The purpose of this website is to provide a space for student led projects that are produced entirely online using Internet applications. The projects fall under the general theme of "Internet and Society". Student groups build web pages that explore some of the most pressing sociological questions about the Internet's affects on society.
Another purpose of this website is to explore the collaborative process. All web pages produced by students are wikis. No individual work is posted in this website. All work is collaborative. As students produce web content, they will keep records of their thoughts on this process.
General Topics
Community
How are social categories and subcultures reproduced in virtual communities? We are anonymous on the Internet. The social categories (gender, race, class, sexual orientation, etc) and subcultures (ivy league students, otaku, golf enthusiasts, white nationalists) - are initially hidden. However, online communities have developed around these social groups and categories. How do they work to produce a sense of group identity? What are the positive consequences of reproducing group identities online? What are the negative consequences? Also, are these communities weakening or strengthening community in the offline world?
Image Credit: http://www.desertrose.net/
Deviance and Crime
How does the Internet facilitate deviance and crime? Sociologists would define deviance as "the recognized violation of norms". When society agrees that this violation requires a government response, we consider this a crime. Some of the deviant behavior online include flaming, stalking, and uploading misleading web content. Some of the crimes that are unique to the Internet include cyberbullying, identity theft, hacking, and piracy. What are the social consequences of this deviant behavior?
Image Credit: http://textandtweet.com
Political Participation
How has the Internet affected political participation? After the Howard Dean campaign in 2004, politicians realized the potential of the Internet for getting the message out about a candidate and raising campaign contributions. Barack Obama's presidential campaign set records for fund-raising with much of the funds coming from small contributions over the Internet. Further, the political "blogosphere" is important in molding people's opinions about social issues. Unlike in the pre-Internet era with only a few media sources, people can go directly to websites and bloggers that speak to the issues that concern them and with the viewpoints they agree with. Has the Internet had a positive impact on political participation or a negative one? Has the Internet increased the knowledge that the public has about the political process and brought politicians closer to the people? Or, has the Internet damaged public discourse because people no longer need to listen to, read, and understand differing political opinions?
Image Credit: http://news.brothersoft.com/
Inequality
What are the consequences of unequal Internet usage? In the 1990's scholars talked about the "Digital Divide". This was a divide in owning computers and having Internet subscriptions. One one side of the divide were the "haves". The "haves" were white, middle and upper class, males. The "have-nots" where women, minorities, and people with lower incomes. Since than time, the gap in ownership has narrowed. Groups across society have access to some type of Internet service. Now, scholars argue that,even though most people have access, there are differences in usage. The "haves" are able to tap into the potential of the Internet more than the "have nots". How do these differences in Internet usage online perpetuate economic and educational differences offline?
Image Credit: www.neiu.edu
More About the Project
The project is connected to an Internet and Society class taught at Rhode Island College. This site is managed by Dr. Roderick Graham, assistant professor at Rhode Island College. Along with teaching courses at Rhode Island College, Rod does research on the social implications of the Internet, and blogs (when he gets the time) at RoderickGraham.Com.
Table of Contents
Another purpose of this website is to explore the collaborative process. All web pages produced by students are wikis. No individual work is posted in this website. All work is collaborative. As students produce web content, they will keep records of their thoughts on this process.
General Topics
Community
How are social categories and subcultures reproduced in virtual communities? We are anonymous on the Internet. The social categories (gender, race, class, sexual orientation, etc) and subcultures (ivy league students, otaku, golf enthusiasts, white nationalists) - are initially hidden. However, online communities have developed around these social groups and categories. How do they work to produce a sense of group identity? What are the positive consequences of reproducing group identities online? What are the negative consequences? Also, are these communities weakening or strengthening community in the offline world?Deviance and Crime
How does the Internet facilitate deviance and crime? Sociologists would define deviance as "the recognized violation of norms". When society agrees that this violation requires a government response, we consider this a crime. Some of the deviant behavior online include flaming, stalking, and uploading misleading web content. Some of the crimes that are unique to the Internet include cyberbullying, identity theft, hacking, and piracy. What are the social consequences of this deviant behavior?Political Participation
How has the Internet affected political participation? After the Howard Dean campaign in 2004, politicians realized the potential of the Internet for getting the message out about a candidate and raising campaign contributions. Barack Obama's presidential campaign set records for fund-raising with much of the funds coming from small contributions over the Internet. Further, the political "blogosphere" is important in molding people's opinions about social issues. Unlike in the pre-Internet era with only a few media sources, people can go directly to websites and bloggers that speak to the issues that concern them and with the viewpoints they agree with. Has the Internet had a positive impact on political participation or a negative one? Has the Internet increased the knowledge that the public has about the political process and brought politicians closer to the people? Or, has the Internet damaged public discourse because people no longer need to listen to, read, and understand differing political opinions?Inequality
What are the consequences of unequal Internet usage? In the 1990's scholars talked about the "Digital Divide". This was a divide in owning computers and having Internet subscriptions. One one side of the divide were the "haves". The "haves" were white, middle and upper class, males. The "have-nots" where women, minorities, and people with lower incomes. Since than time, the gap in ownership has narrowed. Groups across society have access to some type of Internet service. Now, scholars argue that,even though most people have access, there are differences in usage. The "haves" are able to tap into the potential of the Internet more than the "have nots". How do these differences in Internet usage online perpetuate economic and educational differences offline?More About the Project
The project is connected to an Internet and Society class taught at Rhode Island College. This site is managed by Dr. Roderick Graham, assistant professor at Rhode Island College. Along with teaching courses at Rhode Island College, Rod does research on the social implications of the Internet, and blogs (when he gets the time) at RoderickGraham.Com.