The main aim of this course (“Geopolitics of code. Languages, power and identity in digital networks”) is to learn how digital languages and instruments influence our everyday life, and how they create new cultural representations and self-representations that transform and standardize our knowledge, but also our cultures and societies as a whole. Students will be introduced to the theoretical and practical aspects of the so-called "bias" of digital media, unmask their often invisible infrastructures, and learn to investigate how software and algorithms shape our consciousness. Through examples taken from different places and geopolitical contexts you will also see how it is possible to make a critical and alternative use of these tools. The first part will introduce you to the main thinkers and ideas of the sociology and history of media studies, from Harold Innis to Marshall McLhuan, from Vannevar Bush to Tim Berners-Lee. This will give you the necessary background to deal with the second part that will take place in a computer lab. Here you will explore practically how codes work, and you will learn how to build a ‘digital edition’ of a text using HTML and XML. At the end of the course you will have an idea not only about how digital media shape the present geopolitical scenario, but you will have developed some practical experience on how also all computing “codes” and applications imply and reflect social, political and cultural views and biases. For all these reasons students’ physical attendance, especially during practical sessions, is highly recommended.
teacher profile teaching materials
1) to introduce the students to the basic concepts of the sociology of media;
2) to analyze the intellectual contributions of the most prominent 20th century media theorists;
3) to reflect on the geopolitical unbalances and inequalities of the digital media scenario;
4) to explore practical and theoretical alternatives offered by unconventional groups and initiatives on software, coding and social media;
5) to understand the "logic of coding" through practical sessions and guided exercises in the computing lab.
1) Ricciardi, Mario (2012), La comunicazione. Maestri e paradigmi, Roma-Bari, Laterza.
2) Domenico Fiormonte (2018), Per una critica del testo digitale, Roma, Bulzoni.
Students who will not able to come to class can still take the final exam, but are required to study the volume by Nick Couldry, Sociologia dei nuovi media. Teoria sociale e pratiche mediali digitali, Milano-Torino, Pearson, 2015 (English edition available). They will have also to choose one volume from the following list:
1) Shoshana Zuboff (2019), Il capitalismo della sorveglianza. Il futuro dell'umanità nell'era dei nuovi poteri, Roma, LUISS.
2) Gabriele Balbi e Paolo Magaudda (2014), Storia dei media digitali. Rivoluzioni e continuità, Roma-Bari, Laterza.
3) Geert Lovink (2016), Ossessioni collettive. Critica dei social media, Milano, Università Bocconi Editore.
4) Sergio Bellucci (2019), L'industria dei sensi, Roma, Harpo.
5) Ippolita, (2018), Il lato oscuro di Google. L'informatica del dominio, Milano, Milieu.
Some of these texts are available also in English.
For more information please contact the instructor.
Mutuazione: 21801250 SOCIOLOGIA DELLA COMUNICAZIONE in Scienze politiche per la cooperazione e lo sviluppo L-36 FIORMONTE DOMENICO
Programme
The aims of the course of Sociology of communication are:1) to introduce the students to the basic concepts of the sociology of media;
2) to analyze the intellectual contributions of the most prominent 20th century media theorists;
3) to reflect on the geopolitical unbalances and inequalities of the digital media scenario;
4) to explore practical and theoretical alternatives offered by unconventional groups and initiatives on software, coding and social media;
5) to understand the "logic of coding" through practical sessions and guided exercises in the computing lab.
Core Documentation
Required readings (for all students)1) Ricciardi, Mario (2012), La comunicazione. Maestri e paradigmi, Roma-Bari, Laterza.
2) Domenico Fiormonte (2018), Per una critica del testo digitale, Roma, Bulzoni.
Students who will not able to come to class can still take the final exam, but are required to study the volume by Nick Couldry, Sociologia dei nuovi media. Teoria sociale e pratiche mediali digitali, Milano-Torino, Pearson, 2015 (English edition available). They will have also to choose one volume from the following list:
1) Shoshana Zuboff (2019), Il capitalismo della sorveglianza. Il futuro dell'umanità nell'era dei nuovi poteri, Roma, LUISS.
2) Gabriele Balbi e Paolo Magaudda (2014), Storia dei media digitali. Rivoluzioni e continuità, Roma-Bari, Laterza.
3) Geert Lovink (2016), Ossessioni collettive. Critica dei social media, Milano, Università Bocconi Editore.
4) Sergio Bellucci (2019), L'industria dei sensi, Roma, Harpo.
5) Ippolita, (2018), Il lato oscuro di Google. L'informatica del dominio, Milano, Milieu.
Some of these texts are available also in English.
For more information please contact the instructor.
Type of delivery of the course
The course is divided in two parts. In the first part students will engage with a number of readings on authors, works and themes that will assigned and discussed during the class. Students will send their reading responses to a mailing list that will be created at the beginning of the semester. In the second part of the course students will deal with practical excercises and hands-on sessions in the computing lab.Attendance
This is an experimental class based on active participation and lab sessions and attendance is highly recommended. Attending students are permitted only three lab absences.Type of evaluation
For students attending at least 70% of classs (50/64 hours), and who have diligently carried out all class activities during the semester, the final exam will be a written questionnaire consisting of three open questions based on the volume edited by Ricciardi (cf. Ricciardi, Mario (2012), La comunicazione. Maestri e paradigmi, Roma-Bari, Laterza). Practical sessions during the course consist of: 1) individual comments published on the online group or mailing list; 2) lab excercises; 3) group research that will be assigned during the second part of the course. Each of these activities will be marked and assessed separately, and the final mark will be the result of an overall evaluation. For example: Activity I: 28; Activity II: 25; Activity III: 30; final written questionnaire: 27. Final mark: 27.5. All foreign students who are not attending the course are required to contact the instructor to arrange an ad-hoc programme and will be assigned a reading list (see also "Testi").