COMM 390: Special Topics in Communication Study: Technology, Culture, and Society
| Course Home Page | Blackboard | Instructor E-mail |
| Overview | Objectives | Required Texts |
| Course Components | Discussion Guidelines | Grading |
| Course Mechanics | Honor Code | Lesson Schedule |
Overview
This course is an interdisciplinary study of the ways that culture, technology, and society have influenced each other from early modernity to the present. You will read from various sources and apply the ideas from your readings to critical analyses of particular cases: specific technologies, the “texts” produced by technologies (including Web sites), and other examples of the complex interrelation of culture and technology.
The course begins with the cultural impact of the telegraph in the mid-1800s and then proceeds chronologically through historical periods defined by their technologies. We will look at early twentieth century innovations, such as film and the telephone, at innovations associated with the time of World War II (commercial radio and television), and, finally, at innovations such as transnational information technologies, the computer, the VCR, the Walkman®, and others. These will be examined for their roles in the birth of the “Information Society,” and the subsequent move from a “Fordist” economy to a “post-Fordist” economy in the 1960s.
The second half of the course focuses on the Internet and its implications for democracy, privacy, community, art, entertainment, and other concepts central to US society and culture. We will return to topics introduced in the first half of the course, but discuss them through analysis of the Internet and its current and future social and cultural implications. We will consider whether the Internet is an exemplar of the technologies associated with the new forms of economic, cultural, and social organization that developed in the United States after the 1960s, and compare the current cultural and societal landscape to those that preceded it.
Objectives
In this course, we will
- investigate the general relationship between communication, technology, culture, and society
- investigate the interrelationships between new technologies and cultural and social changes
- come to understand, from a number of different analytical angles, the ways that culture and society are changing in the age of the Internet
- explore the range of texts that compose the landscape of current digital culture
- apply skills of humanities-based critical analysis to particular facets of the contemporary digital landscape in the discussion forum, in a series of short writing assignments, and in a final research paper.
Required Texts and Materials
- Branscomb, Anne Wells. Who Owns Information?: From Privacy to Public Access. New York: Basic Books, 1995.
- Paul, Christiane. Digital Art. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2003.
- Aoki, Keith, Boyle, James, Jenkins, Jennifer. Bound By Law. Center for the Study of the Public Domain: Duke Law School, 2006.
The required texts can be purchased through Friday Center Books & Gifts at the Friday Center either online or by printing out a book order form.
You will also read a selection of articles available on the Web, and you are required to view a film in Week 2—Modern Times, directed by Charles Chaplin (United Artists, 1936). A video of this film (Twentieth Century Fox, 1992) can be rented at local video stores. If you do not have access to a VCR, or cannot obtain the video, e-mail your instructor the first day of class to arrange alternative assignments.
Course Components
Reading Assignments
Most weeks include a lecture and one or more reading assignments, each preceded by an introduction and list of things to focus on as you read.
Web Field Trips
Most weeks include a Web field trip, a series of links to Web sites that further illustrate the lecture and readings.
Discussion forum assignments
The discussion forum serves as the electronic equivalent of classroom discussion. Discussion is a very important component of this course.
You are required to participate every week in the forum, contributing ideas and responding to others—in short, fostering an open and intellectual atmosphere. You will be graded on both the quality and quantity of your responses. Responses should show a thoughtful understanding of the assigned reading material and Web sites, and an awareness of whatever discussion is going on among participants. If you disagree with someone's post, say so (respectfully) and give your reasons. Include Web sites you've found on the topic, share your opinions, expand on someone else's idea! When possible, draw connections between different readings and concepts from the course.
To facilitate discussion, your first post of the week is due by Wednesday at 5 pm.
The instructor's posts will often ask questions to spark critical thinking and further discussion. Your posts should do more than ask questions: you should make arguments and support your points with evidence.
Be sure to carefully read and follow the discussion forum guidelines outlined below.
Written Assignments
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Response papers. A brief response paper will be assigned in Weeks 2, 5, 8, and 11. Your response papers should be approximately 500-600 words.
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Research paper.The final research paper for this course will be a ten- to twelve-page investigation of a topic of your choice related to the materials covered in this course. More details are given in Week 9, when a topic is due. In Week 11, you will be required to submit a preliminary source list.
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Late work.Work submitted after the final due date and time will be penalized.
Submitting written assignments
All
written assignments should be sent via e-mail to the instructor as
Microsoft Word (.doc) attachments. Always put your name on the first
line of your assignment, and indicate, with a title, what your submission
is about. In the subject line of the e-mail itself, put your name
and the assignment; something like "COMM 390, Jackie Smith, response
paper #3" is sufficient.
Discussion Forum Guidelines
If you are new to online courses or discussion forums, it's best to dive in fearlessly—you will soon be swimming with ease. See Course Mechanics for technical information.
It
is essential that you read the following guidelines at the outset and
adhere to them throughout the course. They will help us avoid confusion
and enhance your learning experience.
- Your first post of the week is due by Wednesday at 5 pm.
- Type your responses directly into the box that pops up when you
click on “Add New Thread” or “Respond.” Do not use attachments
in the discussion forum because they make the threads needlessly difficult to navigate. Posts
with attachments will not receive credit.
- Always use the same name in all your posts, so that your instructor
can sort responses by name.
- Late posts will be downgraded according to lateness. Remember, your first posting is due by Wednesday at 5 pm. It is always to your advantage to stay current with the lessons, especially the discussions. However, should you fall behind at any point and need to go back and post required responses to a previous week's discussion forum (better late than never), you must copy the post to your instructor via e-mail, indicating the questions to which you are responding and the original week due. If you do not follow these instructions, you may not receive any credit. Furthermore, do not let your participation in the discussion forum lag week after week—your instructor cannot be expected to read and evaluate a disproportionate number of late posts at the end of the semester.
Grading
Your grade for the course will be determined as follows:
- 30 percent: participation
in the discussion forum. Here are the basic criteria for evaluating your participation
in the discussion forum:
- Did you do the required reading and visit the required Web sites?
- Have you thought about the issue under discussion?
- Have you read and considered other postings?
- Are your questions and comments to your classmates thoughtful and relevant?
- Are you pushing beyond the suggested topics to raise ideas of your own?
- Finally, did you post by the due date?
- 40 percent: four brief response papers(10 percent each)
- 30 percent: final research paper
Course Mechanics
Blackboard
Some of your class components (discussion forums, class listserv) are accessed through a software package called Blackboard, and you will need to log into Blackboard using a unique identifier known as your UNC Onyen (Only Name You'll Ever Need) and Onyen password.
If you do not already have a UNC Onyen, go to the Onyen Web site and follow the instructions for creating an Onyen. If you have an Onyen but have forgotten it (or the password), you will find help on the Onyen Web site.
Use your Onyen to login to Blackboard, then click on the "COMM 390" link. You will see a navigation button on the left taking you to the Discussion Forums. The lessons have a forum for each topic of discussion.
If you experience problems accessing Blackboard, this is what you should do:
- If you do not already have a UNC Onyen, go to the Onyen Web site and follow the instructions for creating an Onyen.
- If you have an Onyen but have forgotten it (or the password), go to the Onyen Web site.
- If you have your Onyen but can't log in to Blackboard, contact Janice Durham at the Friday Center.
- If you can log in to Blackboard but can't find this course listed, contact Janice Durham at the Friday Center.
- If you can't locate a forum in Blackboard, contact the Instructional Designer at the Friday Center.
- If you have technical problems while using Blackboard, contact Blackboard Help (use the Help button in Blackboard, or call 919-962-HELP).
Policy on Computer Difficulties
Engaging in this course assumes some degree of computer skill and regular, reliable access to the Internet and to your e-mail account. Problems with your e-mail account or with Internet access cannot be considered an excuse for late work . It is therefore extremely important that you locate an alternate method of receiving/sending your work in case of an unforeseen Internet/computer failure. Should emergencies happen, it is important that you contact your instructor prior to the deadline for the assignment.
Library Services and E-reserves
Students enrolled in Carolina Courses Online can access online library resources from the UNC Library System by linking to Library Services for Distance Education Students. This site includes information on using general online reference works as well as accessing e-reserves. If you are using an off-campus computer, you may need to enter your Onyen to access the readings that are available through the e-reserve system. The UNC library staff is available to assist any students who have difficulties accessing online library resources. If you encounter difficulties, please report your problem by visiting this Web page for reporting a problem.
All communication from your instructor will go to your UNC Onyen e-mail address (the one that appears when you post to the discussion forum). Off-campus users can access their UNC e-mail using Webmail. You can have your e-mail forwarded to a different e-mail address by clicking “Forward e-mail” at the Onyen Web site.
If you use a filter on your e-mail account, you are responsible for ensuring that it does not prevent you from receiving messages from me, the course listserv, or Friday Center staff. Hotmail users should be aware that Hotmail will block messages sent from within Blackboard because Blackboard uses “blind carbon copy” to protect privacy. We recommend that you use your UNC Onyen e-mail account rather than forwarding to Hotmail for this course.
Submitting Assignments
It is extremely important for you to save copies of any work you send via e-mail. If your instructor doesn't receive your message, you must have a copy of the e-mail with the attached file, indicating the date sent, to prove that you submitted the assignment on time. It is your responsibility to maintain copies of your sent e-mails as well as the attached files, as there is no way to guarantee that any e-mail message will be delivered.
Please check your e-mail software to see how it manages sent and saved messages. Some software automatically deletes messages one month after they have been sent; others only save messages if they are filed in folders; others save messages received but not those sent. You may need to send yourself a copy of your e-mailed assignment at the same time you send it to your instructor, or you may need to print a copy of the e-mail message and any attachments to keep in your paper files. No matter how your system works, make sure you know how to save a copy of all work that you submit to your instructor and that you save the copy for several months beyond the end of the course.
Other Questions
Contact your instructor with questions regarding the content of the course and your progress. (There is an e-mail link at the top of every lesson page.) Please include "COMM 390 CCO" in the subject line of your e-mail.
Contact the Instructional Designer at the Friday Center about problems with this Web site, including bad links.
If you have any logistical questions as you work through the course (enrollment, Onyen, credits, withdrawal, and so on), contact the Student Services staff at the Friday Center for Continuing Education (phone 919-962-1134 or 800-862-5669).
Honor Code
As a student at UNC-Chapel Hill, you are bound by the University's Honor Code. An especially serious Honor Code violation is plagiarism. Written assignments that include text or ideas taken directly from class lectures, readings, Web sites, or any other source, without attribution, may be open to the charge of plagiarism. Please cite your sources. For more information, see the UNC Writing Center's handout on plagiarism.
Lesson Schedule
| Week 1 | Early Modern America: The Telegraph and Modern Culture |
| Week 2 | The First Half of Twentieth Century America: More on Modern Times |
| Response paper #1 due by 11:59 pm Eastern Time | |
| Week 3 | Post-World War II US: Muzak® and Modern US Culture |
| Week 4 | After the 1960s: The Post-Fordist Information Society |
| Week 5 | The Advent of the Internet |
| Response paper #2 due by 11:59 pm Eastern Time | |
| Week 6 | The Internet and the Contemporary Information Society |
| Week 7 | Ownership and the Economy of Information in the Digital Age |
| Week 8 | Further Dilemmas About Ownership, Privacy, and Access to Information in Contemporary Society |
| Response paper #3 due by 11:59 pm Eastern Time | |
| Week 9 | Community and Identity in the Digital Age |
| Final research paper topic proposal due by 11:59 pm Eastern Time | |
| Week 10 | Democracy in the Digital Age |
| Week 11 | The Body and Privacy in the Digital Age |
| Response paper #4 due by 11:59 pm Eastern Time | |
| Week 12 | Art, Culture, and Modern/Postmodern Technology |
| Final research paper source list due by 11:59 pm Eastern Time | |
| Week 13 | Art in the Electronic Age |
| Week 14 | Education in the Information Age |
| Week 15 | Research Week |
| Final research paper due by 11:59 pm Eastern Time | |
| Course Evaluation | Please fill out a brief online survey. We want to know if this course met your needs and expectations! |