SOCI 210: Sociological perspectives

Agenda

  1. Administrative
  2. Science, technology, & society
  3. The Internet & inequality
  4. Discussion:
    Online media & racial stereotyping

Administrative

Deadline extention

  • Synthesis essay 2 is now due on Friday, April 11

Final exam freebie

  • In our discussion of social network analysis, I neglected to talk about 'small world networks'
  • On the exam, a question asks you what type of network feature these are. The answer is network structure
  • Note that response orders are randomized;
    on your exam, it may not be option 'c'
Multiple choice question: 'Small world networks describe a type of ___________'. Four response options: 'Network function', 'Network relation', 'Network structure', 'Network position'. The third option, 'Network structure', is highlighted in yellow.

Science, technology,
& society

Screenshot from The Matrix showing a hallway and three people all made from stylized green glowing computer code on a black background

Technology and society

Technology and society

Science & technology studies

How does technology
influence
society?

  • Is technological change exogenous? something that happens to society?
    Demographic transition theory; Weber on bureaucracy; etc.
  • How can new science and techologies change the way we interact with each other?
  • How can new science and technologies alter power relations?

How does
society
influence
technology?

  • Production of scientific knowledge and technology is inherently social
  • Social institutions and norms shape scientific knowledge
    E.g., promote 'bad' science (phrenology, conversion therapy)<
  • Scientific knowledge is itself social
    E.g. paradigms the structure of scientific revolutions (Kuhn)

The Internet & social divisions

xkcd 'Duty calls' comic (https://xkcd.com/386/). A person sits a a computer. Voice outside frame: Are you coming to bed? Cueball: I can't. This is important. Voice: What? Cueball: Someone is WRONG on the Internet.

Communication technology

Communication technology

Internet as equalizer

Internet as equalizer

Internet as equalizer

Internet as divider

Internet as divider

Internet as divider

Internet as divider

Internet as divider

Internet as divider

Technology as tool of opression

  • Ubiquity of digital communication opens new channels for systems of oppression
  • Surveillance
    Location, content, association, etc
    Foucault’s panopticon
  • Extraction
    Labor (physical and creative)
  • Harassment, cyber-bullying, doxxing
    Availability of information and access to social networks
  • Framing / narative
    Social media and online resources give outsize influence over framing to those with access

Online media and stereotyping

The role of online versus 'legacy' media in racial stereotyping

  1. In groups of 2–4:
  • What differences did Phelps and Hamilton (2021) find between 'online only' and 'legacy' news sources?
  • Discuss what features of online media could account for this difference?
  • Consider the influence of social media on racialized representations. How does this to the news media that was the focus of the reading?
  1. As a class:
  • As a class, we'll discuss some of the points and insights from the groups

Mention: encryption!