ANETWORKEDSELFIDENTITY::SOCIALITY::CULTURE::PLATFORMS::POLITICS::SOCIALMEDIA

AdvancedTopics/COMM594

ZiziPapacharissi,PhDProfessorandHead,Communication

Office BSB1140AOfficehours Mon–Wed12-2pmandbyappointmentOfficephone 312.996.3188E-mail zizi@uic.edu CoursedescriptionWehavealwaysbeensocialandwewillalwaysbesocial.Socialityisthemodusoperandiandameanstoself-actualizationforhumanbeings.Thiscoursewillexaminehownewermedia,frequentlyreferredtoassocial,recalibrateourpathstobeingsocial.Thesocialhereisdefinedquitebroadly,andisinclusiveofandnotseparatefromotherpractices,processesandhabitsthatincludethepolitical,cultural,economic,andpersonalsphere.Thecourseisstructuredaroundthetermnetworkedself,whichcaptureshowcontemporaryindividualsself-actualizewithinaworldwheretechnologiesofexpressionandconnectionareomnipresent,ubiquitous,andembeddedintheeveryday.Webeginbyexaminingtheselfinmodernityandlatemodernity,thenconsideridentityandsocialitypracticesinlatemodernityandasenabledthroughemergingtechnologies.Associalityandidentityareperformedinavarietyofspheres,wethenfurtherexaminethecultural,political,andeconomicramificationsofthetechnosocialenvironmentsweinhabit.Wereadfromavarietyofsources,includingbooks,articlesandthepopularpress,andwheneverpossibleweinvitetheauthorstodiscussthetextswithusinclassviaSkype.

CourseObjectives

• Tosurveytheoryandresearchontheself,presentationsoftheselfandrepresentationsoftheselfinlatemodernityanddigitallynetworkedcontexts.

• Tobecomewell-versedinquestionsofsociality,culture,andplatformpoliticsastheymanifestthroughonlinemedia.

• Torunastudyandproducearesearchpapersubmittedtoaconferenceandscholarlyjournal.• Tolearnhowtopromoteyourownwork.• Tofigureoutyourownidentityasscholarsandhowtoarticulatethatidentity.

ReadingmaterialsReadingswillbeavailableonline,throughtheblackboardsiteforthecourse,andmayalsobeobtainedviaonlinevendors.Allregisteredstudentshavebeenregisteredtotheblackboardsitebydefault.RequirementsGradesforthecoursewillbebasedonin-classperformance,ashortmediacommentary/essay,abookreview,aresearchpaper,andaresearchpresentation.MediaCommentary/EssayThisassignmentrequiresbingewatchingwithyourmediascholarhatson.Youwillselectoneofthefollowingseries,whichcomment,amongotherthings,abouttheeverydayrealityoflivingwith/inmedia.Hereareyouroptions:Sense8,Mr.Robot,Humans,BlackMirror,MasterofNone.Youwillthenwriteasinglepage,singlespacedthinkpiececritiqueoftheshow,focusingononeissue/aspect/questionthatitraises.Thetonemustbescholarlyandrelatabletoourclass.ThefinalessaysmayalsobesubmittedforpublicationascommentariestotheopenaccessjournalSocialMediaandSociety.Thisissupposedtobefun.So,beimaginative,creative,butalso,don’tforgetthatyouaremediascholars.So,nocolloquialisms.Thisissupposedtobeengagingandbite-sizedscholarshipforpublicconsumption.

15%ofyourgrade,dueFebruary19 BookReviewYouwillcompleteareviewofabookofyourchoosing.Thebookmusthavebeenpublishedin2014,2015,or2016,relevanttotheclass,andapprovedbyme.Thebookreviewitselfwillconsistoftwoparts:1)Asinglepage,singlespacedreviewofthebook,whereyousumupthebookinoneparagraph,andspendtherestofthetimediscussingandcritiquingtheissuesitraises.DoNOTspendmostofthebookreviewsummarizingthebook–thatisanautomaticfail.2)Youwillseekouttheauthor(s)ofthebook,anddoashortinterviewwiththem.Youwillaskthemnomorethanthreequestions,overemail.Thatwillbethesecondpageofyourreview.Youmayalsointerviewthemliveand

submittheinterviewintheformofapodcast.YourreviewsmaybesubmittedforconsiderationtotheopenaccessjournalSocialMediaandSociety,wheretheywillbevettedforpublication,andprovidedtheymeetourcriteria,published.ThebookreviewwillbedueMarch20,rightbeforespringbreak.Iadviseyougetstartedassoonaspossible,asauthorsmaybedifficulttocontact.Iaskthatyourunthebooksbyme,sothatIcanhelpwithcontactingtheauthors,ifneeded. 15%ofyourgrade,dueMarch20

ResearchProject–tobecompletedinfiveparts

1. ResearchProposalYouwillformulatearesearchquestion,reviewtherelevanttheoryandresearch,andproposeastudythatinvestigatesthisquestion.Nomorethan250words,excludingreferences.Youwillsubmitthistomeandtoaconferenceinyourfieldofstudy. DUEMARCH12. LiteratureReview:Fleshoutyourproposalintothefirstpartofyourresearchpaper,includingyourintroduction,literaturereview,andleadingintoyourresearchquestion(s).3. Method/Analysis:Detailyourmethodandresearchdesign. DRAFTDUEAPRIL14. ResultsandDiscussion–Themes/Discussion:Writeadescriptionoftheresultsandconclusionsofthestudy.5. PaperPresentations:CreateaPowerPointand/ormultimediasummaryofyourworkandpresenttotheclass,duringthelastclassmeetings.Presentationswillbefollowedbyquestionandanswersessions.

Draftsarenotgraded.TheyareturnedinsothatIcanofferadviceandhelpmakethepapersbetter.Onlythefinalversionofthepaperandyourpresentationwillbegraded,althoughyouwillgetdirectfeedbackonyourprogressthroughoutthesemester.Foryourpresentation,youmustspecifyconferencepresentation,publicationandpromotionplansforyourwork.Latesubmissionsarenotacceptedandincompletesnotgranted.Pickyourprojectswisely,sothattheyareexecutablewithinthetimeframeofasemester.

40%forfinalversion,10%forpresentation,dueApril25ParticipationYourattendanceandparticipationtoclassdiscussionsisessentialandexpected.Thisisagraduateseminar,meanttoinformyouonthistopicbuttoalsoteachyoutoarticulateyourownopinionswithconfidence.Allreadingsshouldbecompletedbeforetheassigneddate,andyoushouldcometoclasspreparedtotalk.Eachweek,Iexpectthatyouhighlight3-5paragraphs/pages/sentencesfromthereadingsthatyoufoundinteresting,andcomepreparedtotalk.Ialsoexpectthatyouwillfollownewsandpublicaffairsclosely,andcometoclasswithoneitemfromthepopularpressthattouchesonthetopicwediscussthatweekorintheclassingeneral.

Worth20%ofyourgrade

SpecialNeedsItisourdesirethatallstudentsparticipatefullyinthecurriculumofourdepartment.Ifyouhaveadisabilityorspecialconditionthatcompromisesyourabilitytosuccessfullyparticipateinthisclass,pleasenotifymeassoonaspossibleandmakesureyouregisterwiththeappropriateUniversityoffice.Alleffortswillbemadetoaccommodateyourneeds.HonorCodeAllstudentsareexpectedtoreadandobservetheUICHonorCodePolicyconcerningacademicintegrity.PlagiarizingWhenfactsorothermaterialareobtainedfromanoutsidesource,thatsourceshouldbecitedproperlyinthetextandthebibliography/referencessectionofyourwork.Plagiarismisdefinedastakingthewordsorideasofanotherpersonandpresentingthemasone'sownwithoutpropercredit.Plagiarizingisconsideredcheating,andastudentwhoplagiarizeswillreceiveazeroforthatassignmentand/orafailinggradeforthecourse.Ifyouarenotcertainthatyouarecitingmaterialsproperly,feelfreetodoublecheckyourcitationswithme.SecurityandSafetyPleasemakesurethatyoudownloadtheUICappandreadtheguidelinesoncampussecurityandsafetycarefully.

COURSESCHEDULE

Readingassignmentsshouldbecompletedpriortothedateforwhichtheyareassigned.Youshouldcometoclasspreparedtodiscusswhatyouhaveread.Thisscheduleistentative–youwillbeadvisedofchanges.Thesyllabuscontainsactivelinkstopurchasingebooksonline,andlivelinkstoarticlesavailablefreeofcost.Allotherreadingswillbeavailableviablackboard(BB).DATE

TOPICS

READINGS

Jan.11 Courseoverview Syllabus–orderbooks,watchshows,pre-read,gatherpopularpressmaterialsJan.18 MLKDAY NoclassJan.25 THESELFANDMODERNITY

Simmel,OnIndividualityandSocialForms(BB)Goffman,ThePresentationofSelfinEverydayLifeLitt–Knock,Knock,Who’sthere?Theimaginedaudience(BB)

Feb.1 RESEARCHINGTHESELF

Hargittai&Sandvig:DigitalResearchConfidentialSkypein:EszterHargittai

Feb.8 THESELF,SOCIALITYANDSOCIALMEDIA

Marwick,StatusUpdateboyd,It’sComplicatedSkypein:AliceMarwick

Feb.15 THESELF,EXPRESSIONANDCONNECTION

Gergen,TheSaturatedSelfPapacharissi(Ed.)ANetworkedSelf(BB)Skypein:danahboyd(2:30pm)MEDIACOMMENTARY/ESSAYDUEFEB19

Feb.22 PERSONALCONNECTIONS

PersonalConnectionsSkypein:NancyBaym

Feb.29 SELFIECULTUREANDMICROCELEBRITY

IJOCSelfieSpecialIssue,editedbySenftandBaymAccessonlineviaijocsiteTheSkinoftheSelfieessaySkypein:TerriSenftRESEARCHPROPOSALDUEMARCH1

Mar.7 PLATFORMSANDPOLITICSTHEQUANTIFIEDSELF

NeffandNafus:TheQuantifiedSelf/Self-Tracking(proofsonBB)Skypein:GinaNeff

Mar.14 IDENTITY,MARGINALIZATION,VOICE

Gray,OutintheCountry,tba(BB)MaryL.Gray,SiddharthSuri,SyedShoaibAli,andDeeptiKulkarni,TheCrowdisaCollaborativeNetwork,inComputer-SupportedCooperativeWorkandSocialComputing,February2016.Gray-YourjobTaskifiedSkypein:MaryGrayBOOKREVIEWDUEMARCH20

March21-25SpringBreakMar.28 CONNECTION,

DISCONNECTIONANDSPECTATORSHIP

TheIronicSpectator–LilieChouliarakiActiveSpectatorship–DanKreissetalSkypein:Lilie(tbc)andDanFIRSTPAPERDRAFTDUEAPRIL1

Apr.4 LIFELOVEDEATH Bauman,LiquidLoveRecommended,notrequired:LiquidLifeandTheArtofLife,alsobyBaumanAnsari&Klinenberg:ModernRomanceNicoleEllisonetalProfileasPromise,Thereisn’tWifiinHeavenSkypein,NicoleEllison

Apr.11 DAYOFF WORKONPROJECTSApr.18 WHATISSOCIAL Speak–LouisaHall(novel,scifi)

SocialMediaandSocietyspecialissue(pick10)

Apr.25 CompletedResearchPapers,WorkdisseminationplanandPresentationsdue