Digital Culture and Society (BSS295)

With more than 2.8 billion social media users worldwide digital media, social media platforms and the networks established in these platforms shape and impact our social world. This means that digital media has an influence on the issues that traditional sociological studies have been focusing on so far like; labour, stratification, violence, race, class, gender as well as culture and education. By focusing on the sociological as well as cultural aspects of these new modes of digital communication, this course aims to understand how the core sociological questions are being transformed/effected by emerging technologies around the globe in general and in Norway in specific. To understand the social, psychological and cultural implications of digital media we will study governments, institutions, individuals as well as groups and their use of digital technologies.


Course description for study year 2022-2023. Please note that changes may occur.

See course description and exam/assesment information for this semester (2024-2025)
Facts

Course code

BSS295

Version

1

Credits (ECTS)

10

Semester tution start

Spring

Number of semesters

1

Exam semester

Spring

Language of instruction

English

Offered by
Time table

View course schedule

Content

The subject of digital culture and society deals with issues raised by classical sociological theory and methodology by studying institutions (ie governments, ministries), peoples (ie individuals) and groups (ie feminist activists, environmentalists). By focusing on cultural and sociological impacts of new / digital / social media the course is also in line with UN Sustainable development goals 1 (no poverty), 3 (good health and well-being), 4 (quality education), 5 (gender equality), 8 (decent work and economic growth), 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), 10 (reduced inequalities), 11 (sustainable cities and communities), 15 (life on land) and 16 (peace, justice and institutions) . This course draws a link between these listed UN Sustainable goals and digital culture by looking at its interaction through: 1) gender and new media; 2) democracy, surveillance and privacy on social media networks; 3) poverty, stratification and social media through a critical lens.

Learning outcome

Knowledge

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to have acquired knowledge of

  • What digital culture, cyberculture means;
  • The impact of digital in everyday life;
  • The new forms of public life - citizenship and surveillance; 
  • Network culture and traditional demographic factors (gender / race / class).

 Skills

In this course, the students will obtain

  • Ability to discuss different perspectives on digital culture and society,
  • Ability to think sociologically about the relationships between digital culture and society

General competence

In this course, the students will develop an understanding of

  • digitalisation and the internet, and their impact on our everyday lives such as information management, privacy, and identity, cyber terrorism, and bullying
  • government use of social media and its implications - surveillance, control and propaganda. 

Required prerequisite knowledge

None

Exam

Group Projects:Group project presentation are required before examsThis is a compulsory work to get registered for the examination.A written exam:   4 days. A-F.

Coursework requirements

Group project
This can be about a deeper exploration of something covered in class, or not covered but you are curious to discover. Students will work on this question in groups and will present their paper to the class. In this project, as long as they cover a topic related to digital media. Students are free to use materials like songs, videos, digital media resources, news-paper article analyzes to make your project interesting. This is a compulsory work to get registered for the examination.

Course teacher(s)

Course coordinator:

Hande Eslen Ziya

Method of work

The format of the course is organized as a series of lecture seminars, guest lectures as well as group work and presentations. Active student participation and class discussions are important tools for achieving individual skills for becoming social scientists who can critique and question everyday life events.

Open for

Sociology - Bachelor's Degree Programme Political Science - Bachelor's Degree Programme
Admission to Single Courses at UiS Business School
Admission to Single Courses at the Faculty of Social Sciences
Admission to Single Courses at Faculty of Arts and Education
Exchange programmes at UIS Business School
Exchange Students at Faculty of Arts and Education

Course assessment

Evaluation is done in accordance with the Faculty's practice, usually through forms and / or conversations in accordance with current guidelines.

Literature

Search for literature in Leganto