Sociology 447: Digital Social Life

TR 10-11:20, 195 ANS

Ryan Light
light@uoregon.edu
Office Hours: 1-3 Wednesday & 12-1 Friday, 632 PLC
GTF: Diego Contreras Medrano
diegoc@uoregon.edu
Office Hours: TBD, TBD

We are now part of a giant machine where every second we have to take out a device and
contribute our thoughts and opinions. - Gary Shteyngart

Course Description: Social life has changed in dramatic ways since the advent of the internet. Social organization has evolved alongside the spread of digitization as individuals engage in
new forms of collective activity mediated by machines. How has the internet changed our families,
friendships, and workplaces? Social scientists have only begun to develop an understanding of these
questions. This class aims to provide an overview of the recent literature to date with a focus on
digital culture and online social networks. Topics include social inequality in digital spaces, digital
youth culture, and social movements in the digital age.

Learning Objectives: At the completion of this course, students will be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Describe sociological approaches to understanding digital social life

Thoughtfully engage and discuss challenging material
Build a project that asks sociologically relevant questions
Write a sociologically meaningful analysis

Grade Distribution:
Participation & Quizzes
Reader Responses
Class Leader
Final Exam

20%
30%
10%
40%

Requirements:
Participation and Quizzes
In-class participation is essential for this course. By this time in your academic career,
you have the skills and knowledge to contribute and should be confident in this fact.
Any PowerPoint slides or notes will be made available after class. My hope is that this
will facilitate more thoughtful note-taking and more creative engagement in the course.
Attendance is required and you should be prepared in at least two ways: Please read the
course materials prior to the class and bring the necessary course materials for each class.
Expect frequent reading quizzes/in-class assignments to keep us all on our toes.
No makeup quizzes will be given. The final quiz score will be curved.
1

 Reader Response Essays

Reader response essays are short (1-2 pages, single-spaced) opportunities to engage in
that days readings. Successful essays will begin by offering a short description of 1 or 2 of
the days assigned articles or chapters. Next, a successful essay will compare and contrast
the article(s) to other material from the class or from other academic courses. Last, a
successful response will conclude with a brief critique or evaluation of the article(s).
5%/day deduction for late assignments. This include weekend days.
Class Leader
Every student will be assigned to serve as a class leader for one class session. This
student will be able to provide an introduction to the days reading and ask at least 5
questions relevant to the course material. The leader will help lead discussion. You are
required to submit a 200 word summary of the days reading and your 5 questions to
me over email by 10pm the night before you are assigned to lead.
Final Project
The final project is an original research project that consists of two parts: A proposal
and the final paper. The final project may be on a topic of your choice related to course
material. The data for the paper will consist of at least two interviews. I will provide
more detail about the final project around week 6.
1. Final Proposal: The proposal (2-pages, double spaced) will help lay the foundation
for your final project. It should include an overview of your project and a discussion
of your data.
2. Final Paper: The final paper (12+ pages, double-spaced or digital alternatives)
will represent the culmination of your original research. Unless you elect to create a
digital alternative, the paper will be formatted as a standard sociological article with
a theory section, data section, results section and so forth. As is the standard with
most scholarly writing, it should err on the side of formality and should represent
your best work!
5%/day deduction for late assignments. This include weekend days.
Attendance and Absences
Attendance Bonus: 2% bonus for missing 1 or fewer classes.
Minimum Attendance Requirement: If you miss more than 6 classes, you will
receive a failing grade for this course.

Required Texts: Rainie, Lee and Barry Wellman. 2012. Networked. Cambridge, MA: MIT
Press.
boyd, danah. 2014. Its Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens. New Haven, CT:
Yale.

Course Outline:
The schedule is subject to change with appropriate notice in class or through email. Note that CV
indicates that the reading is available on the Canvas course page.
Week

Content

Week 1

9/29 Introductions
10/1 Opening Salvos
- Reading: CV:Burkeman (2009); CV:Carr (2008)

Week 2

10/6 Our Networked Life 1: Introduction to social networks

- Reading: Rainie and Wellman (ch 1-2)
10/8 Our Networked Life 2: Introduction to social networks
- Reading: Rainie and Wellman (ch 3-4)
- Reading Response #1 Due

Week 3

10/13 Our Networked Life 3: Introduction to social networks

- Reading: Rainie and Wellman (ch 5-6, 10-11 (skim))
10/15 Theories 1
- Reading: CV:Granovetter (1973); CV:Bourdieu(1986)

Week 4

10/20 Theories 2
- Reading: CV:Jurgenson (2012)
10/22 Methodological Considerations
- Reading: CV:Ruppert et al. (2013); CV:Pascoe(2012)
- Reading Response #2 Due

Week 5

10/27 Digital Inequality 1

- Reading: CV:Hargittai and CV:Taylor(2008)
10/29 Digital Inequality 2
- Reading: CV: Schradie (2010) and CV:Sims(2014)

Week 6

11/3 Adolescents and Digital Culture 1

- Reading: boyd (2014: 1-3)
- Reading Response #3 Due
11/5 Adolescents and Digital Culture 2
- Reading: boyd (ch. 4-8)

Week 7

11/10 Social Media 1

- Reading: CV:Vitak and Ellison (2012) and CV:Zhao et al. (2008)
- Final Proposal Due
11/12 Social Media 2
- Reading: CV:Tufecki (2011) and CV:Lewis et al (2014)
- Final Proposal Due

Week 8

11/17 Economy, Work, Internet

- Reading:CV:Ritzer and Jurgenson(2011), CV:Lessig(2010), and Marvit(2014)
11/19 Reading Day-No Class

Week 9

11/24 Social Movements

- Reading:CV:Murthy(2013) and CV:Gladwell(2010)
- Reading Response #4 Due
11/26 Thanksgiving Day

Week 10

12/1 Critique 1
- Reading: CV:Turkle (2011)
12/3 Critique 2
- Reading: CV:Lanier (2010)

Final Paper

12/9 Final Paper Due at 4pm at 632 PLC

Being A Good Academic Citizen:

What it means to be a good academic citizen is changing at a rapid pace. Classroom norms
differ between departments and professors. Technology and our relationship to it have much to
do with these ambiguities. So, being a good academic citizen means following traditional norms
of good academic behavior: dont plagiarize, including non-appropriated paraphrasing and quotation (see full statement below), be respectful of others ideas, and so forth. But, it is also worth
considering newer norms. For my class your phones should be put away. It is distracting to
others to have people fidgeting with their text messages. You can use a laptop, but you should
stay on task and respectful of others around you. If someone is being distracting, please contact
me or a GTF. Last, you may NOT sell material for this class (notes, study guides, etc.). If you
are caught selling material for this class, you will be given a failing grade for the term. Any
student who needs help with note-taking should talk to me.

Academic Misconduct:
The University Student Conduct Code (available at conduct.uoregon.edu) defines academic misconduct. Students are prohibited from committing or attempting to commit any act that constitutes academic misconduct. By way of example, students should not give or receive (or attempt
to give or receive) unauthorized help on assignments or examinations without express permission
from the instructor. Students should properly acknowledge and document all sources of information (e.g. quotations, paraphrases, ideas) and use only the sources and resources authorized
by the instructor. If there is any question about whether an act constitutes academic misconduct, it is the students obligation to clarify the question with the instructor before committing
or attempting to commit the act. Additional information about a common form of academic
misconduct, plagiarism, is available at www.libweb.uoregon.edu/guides/plagiarism/students.

Encouraging Inclusive Learning Environments:

The University of Oregon is working to create inclusive learning environments. Please notify me
if there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course that result in disability related
barriers to your participation. You are also encouraged to contact the Accessible Education
Center (formerly Disability Services) in 164 Oregon Hall at 346-1155 or uoaec@uoregon.edu.