Data, Technology and Society 2401-OG-EN-DTaS

The dynamic development of technology in the last decades has a critical impact on the society, culture and politics. It effects the everyday lives of individuals and social institutions. Media companies and digital platforms are the main spaces of social interactions. Hence, data that we produce using technology are the crucial outcome that fuels the contemporary economy.
In such a manner, the course tackles two interrelated processes. Firstly, datafication is understood as the process of translating practices and agencies of individuals and social institutions into digital data that are produced, collected, stored, analyzed and commodified. Secondly, mediatization is the process of media-related social and cultural transformations.
Since the effects of these processes are visible in politics, culture and economy, they require a critical investigation to capture the changing relationship between humans and technology.

Total student workload

Contact hours with teacher: - participation in discussion seminar 25 hrs - consultations- approx. 15 hrs Self-study hours: - preparation for discussion seminar – 35 hrs - writing essays - 30 hrs - reading literature- 30 hrs Altogether: 135 hrs (5 ECTS)

Learning outcomes - knowledge

Student W1: has a basic knowledge about the role of the data in contemporary society W2: possesses knowledge on the mediatization and datafication processes W3: is familiar with the concepts of datafication, mediatization, technology, privacy, surveillance, media practice, agency, structure, critical theory W4: is acquainted with the role of these concepts in contemporary society

Learning outcomes - skills

Student U1: is able to analyse the datafication and mediatization processes U2: is capable to use these concepts within media and communication framework U3: has advanced skills in performing research insights into the intersection of these processes U4: can define and explain the role of technology and machines in contemporary society

Learning outcomes - social competencies

Student K1: understands the significance of the role of data and technology in shaping agency of individual and social institutions K2: understands the need for exploring the field of datafication and mediatization K3: is ready to prepare short papers and research proposals K4: participates in the research process in the field of media and communication studies K5: can cooperate in the group

Teaching methods

Expository teaching methods: - conversation lecture - description - discussion Exploratory teaching methods - case study - classic problem-solving - practical - writing of a paper

Expository teaching methods

- discussion
- description
- narration
- participatory lecture

Exploratory teaching methods

- project work
- seminar
- case study

Course coordinators

Olga Wadowska

Assessment criteria

Standards
1. You have to attend class. No matter what the reason is, you may skip only 2 meetings after the introduction class.
2. You have to be prepared, that is, be familiar with assigned readings and ready for the discussion. I don’t expect you’ll understand every assigned reading immediately, but I require that you’ll give a try.
3. Don’t raise your hand in class. I expect you to speak up when you have something interesting and contributing to say, but don’t speak over anyone and respect the opinions of others.
4. This is a media and communication course and you are expected to communicate and use digital media appropriately. Media misuse (texting, emailing) will rule you out of class.
5. You can contact me during my office hours (and by appointment) and via email (wojtkowski@umk.pl).

Grading
1. Participation in the discussion (10 points): active class participation and familiarity with readings
2. Tasks and problems (10 points): active in-group participation in solving the practice-oriented case studies.
3. Essay (10): 5 pages long critical essay on one of the selected topics.

to 50% – 2
from 51% – 3
from 61% – 3,5
from 71% – 4
from 81% – 4,5
from 91% – 5

Bibliography

Including but not limited to:
Couldry, Nick. (2000). The place of media power. Pilgrims and witnesses of the media age. London: Routledge.
Couldry, Nick. (2012). Media, society, world. Social theory and digital media practice. Cambridge: Polity.
Couldry, Nick, Ulises A. Mejias (2019). The cost of connection. Stanford: Stanford University Press
Lundby Knut. 2014. Mediatization of Communication. In: K. Lundby (Ed.) Mediatization of Communication. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter Mouton.
Rainie, Lee, Wellman, Barry. (2012). Networked. The New Social Operating System. Cambridge: MIT Press
van Dijck, José (2013). The culture of connectivity. A critical history of social media. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Wojtkowski, Łukasz. (2017). The present tense of mediatization studies. Mediatization Studies, 1(1), 9-22.
Woolley, Samuel C., Howard, Philip N. Eds. (2019). Computational Propaganda. Political Parties, Politicians, and Political Manipulation on Social Media. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Additional information

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 2401-OG-EN-DTaS in USOSweb