Nonviolent communication and the internet
The main objective of this course is to create a critical consciousness on the use of everyday communication tools, forms, and practices, from orality to digital media. In the first part of the course students will be introduced to the main paradigms, methodologies and works of the sociology and history of media. We will read and discuss passages from the manual written by Mario Ricciardi, "La comunicazione. Maestri e paradigmi" (Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2012). Students will have to write weekly responses on the assigned readings and engage in both online and offline discussions guided by the instructor. In the second part of the course, these prevalently Western theories and authors will be reexamined and criticized in the light of completely different approaches. We will introduce the concept of “nonviolent communication”, elaborated and practiced, between others, by the Mahatma Gandhi. Writers, intellectuals, social and political activists like Danilo Dolci, Aldo Capitini, Paulo Freire, Frantz Fanon, Houria Bouteldja, Lanza Del Vasto, Vandana Shiva and others will be the starting point for analyzing and finally deconstructing the aggressive and manipulative Western communication forms and techniques that dominate the present media scenario. This analysis will lead us to address critically our own everyday online interactions as to understand how the digital dimension can transform and manipulate our emotions, ideas, cognitive habits, etc. and guide our behaviors and actions towards specific commercial, political, and cultural objectives. At this point students will be asked to create and experiment with nonviolent forms of communication, both verbally and online. The final objective will be to create new communication codes and practices that can help students to discover and express their own creative potential and accomplish an autonomous capacity to communicate effectively and peacefully in the real world.
The main objective of this course is to create a critical consciousness on the use of everyday communication tools, forms, and practices, from orality to digital media. In the first part of the course students will be introduced to the main paradigms, methodologies and works of the sociology and history of media. We will read and discuss passages from the manual written by Mario Ricciardi, "La comunicazione. Maestri e paradigmi" (Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2012). Students will have to write weekly responses on the assigned readings and engage in both online and offline discussions guided by the instructor. In the second part of the course, these prevalently Western theories and authors will be reexamined and criticized in the light of completely different approaches. We will introduce the concept of “nonviolent communication”, elaborated and practiced, between others, by the Mahatma Gandhi. Writers, intellectuals, social and political activists like Danilo Dolci, Aldo Capitini, Paulo Freire, Frantz Fanon, Houria Bouteldja, Lanza Del Vasto, Vandana Shiva and others will be the starting point for analyzing and finally deconstructing the aggressive and manipulative Western communication forms and techniques that dominate the present media scenario. This analysis will lead us to address critically our own everyday online interactions as to understand how the digital dimension can transform and manipulate our emotions, ideas, cognitive habits, etc. and guide our behaviors and actions towards specific commercial, political, and cultural objectives. At this point students will be asked to create and experiment with nonviolent forms of communication, both verbally and online. The final objective will be to create new communication codes and practices that can help students to discover and express their own creative potential and accomplish an autonomous capacity to communicate effectively and peacefully in the real world.
teacher profile teaching materials
In the second part of the course, these prevalently Western theories and authors will be reexamined and criticized in the light of completely different approaches. We will introduce the concept of “nonviolent communication”, elaborated and practiced, between others, by the Mahatma Gandhi. Writers, intellectuals, social and political activists like Danilo Dolci, Aldo Capitini, Paulo Freire, Frantz Fanon, Houria Bouteldja, Marshall B. Rosenberg, Lanza Del Vasto, Vandana Shiva and others will be the starting point for analyzing and finally deconstructing the aggressive and manipulative Western communication forms and techniques that dominate the present media scenario.
The third part of the course will be a practical hands-on session. Students will be asked to analyze their own online interactions, as to identify implicit and explicit "violent codes" (i.e. culturally inappropriate expressions or biases, etc.) in their online language and posts. Finally, they will have to create and experiment with nonviolent forms of communication that could be presented or delivered both orally and online.
1) Mario Ricciardi, “Communico. Linguaggi, immagini, algoritmi”, TAB, Roma, 2021.
2) Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule, 1909.
(Available free of charge from: https://www.mkgandhi.org/ebks/hind_swaraj.pdf)
3) Marshall B. Rosenberg, “Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life”, Puddle Dancer Press, 2015.
4) Aldo Capitini, "Le ragioni della nonviolenza. Antologia degli scritti", Pisa, ETS.
Mutuazione: 21801558 SOCIOLOGIA DELLA COMUNICAZIONE in Scienze politiche L-36 FIORMONTE DOMENICO
Programme
In the first part of the course students will be introduced to the main paradigms, methodologies and works of the sociology and history of media. We will read and discuss passages from the manual written by Mario Ricciardi, “Communico. Linguaggi, immagini, algoritimi" (TAB edizioni, 2021). Students will have to write weekly reading responses on the assigned readings and engage in both online and offline discussions guided by the instructor.In the second part of the course, these prevalently Western theories and authors will be reexamined and criticized in the light of completely different approaches. We will introduce the concept of “nonviolent communication”, elaborated and practiced, between others, by the Mahatma Gandhi. Writers, intellectuals, social and political activists like Danilo Dolci, Aldo Capitini, Paulo Freire, Frantz Fanon, Houria Bouteldja, Marshall B. Rosenberg, Lanza Del Vasto, Vandana Shiva and others will be the starting point for analyzing and finally deconstructing the aggressive and manipulative Western communication forms and techniques that dominate the present media scenario.
The third part of the course will be a practical hands-on session. Students will be asked to analyze their own online interactions, as to identify implicit and explicit "violent codes" (i.e. culturally inappropriate expressions or biases, etc.) in their online language and posts. Finally, they will have to create and experiment with nonviolent forms of communication that could be presented or delivered both orally and online.
Core Documentation
Required readings (for all students)1) Mario Ricciardi, “Communico. Linguaggi, immagini, algoritmi”, TAB, Roma, 2021.
2) Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule, 1909.
(Available free of charge from: https://www.mkgandhi.org/ebks/hind_swaraj.pdf)
3) Marshall B. Rosenberg, “Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life”, Puddle Dancer Press, 2015.
4) Aldo Capitini, "Le ragioni della nonviolenza. Antologia degli scritti", Pisa, ETS.
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 exercises and hands-on sessions in the computing lab or, if not possible, in the classroom.Attendance
This is an experimental class based on active participation and lab sessions and attendance is required. 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. Mario Ricciardi, "Communico", TAB, 2021). 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").