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Technology & Culture in America

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Technology & Culture in America Technology & Culture in America 01.050.314.01 – Spring 2010 Department of American Studies – Rutgers University Mondays 6:40PM-9:30PM – Lucy Stone Hall A143 Course SAKAI Site: https://sakai.rutgers.edu/portal/site/techculturefall2010 Course Blog: http://techculturefall2010.blogspot.com/ Instructor Matthew B. Ferguson, M.C.R.P. E-mail: [email protected] (Subject Line: Technology & Culture-Monday) Office Hours Monday 5:30PM – 6:30PM & By Arrangement Office Hours Location: Livingston Student Center 107D Required Texts Computers - The Life Story of Technology (Approx $17.00) By: Eric Swedin & Dave Ferro- ISBN: 9780801887741 Technopoly - The Surrender of Culture to Technology (Approx $10.00) By: Neil Postman - ISBN: 9780679745402 The World and Wikipedia – How We Are Editing Reality (Approx $25.00) By: Andrew Dalby - ISBN: 9780956205209 Made to Break – Technology and Obsolescence in America (Approx $18.00) By: Giles Slade - ISBN: 9780674025721 The Facebook Effect (Approx $17.00) By: David Kirkpatrick - ISBN: 9781439102114 Additional Readings on SAKAI site or provided by Instructor (Free!) Books are available at online retailers such as BN.com, Amazon.com & Half.com Course Description This course looks to examine the effects of web 2.0, social media and digital technology on American culture and identity. This course will take an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the growing phenomenon of user generated web content and interactive multimedia technology paying special attention to how these institutions are changing how we access information, how we communicate and how we identify within our culture. Additionally, this course will explore the potential consequences of multimedia technology on current and future generations and representations of race, class, gender and sexuality within these media outlets. Specific examples of study will include Wikipedia, Google, and YouTube. Departmental Learning Goals Met By This Course Students will be able to comprehend and synthesize an interdisciplinary dialogue among the different fields and methodologies that compose American Studies. Students will investigate American culture and society across time and space through an examination of history, politics, literature, and arts of the peoples of the United States, as well as the Americas. Students will be able to write well; speak articulately; and think critically, analytically, and creatively. Course Specific Learning Goals By the end of this course, students will be able to: • demonstrate basic knowledge of the history/development/use of the internet, web 2.0 technology and social media. • analyze technology as it relates American identity, culture and values. • critically examine the role that technology plays in our communication and learning patterns and social constructs of race, class, gender and sexuality. • construct succinct and textually supported analysis of primary and secondary sources. • assemble effective visual presentations/group discussions and develop effective public speaking skills. Course Outline Wednesday September 8 – Course Introduction & Syllabus Review Monday September 13 – Internet, Blogs & Culture Review of Blog Assignments Sample Current Event Presentations Current Event Date Sign-Up Networking the Nerds(1998) Film Screening Wednesday September 15 – Set-Up of Blog & First Blog Entry Due! Set-Up Your Blog Using Blogger.Com Personalize Your Blog. Send The URL of Your Blog To Prof. Ferguson By 6:00PM Today. (Include Your Entire Name in the Email) Post First Blog Assignment! Friday September 17 – TFLN Optional Extra Credit Event Livingston Hall, Livingston Student Center – FREE! Piscataway, NJ 8:00PM (Check In With Professor By 7:45PM) Blog About Experience Due Friday September 24 at 6:00PM Monday September 20 – Early Computing & Personalized Computing Experience **Sample Current Event Presentation** READING DUE: Swedin/Ferro’s Computers pgs 1-83 **Analytical Blog Entry Due By Sunday at 6:00PM** Friday September 24 – EXTENSION: Blog Entry Due By 6:00PM READING DUE: Swedin/Ferro’s Computers pgs 85-149 **Analytical Blog Entry Due By Today at 6:00PM** Monday September 27 – Tools Technocracy Technopoly Solo Current Event Presentations READING DUE: Postman’s Technopoly pgs xi-91 **Analytical Blog Entry Due By Sunday at 6:00PM** Monday October 4 – Technology: The Good & The Bad Solo Current Event Presentations READING DUE: Postman’s Technopoly pgs 92-199 **Analytical Blog Entry Due By Sunday at 6:00PM** Monday October 11 – The YouTube Generation Solo Current Event Presentations READING DUE: Dalby’s The World and Wikipedia pgs 7-113 **Analytical Blog Entry Due By Sunday at 6:00PM** Monday October 18 – All About Wikipedia Solo Current Event Presentations READING DUE: Dalby’s The World and Wikipedia pgs 114-225 **Analytical Blog Entry Due By Sunday at 6:00PM** Monday October 25 – Patterns of Consumerism Solo Current Event Presentations READING DUE: Slade’s Made to Break pgs 1-81 **Analytical Blog Entry Due By Sunday at 6:00PM** Monday November 1 – American Consumption Group Midterm Presentations READING DUE: Slade’s Made to Break pgs 83-185 **Analytical Blog Entry Due By Sunday at 6:00PM** Monday November 8 – E-Waste and the Green Revolution Group Midterm Presentations READING DUE: Slade’s Made to Break pgs 186-281 **Analytical Blog Entry Due By Sunday at 6:00PM** Monday November 15 – Social Networking Solo Current Event Presentations READING DUE: Kirkpatrick’s The Facebook Effect pgs 1-106 **Analytical Blog Entry Due By Tuesday at 6:00PM** Monday November 22 - NO CLASS Meeting! (Wednesday Classes – Change in Class Day!) Monday November 29 – TED, Online Dating & Other UGC Solo Current Event Presentations READING DUE: Kirkpatrick’s The Facebook Effect pgs 107-214 **Analytical Blog Entry Due By Sunday at 6:00PM** Monday December 6 – Does Facebook Run The World? Solo Current Event Presentations READING DUE: Kirkpatrick’s The Facebook Effect pgs 214-333 **Analytical Blog Entry Due By Tuesday at 6:00PM** Monday December 13 – Final Paper Presentations **Analytical Blog Entry Due By Tuesday at 6:00PM** Grading Components Grading Cut-Offs Weekly Blog Entries 60 Points 90.0+ Points = A Solo Current Event Presentation 5 Points 85.0+ Points = B+ Blog/Class Participation 15 Points 80.0+ Points = B Group Presentation 10 Points 75.0+ Points = C+ Final Paper/Presentation 20 Points 70.0+ Points = C 60.0+ Points = D Total Possible Points 110 Points 59.9 Points or Below = F How Set-Up/Manage Your Blog • Go to Blogger.com. Set-Up a blog related to Technology and Culture in America. Personalize the blog. (Have fun with it!) • Email the URL to Professor Ferguson to be linked to our class blog page. • Create at least 20 blog posts including the following: o 1 Reaction Post to Technology Log/Setting Up a Blog o 12 Critical Analysis Posts o 1 Solo Current Event Presentation Post o 1 Group Midterm Project Post o 2-3 Final Paper/Project Posts (during the process) o 2-3 Posts of Your Choosing (i.e. current events, websites, etc) o 1 Post about Extra Credit Opportunity (if applicable) o NOTE: Blogs are due at 6:00PM on the Sunday BEFORE Class Meeting! All Blog entries should be 300-500 words and academically appropriate. • Check our Course Blog for Updates on Assignments/Etc • View/Comment on the blogs of your fellow classmates – (Factored into Course Participation Grade.) First Blog Post • Log your usage of the internet/computers for 2-3 days. • Construct a blog reaction to your internet usage, the process of creating a blog and your reaction to entering the blogosphere. • Have fun with this post and introduce yourself to me! • Due by 6:00PM on Wednesday September 15. Critical Analysis Blogs In order to reinforce the main concepts of the assigned course readings, students will be asked to write a critical analysis blog for each week that reading is assigned. Each critical analysis blog should include the following: • Brief synopsis of the assigned reading including primary concepts/arguments (use textual references where appropriate) • Reaction to the author’s primary arguments as compared to other course texts and personal experience. (It is expected that comparison to previous course literature will occur more frequently as the semester goes on) • Textually supported commentary on what the author’s work says about the relationship between American culture and technology, specifically as it relates to communication, representations of social constructs and American identity. • NOTE: I am NOT looking for a summary or a string of quotes. I am looking for a textually supported academic analysis of what each work tells us about the relationship between American culture and technology. Also, while I encourage you to include personal experience in your responses, you should not rely solely on those anecdotes to support your arguments. • As long as you introduce the name of the book and author, you can simply refer to the page number of the quote or section that you are referring to in your entry. Example: Feguson tells us “American culture can’t survive without email for a day.” (p.46) Solo Current Events Presentations Since technology and our relationship to it is constantly expanding, shrinking and changing, a key element of this course will be making ourselves aware of what ways technology is playing a role/shaping our current events. Accordingly, each member of the course will be asked to research a current event, present a summary to the class and lead the class in a brief discussion about the subject of the current event. Each member of the class will be assigned a specific course meeting date and needs to complete the following steps: • Research current events and locate a topic, news story or controversy of interest. • Email the topic to Prof. Ferguson by 6:00PM on the day before class to confirm that another member of the class isn’t already covering the topic. • Once given the green light, prepare brief remarks to summarize the subject/position of the article to present to the class (2-3 minutes).
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