website is found at www.internetandsociety.wikispaces.com. As the semester develops, groups of students will be given access to a blank page on the class website. Students will then work collaboratively to produce content on this website. I have embedded a video below from YouTube entitled "Wikis in Plain English". It does a good job of explaining the purpose of wikis:
Google Docs is a web based application that allows you to create word documents, spreadsheets (like Excel) and presentations (like PowerPoint).
Like a wiki, editing of documents can be done by many users simultaneously.
Group work can be done in Google docs because the document is not stored on any one person's computer, but is instead stored online, in the cloud.
A good example of a Google Doc can be found here (click) You can even edit this document...so go ahead and try it!
In this course students will create and edit documents in Google Docs. I have embedded a video below from YouTube entitled "Google Docs in Plain English". It does a good job of explaining the purpose of Google Docs:
You will have to create a Google account in order to use Google Docs. Creating this account is fast and easy, and you should use your RIC e-mail (or the one your prefer) to create the account. You can use the same password from your e-mail to create the account. Here is a video explaining how to set up a Google account:
There will be two exams during the semester. These exams are designed to assess your knowledge of the readings and lectures. These exams will be a combination of multiple choice, fill in the blank, and possible some short answer. These exams will be given at the beginning of class.
These exams are to ensure that you do the readings and gain a understanding of the ideas and vocabulary needed to discuss the Internet's effects on society.
For Exam 1
Shirky, Clay. 2009. Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations. New York, NY: Penguin Press - Chapters 1, 2, and 8
Palfrey, John and Urs Gasser. 2008. Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives. New York, NY: Basic Books - Chapters 1,2 and 5
Any lectures given during this time
For Exam 2
Baym, Nancy. 2010. Personal Connections in a Digital Age.Malden, MA: Polity - Chapter 4
Goldsmith, Jack and Tim Wu. 2006. Who Controls the Internet?: Illusions of a Borderless World. New York : Oxford University Press - Chapters 5 and 6
Witte, James C. and Susan Mannon. 2010. The Internet and Social Inequalities. Taylor and Francis: New York, NY. - Chapters 1 and 2
Brenner, Susan W. 2010. Cybercrime: Criminal Threats from Cyberspace. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger - Chapters 3 and 7
Any lectures given during this time
Group Research Project
In this assignment you will (1) write a written report that you will give to me, (2) construct a webpage that presents the information from your report, and (3) present your work to the class. All three parts of this group research project are done in groups of four or less (this may change depending upon the size of the class). All components of the project will be stored online for other groups to see. It is expected that other groups view each other's work.
This group research project is divided into three parts: a written report, a webpage that shows visually what you have done in your report, and the oral presentation your group will give to the class.
You will turn a rough draft (on 11/02) and a final draft on the last day of class (12/07).
You can read more about each component of the group project below. Grading rubrics are attached to the hard copy of the syllabus, and can be found here (click)
Written Report
Groups will pick their own specific aspects of the Internet to study. However, every topic must fall under one of these general questions:
How does the Internet build or break down community?
How does the Internet facilitate deviance and crime?
How has the Internet affected political participation?
What are the consequences of unequal Internet usage?
For example, if a group decides that they would like to study the Asian American dating and socializing community "Asian Ave", they must think about how studying this community fits into one of the five major questions. Maybe the group decides they want to look at how Asians reproduce offline communities in online environments. This would mean that they are interested in social categories (question 1). Or, maybe they are interested in flaming or people misrepresenting themselves online. In this case they are interested in deviance (question 2).
When working through the report, consider below:
What is the topic?
You will choose this topic.
Early in the semester you, your group members, and I will discuss potential topics
What is the purpose?
First, you should demonstrate your knowledge of the subject matter covered in class
Second, you should demonstrate your ability to collect basic information using the Internet
Third, you should demonstrate your ability to draw new conclusions based upon what you have read the information you have collected
Who am I addressing this report to?
Imagine that you are addressing your report to professionals in the same company who have similar knowledge of sociological concepts and technology, but do not have expertise in the specific area you have studied.
What role do I have when presenting this report?
For this report, consider yourself an entry-level professional who was hired by the company because of your knowledge of sociological concepts and basic IT terminology.
In what format should I present this information?
You should type your report in word processing software, in 12 point Times New Roman font, with no less than 1 inch margins on the side (or just use the default setting in your word processing software), and double spaced
This paper should be around 1000 words (4 - 5 pages), charts and graphs do not count towards the word count
Your paper should be divided into subsections: introduction, review of literature, findings, conclusion (we will discuss this more later)
For referencing, please refer to the sociology department's recommendations for papers here (click).
What information should I use to compile this report?
First, you will collect original data from websites.
Second, you must use the library to find at least three texts and quote from these texts. I have already listed several texts that can be found in the RIC library or through HELIN here (click).
Webpage
You will build a webpage as a group on the class website.
You should think of this webpage as an extension of your written report, but instead of writing on a traditional word document using primarily text, you are "writing" on a webpage using a combination of text, graphics, audio, and web applications.
After the group has decided on the question they wish to explore, you will be given access to the class website, and a blank page
As you learn more about your topic, you will begin developing this page. Thus, this webpage will be constantly changing as the class develops. There is no wrong or right webpage.
This is a collaboration amongst you and your group, as well as amongst you and the entire class. You will be able to look at your classmates' work, and use some of their ideas.
Your webpage can be organized like your paper: introduction, review of literature, findings, conclusion. However, the focus should not be on paragraphs of text, but instead showing visually what you have written. For example, if you are studying online websites of Rhode Island political candidates you will definitely want screenshots of different candidate's webpages. Or, if you are doing a quantitative study of the number of cybercimes in the last 10 years, you can put together a graph to show the increase (or decrease) in the number of cybercrimes.
You will present this webpage to the class at the end of the semester.
Presentation
At the end of the semester, you will present the findings of your project (paper and webpage) to the class.
This presentation itself should last around 15 minutes.
The most important aspect of this presentation will be the question and answer session after you have finished presenting your work. You should be able to demonstrate your mastery of your specific topic by addressing the questions of your peers and instructor.
Tech Journals
During the semester you will take notes on your various experiences with technology. These journals should be considered "living documents". You are allowed to rewrite your journal entries throughout the semester. Your entries should grow and evolve as you learn more. However, I will grade your writing for participation at four points during the semester.
There is no word limit for tech journals. Write as much or as little as you think is appropriate.
You can see an example of what a Tech Journal may look like by clicking here (click).
Participation
There are many ways to participate in this class. In general, you can participate by:
Attendance - I take attendance each week
Wiki Discussion Board - You can comment on other student's work through the discussion board for their page
In Class Discussion - You can discuss the readings in class, ask questions, and provide personal experiences
Even though I take all three of these things into account, I make a general, overall judgment about a student's participation. Simply showing up to class will not ensure a top score. Making numerous comments on the wiki discussion board (especially if they are meaningless) will not ensure a top score. Finally, talking a lot in class (especially if what you say is meaningless) will not ensure a top score. Participation is an overall judgment of quality.
"If, when one is writing, one uses the words or ideas of another, one must give them credit. Presenting someone else's writing or unique treatment of the subject as one's own is plagiarism and is considered a serious academic offense, the equivalent of theft in the world at large. Any time a student presents someone else's work as if s/he had written it, even with some slight alterations, it is plagiarism. This includes material obtained from the Internet. Writing style is almost always the giveaway. See the section on Academic Integrity in the Student Handbook for details on penalties."
Students found plagiarizing will receive no credit for their work. If plagiarism occurs during a group assignment, that group will lose all credit.
Make Up and Late Policy
Students will be allowed complete make-up exams if they have a valid excuse. Medical excuses are valid, and students should bring a doctor's note if they wish to take a make-up exam. If a student is not present to assist his or her group when they present their project, they will lose those points (10%). There is no make up for journals.
Special Accommodations
Rhode Island College is committed to providing accommodations for students with disabling conditions and supporting them in the academic environment. Support services are provided within a campus environment that is physically and socially accessible and that enables students to achieve their academic goals. Find out more here (click).
Course Schedule
As with all schedules, we may modify assignments or dates as needed. See the tentative schedule by downloading a hard copy of the syllabus here (click). You should pay close attention to the location of the classes. We will meet most days in the computer lab (Gaige 168). However, at the beginning of the semester and on some exam days we will meet in Craig Lee room 202.
Maintaining Privacy Online
The group project (the paper and the wikipage) will be able available for viewing by others in this class. This is in an effort to model the power of the Internet. In order to maintain your privacy, you are not required to write your names on any of the documents that can be viewed or downloaded by people other than me (the Instructor). This will allow you to research and comment on topics that may be sensitive without worrying about being "googled" later. For example, if a group decides to write about homosexuality online and the group decides to make comments about homosexuality, it is possible that the project could be found by people browsing the web. In order to protect your privacy you should not attach names directly to the webpage or project paper. I will be able to identify you by your group name.
Tech journals will also be kept online, but they are not public and you may put your names on your tech journals. You will turn a rough draft (on 11/02) and a final draft (on 12/07)
| Internet and Society Course Syllabus | Instructor Information | Course Description | Course Materials | Grading Scale | Exams | Group Research Project | Tech Journals | Participation | Plagiarism | Make Up and Late Policy | Special Accommodations | Course Schedule | Maintaining Privacy Online
Internet and Society Course Syllabus
SOC 350 - 01Rhode Island College
W, 4:00 - 6:50
Craig-Lee 202 (Lecture Room)
Gaige 168 (Computer Room)
Class website: www.internetandsociety.wikispaces.com
Hard Copy of Syllabus (click)
Instructor Information
Roderick GrahamCraig-Lee Hall, Rm. 467
Office Hours: TBA
Office Phone: 401-456-8727
E-mail: rgraham[at]ric.edu
Course Description
There are three main goals for this course. First, we will explore the relationship between the Internet and the social phenomena that sociologists traditionally explore. These "social phenomena" include the development of communities, political participation, deviance, and the reproduction of social inequality. Second, we will explore the social implications of the Internet on a personal level. We will work directly with Internet applications and reflect upon how these application alter or modify our everyday activities. Third, we will explore how social scientists conduct research on the Internet. We will do this by reading literature on the Internet, developing a research question, gathering data from the Internet, and drawing conclusions based upon this data.Course Materials
ReadingsLectures
I will give several lectures on selected topics during the semester. Tentatively, these lectures are:
Check the course schedule at the end of this document for the tentative dates of these lectures. PowerPoint presentations of these lectures will be posted on this website in Class Documents (click)
Internet and Computer Access
Supplemental Texts
Wiki
You can see the video at full size here (click)
Google Docs
You can see the video at full size here (click)
You will have to create a Google account in order to use Google Docs. Creating this account is fast and easy, and you should use your RIC e-mail (or the one your prefer) to create the account. You can use the same password from your e-mail to create the account. Here is a video explaining how to set up a Google account:
You can see the video at full size here (click)
Grading Scale
Exams
There will be two exams during the semester. These exams are designed to assess your knowledge of the readings and lectures. These exams will be a combination of multiple choice, fill in the blank, and possible some short answer. These exams will be given at the beginning of class.These exams are to ensure that you do the readings and gain a understanding of the ideas and vocabulary needed to discuss the Internet's effects on society.
For Exam 1
For Exam 2
Group Research Project
In this assignment you will (1) write a written report that you will give to me, (2) construct a webpage that presents the information from your report, and (3) present your work to the class. All three parts of this group research project are done in groups of four or less (this may change depending upon the size of the class). All components of the project will be stored online for other groups to see. It is expected that other groups view each other's work.This group research project is divided into three parts: a written report, a webpage that shows visually what you have done in your report, and the oral presentation your group will give to the class.
You will turn a rough draft (on 11/02) and a final draft on the last day of class (12/07).
You can read more about each component of the group project below. Grading rubrics are attached to the hard copy of the syllabus, and can be found here (click)
Written Report
Groups will pick their own specific aspects of the Internet to study. However, every topic must fall under one of these general questions:
For example, if a group decides that they would like to study the Asian American dating and socializing community "Asian Ave", they must think about how studying this community fits into one of the five major questions. Maybe the group decides they want to look at how Asians reproduce offline communities in online environments. This would mean that they are interested in social categories (question 1). Or, maybe they are interested in flaming or people misrepresenting themselves online. In this case they are interested in deviance (question 2).
When working through the report, consider below:
Webpage
Presentation
Tech Journals
During the semester you will take notes on your various experiences with technology. These journals should be considered "living documents". You are allowed to rewrite your journal entries throughout the semester. Your entries should grow and evolve as you learn more. However, I will grade your writing for participation at four points during the semester.There is no word limit for tech journals. Write as much or as little as you think is appropriate.
You can see an example of what a Tech Journal may look like by clicking here (click).
Participation
There are many ways to participate in this class. In general, you can participate by:Even though I take all three of these things into account, I make a general, overall judgment about a student's participation. Simply showing up to class will not ensure a top score. Making numerous comments on the wiki discussion board (especially if they are meaningless) will not ensure a top score. Finally, talking a lot in class (especially if what you say is meaningless) will not ensure a top score. Participation is an overall judgment of quality.
Plagiarism
Statement from Rhode Island College's Sociology Page on term papers:"If, when one is writing, one uses the words or ideas of another, one must give them credit. Presenting someone else's writing or unique treatment of the subject as one's own is plagiarism and is considered a serious academic offense, the equivalent of theft in the world at large. Any time a student presents someone else's work as if s/he had written it, even with some slight alterations, it is plagiarism. This includes material obtained from the Internet. Writing style is almost always the giveaway. See the section on Academic Integrity in the Student Handbook for details on penalties."
Students found plagiarizing will receive no credit for their work. If plagiarism occurs during a group assignment, that group will lose all credit.
Make Up and Late Policy
Students will be allowed complete make-up exams if they have a valid excuse. Medical excuses are valid, and students should bring a doctor's note if they wish to take a make-up exam. If a student is not present to assist his or her group when they present their project, they will lose those points (10%). There is no make up for journals.Special Accommodations
Rhode Island College is committed to providing accommodations for students with disabling conditions and supporting them in the academic environment. Support services are provided within a campus environment that is physically and socially accessible and that enables students to achieve their academic goals. Find out more here (click).Course Schedule
As with all schedules, we may modify assignments or dates as needed. See the tentative schedule by downloading a hard copy of the syllabus here (click). You should pay close attention to the location of the classes. We will meet most days in the computer lab (Gaige 168). However, at the beginning of the semester and on some exam days we will meet in Craig Lee room 202.Maintaining Privacy Online
The group project (the paper and the wikipage) will be able available for viewing by others in this class. This is in an effort to model the power of the Internet. In order to maintain your privacy, you are not required to write your names on any of the documents that can be viewed or downloaded by people other than me (the Instructor). This will allow you to research and comment on topics that may be sensitive without worrying about being "googled" later. For example, if a group decides to write about homosexuality online and the group decides to make comments about homosexuality, it is possible that the project could be found by people browsing the web. In order to protect your privacy you should not attach names directly to the webpage or project paper. I will be able to identify you by your group name.Tech journals will also be kept online, but they are not public and you may put your names on your tech journals.
You will turn a rough draft (on 11/02) and a final draft (on 12/07)