Digital Living – Analyzing the Sociotechnical
Digitalization and datafication is ubiquitous in contemporary society, and understanding such processes is therefore key to an analysis of contemporary social phenomena. This elective course provides students in the Master in Social Analysis with a critical introduction to digitalization and our contemporary technosociety, combining perspectives from sociology, philosophy, and science and technology studies (STS).
Students will be asked to consider important contemporary debates ranging from the introduction of self-driving cars, surveillance culture and the automation of labour to the conception of DNA as code, supported by discussion of foundational sociological texts and STS theory. The focus is on understanding how digital developments impact on our societies, bringing about changes in lifestyle, politics and economy.
Relevant perspectives include gender, diversity and democracy. Beyond discussions of specific technologies, in Digital Living - Analyzing the Technosocial we will critically explore how concepts such as smart technology, ambient intelligence or social media are implemented and understood in various contexts.
Students must either be enrolled in Master in Social Analysis, or apply for the course as a single course student/exchange student.
Single course students must meet the following entry requirements:
- Bachelor degree of 3 years' duration (180 ECTS).
- The applicant must have passed exams of at least 80 ECTS credits in social sciences. The grade requirement is C on a weighted average.
Knowledge
Students:
- can recognize and explain the connections between sociological and STS theory and developments in contemporary technosociety
- can understand and report upon the contexts of specific digital technologies
- can critically analyze and discuss the topics of the course
Skills
Students:
- Synthetically join together existing theory and independent observations into coherent arguments
- Reflect upon the social, ethical and political implications of the digitalization of society
- Apply the attained knowledge in broader and multidisciplinary contexts
General competence
Students:
- Independently and critically integrate new findings in their understanding of the digital society
- Communicate clearly about complex topics such as the impact of digitalization on democracy, gender, equality or the labour market
Collection-based - both physical and digital. Learning activities will be lectures, seminars, group work, and practical work and supervision associated with the development of a semester assignment.
*The course is taught provided that a sufficient number of students register for it.
Assignment (OP). Individually or group (2-3 students). Graded A-F.
- Project assignment up to 9000 words. The Assignment can be written in English og Norwegian language.
Overlap refers to a similarity between courses with the same content. Therefore, you will receive the following reduction in credits if you have taken the courses listed below:
SAM5016 - Digital Living – Analyzing the Sociotechnical - 10 credits
