Digital Sociology

We live in a digital world. We surf. We tweet. We swipe left. We create data. We become data. In this course we will consider how we use and are used by digital technologies. Digital spaces are neither neutral nor separate; they reflect and recreate the “real world.” We will critically examine today’s technologies and practices using central concepts in sociological theory, namely identity, inequality, and power. We will focus on four main topics: social media and productive labor; surveillance and privacy; stratification in access, use, and experience across race, class, gender, and sexuality; and online political organizing. 3 hrs. lect.