Digital Living – Analyzing the Sociotechnical

SAM5017

This elective course provides a critical introduction to digitalization and our contemporary technosociety, combining perspectives from sociology, philosophy, and science and technology studies (STS).

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 MA 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 (part time), 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.

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

Knowledge:

Recognize and explain the connections between sociological and STS theory and developments in contemporary technosociety
Understand and report upon the contexts of specific digital technologies
Critically analyze and discuss the topics of the course

Skills:

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:

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

In addition to the semester fee and costs for purchasing course literature, the students are expected to have a laptop.

Theoretical subject. Elective subject for students enrolled in Master in Social Analysis (part time).

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.

The study program is evaluated annually by the students through course evaluations and study program evaluation. These evaluations are included as part of the university's quality assurance system.

Assignment: Project assignment written in group (2-3 students). Up to 9000 words. Graded A-F.

Using ChatGPT or similar artificial intelligence to generate responses and submitting them, either wholly or partially, as your own work is considered cheating.

Some knowledge of sociological theory and/or Science and Technology Studies is an advantage, but not a requirement.

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

Curriculum literature

Leganto

Course language

English

Credits

Study location

Levanger

Responsible faculty

Faculty of Social Sciences

Course coordinator

Information about the course coordinator for the selected semester is no longer available. Please contact the current course coordinator.