Class schedule
Contents
Unit 1: web 2.0 and the digital self
Week 1: hi
1/19
Introduction to the class
1/21
John Scalzi, “Straight White Male: The Lowest Difficulty Setting There Is” http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/05/15/straight-white-male-the-lowest-difficulty-setting-there-is/ (please also read the two follow-up posts)
Lisa Nakamura, “Queer Female of Color: The Highest Difficulty Setting There Is?” http://adanewmedia.org/2012/11/issue1-nakamura/
Watch video during class: “The web turns 25” http://www.cnn.com/videos/tech/2014/03/11/orig-natpak-world-wide-web-turns-25-internet-history-flashbacks.cnn
Key terms: privilege, gamer culture, patriarchy
Week 2: a free and open web?
1/25 (Monday)
add/drop deadline
1/26
Alice Marwick, Status Update introduction and Chapter 1, “Web 2.0” (70 pgs.)
Recommended: Women’s stories of web 2.0 and empowerment https://www.worldpulse.com/en/get-involved/take-action/236
Recommended: Teens creating online content (published in 2007, it captures a specific moment of early 2000s) http://www.pewinternet.org/2007/12/19/teens-creating-content/
1/27 (Wednesday)
Jackson Katz presentation, 7pm in the Foley Center
1/28
Biakolo, “Whose Internet Is It Anyway?: A Dialogue On Race, Gender, And The Digital Space” http://thoughtcatalog.com/kovie-biakolo/2014/03/whose-internet-is-it-anyway-a-dialogue-on-race-gender-and-the-digital-space/
Week 3: performing the self
2/2 (Wiki updates: groups 1 and 2)
Marwick Chapter 3, “Micro-celebrities” (50 pgs.)
Key terms: micro-celebrity, authenticity, anti-fan, attention economy
2/4 (Wiki updates: groups 2 and 3)
Marwick Chapter 4, “Self-branding” (40 pgs.)
Rob Cover, “Understanding Identity Online: Social Networking” (25 pgs.) [PDF on Dropbox]
Judith Butler, excerpt from Gender Trouble (9 pgs.) [PDF on Dropbox]
A short video that illustrates Goffman's theory of self-presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M279taSj8cI
Key terms: performativity, self-branding, the edited self, emotional labor, neoliberal subject
Week 4: Wikipedia
2/9
Sarah Sentilles, “Writing Her In: Wikipedia As Feminist Activism” http://msmagazine.com/blog/2014/05/21/writing-her-in-wikipedia-as-feminist-activism/
Michelle Moravec, “If You Care About Women, You Should Edit Wikipedia Differently” http://march.rutgers.edu/2015/02/if-you-care-about-women-you-should-edit-wikipedia-differently/
Intro to Wikipedia editing brochure: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Editing_Wikipedia_brochure_%28Wiki_Education_Foundation%29.pdf
"Your first article" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Your_first_article
Bryce Peake, “Misogynist Infopolitics” http://adanewmedia.org/2015/04/issue7-peake/
Create an account on wikipedia.org by today.
2/11 **** MEET IN BRONSTEIN HALL, SUNROOM, TODAY. BRING A LAPTOP IF YOU HAVE ONE. ****
Response paper #1 due
Wikipedia workshop with Andy Famiglietti
Choose the article(s) you will work on for the Wikipedia project. Type their titles on your Sandbox page. Gather 2-3 potential sources for your Wikipedia articles(s) and type up their citation information in your Sandbox page.
Week 5: feminisms
2/16 (Wiki updates: groups 3 and 1)
bell hooks, “Feminism: a movement to end sexist oppression” [PDF on Dropbox]
Sara Ahmed, “Feminist Consciousness” http://feministkilljoys.com/2015/10/18/feminist-consciousness/
Jessie Daniels, “Rethinking Cyberfeminism(s): Race, Gender, and Embodiment” http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/wsq/v037/37.1-2.daniels.html
Browse everyday sexism project: http://everydaysexism.com/
Key terms: feminism, cyberfeminism, identity tourism, intersectionality
2/18
summer course registration begins (tentative date)
By today, save your Wikipedia article draft in your Sandbox for peer review. If you are expanding an existing article instead of creating a new article, please add the whole article to your Sandbox, including your changes (which should be big, like a new section or two), and have a system for keeping track of what you added and what is original. Also, bring 3 printouts of your article (the entire article(s) you have been working on) to class. Before you publish your contributions, we will edit and discuss them as a group
Week 6: EDIT-A-THON WEEK!!
2/23
Marwick Chapter 5, “Lifestreaming” (40pgs.) and Chapter 6, “Designed in California” (27 pgs.)
"Final" article complete and “live” on Wikipedia
2/25
No class meeting -- please attend the edit-a-thon instead
Saturday 2/27
Michelle Moravec speaking in Bronstein Hall in the morning 9:30 - 10:45 followed by Wikipedia edit-a-thon from 11am-1pm. Location and more details here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Meetup/Philadelphia/ArtAndFeminism_2016/Saint_Joseph%27s_University
By Sunday 2/28: Wikipedia reflection essay due via email to Rachael
Week 7: social media and gender
3/1 (Wiki updates: groups 1 and 2)
Marwick -- Chapter 6, “Designed in California” (27 pgs.) -- We didn't really have time to talk about this in the last class so let's try to wrap up Marwick today.
Katie DeLuca, “‘Can we block these political thingys? I just want to get f*cking recipes’: Women, Rhetoric, and Politics on Pinterest” http://kairos.technorhetoric.net/19.3/topoi/deluca/index.html
Guest speaker: Katie DeLuca (via Google Hangouts)
Key terms: rhetorical activities/practices/spaces, gendered affinities, digital civic engagement, digital citizenship, identity construction, cyberfeminism (add to the existing page about this term)
3/3 (Wiki updates: groups 2 and 3)
Response paper #2 due (focusing on any reading we've discussed in class since the previous deadline, Feb. 11)
Henry Jenkins interviews Beth Coleman, http://henryjenkins.org/2012/04/our_avatars_our_selves_an_inte.html
Sarah Liao, “My Metamorphic Avatar Journey” http://vcg.emitto.net/3vol/liao.pdf
Recommended: Jacquelyn Allen-Collinson, “Autoethnography as engagement” [PDF on Dropbox]
Key terms: avatar, autoethnography, gender ambiguity, X-reality
3/7 – 3/11, Spring break week
Week 8: selfies
3/15 (Wiki updates: groups 3 and 1)
Excerpt from Joseph Reagle, Reading the Comments pgs. 121-134 [PDF on Dropbox]
Rachel Syme, “SELFIE” https://medium.com/matter/selfie-fe945dcba6b0#.66t98nbsm
Chainsmokers, "#SELFIE" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdemFfbS5H0
This is another song about selfies that I thought was pretty funny and relevant for the class! -Sam L https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXh8B4yWVKk
Key terms: selfie, narcissism, self-esteem
3/17
Mid-term course grades due
Case studies:
Essena O’Neill
- watch video here: http://fusion.net/video/231597/essena-oneill-instagram-model-why-she-quit/ (note: I had to watch this on Firefox because it didn't work on Chrome)
- O'Neill: “Let’s be game changers” [PDF on Dropbox]
- Gaby Dunn, "Get rich or die vlogging" http://fusion.net/story/244545/famous-and-broke-on-youtube-instagram-social-media/
Mindi Jensen
- "Teacher Almost Fired" http://www.people.com/article/utah-teacher-almost-fired-over-body-building-pictures
- Facebook post 1: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1641294849451847&set=a.1386214251626576.1073741829.100007140424077&type=3&theater
- Facebook post 2: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1687953914785940&set=a.1386214251626576.1073741829.100007140424077&type=3&theater
Should we also talk about the nude Kim K. selfie that caused quite a stir recently?
- "Why all this calling out over a nude selfie?" http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/30282/1/why-all-this-calling-out-over-a-nude-selfie
- Short essay by Kim, as tweeted in screen captures by @_feelowri (the original essay is behind a paywall) https://twitter.com/_feelowri/status/707342918030401537/photo/1
Unit 2: online communities, trolls, and feminist futures
Week 9: trolling part I
3/22 (Wiki updates: groups 1 and 2)
NOTE: Major trigger warning, as well as adult language warning for all of this.
First, read Karla Mantilla's 2013 essay, "Gendertrolling: Misogyny Adapts to New Media PDF on Dropbox. It is just 7 pages. Second, read about #GamerGate on pages 83-91 from Mantilla’s 2015 book Gendertrolling: How Misogyny Went Viral PDF on Dropbox. Third, please read an additional section of your choice from Mantilla's book excerpt. Each chapter is divided up into smaller sections, so just choose one that interests you, from any chapter.
Last, browse examples of actual online harassment leveled against women (reminder: trigger warning, adult language):
- https://storify.com/adriarichards/telling-my-troll-story-because-kathy-sierra-left-t
- https://storify.com/a_man_in_black/gamergate-harassment
- https://storify.com/EOM/misogyny-death-threats-rape-threats-and-gamergate
- http://femfreq.tumblr.com/post/109319269825/one-week-of-harassment-on-twitter
Recommended further reading: Ellen Pao, “The trolls are winning” https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/we-cannot-let-the-internet-trolls-win/2015/07/16/91b1a2d2-2b17-11e5-bd33-395c05608059_story.html
Recommended further reading: Ryan Milner, “Hacking the Social: Internet Memes, Identity Antagonism, and the Logic of Lulz” http://twentytwo.fibreculturejournal.org/fcj-156-hacking-the-social-internet-memes-identity-antagonism-and-the-logic-of-lulz/
3/24
Avatar photo essay due (assignment sheet)
Video in class: Noah https://vimeo.com/65935223 (Note: this film has explicit language and male nudity, the latter of which we will skip in class, but just FYI if you watch it on your own.)
Week 10: trolling part II
3/29 (Wiki updates: groups 2 and 3)
Fall course registration begins (tentative date)
Adrienne Massanari, “#Gamergate and The Fappening: How Reddit’s algorithm, governance, and culture support toxic technocultures” PDF on Dropbox
Guest speaker: Adrienne Massanari (via Skype)
Key terms: toxic technocultures, geek masculinity, platform politics,
Recommended further reading: Ellen Pao, “The trolls are winning” https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/we-cannot-let-the-internet-trolls-win/2015/07/16/91b1a2d2-2b17-11e5-bd33-395c05608059_story.html
Recommended further reading: Ryan Milner, “Hacking the Social: Internet Memes, Identity Antagonism, and the Logic of Lulz” http://twentytwo.fibreculturejournal.org/fcj-156-hacking-the-social-internet-memes-identity-antagonism-and-the-logic-of-lulz/
3/30 (Wednesday)
last day to withdraw from courses
3/31 (Wiki updates: groups 3 and 1)
Michelle Goldberg, “Feminism’s Toxic Twitter Wars” http://www.thenation.com/article/feminisms-toxic-twitter-wars/
Caitlin Gunn, “Hashtagging from the margins: women of color engaged in feminist consciousness-raising on Twitter” [PDF on Dropbox]
Recommended: “How black people may or may not use Twitter” http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2010/08/16/129235517/how-black-people-may-or-may-not-use-twitter
Week 11: feminist online community
4/5
Reading on feminist design (TBA)
Laurie Ouellette and Jacquelyn Arcy, “‘Live through this’: feminist care of the self 2.0” [PDF on Dropbox]
Michel Foucault, Technologies of the Self - Chapter 2, Part I only (7 pgs.) http://monoskop.org/images/0/03/Technologies_of_the_Self_A_Seminar_with_Michel_Foucault.pdf
Recommended: Michel Foucault, “Self Writing” http://foucault.info/documents/foucault.hypomnemata.en.html
4/7
Response paper #3 due (focusing on a reading between 3/15 and today)
No class today (Rachael out of town)
Week 12: final project proposals
4/12
Guest speaker via Skype, Jeremy Boggs from Take Back the Archive project
4/14
Proposals due for final project (social network prototype)
Week 13
4/19
Whitney Phillips, “We’re the reason we can’t have nice things online” http://qz.com/582113/were-the-reason-we-cant-have-nice-things-online/
Fembot Toolkit: anonymity and d0xxxing
4/21
Work on final projects
Week 14
4/26
Response paper #4 due (the final response paper can focus on any of the readings we discussed throughout the semester)
Work on final projects
4/28
Social network prototype projects (version 1.0) due
Exam period, important dates
5/3: Reading day
5/9
Social network prototype projects FINAL VERSION due.
Participation essay due.
(There is no formal final exam in this class.)
5/14: Commencement
5/16: Deadline for instructors to post final course grades on The Nest