SOC 316 - Digital Media and Social Change

This course walks students through the various ways digital media (computers, internet, cellphones) has impacted social change at the global level. From the Arab Spring movements in the early 2010s to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests in late 2010s on the one hand, and global turn towards right wing fascism on the other hand (e.g. the extremely online formulation of the Trumpian alt-right; “The Great Firewall” in China), digital and social media have played key roles in facilitating social and political conflicts as well as change. After the 2020 global pandemic, digital social spaces replaced traditional society in most domains and institutions, but digital media has been gearing up to transform society for far longer than this critical period in contemporary society. In this seminar, we will take a close look at the various sociological theories that might explain digital media and global social change, and apply them to case studies of contemporary social movements and counter movements across the political spectrum. 

Satisfies Sociology major requirement
Satisfies Social-Scientific Thought requirement
Satisfies the Justice, Equality, and Community requirement

Prerequisites & Notes
Pre-reqs: any 100 or 200 level sociology course; SOC 275 Mass Media or SOC 242 Globalization especially encouraged