295
University of Waterloo
Department of English Language and Literature
Social Media (ENGL 295)
Spring 2019
W 6:30-9:20pm; B2 350
Instructor Information
Instructor: Danielle J. Deveau
Office: HH254
Office Phone: 519-888-4567 ext.32122
Office Hours: T Th 1:00-2:00pm or by appointment
Email: d2deveau@uwaterloo.ca
Course Description
This course surveys the popular social media landscape and charts scholarly approaches, both methodological and theoretical, to understanding and analyzing social media texts. Potential topics include memes, social networks, fan communities, digital identity, labour, sociality, trolling, ownership, and regulation. This course will enable you to critically analyze social media texts; evaluate the source, content, audience, and effects of social media; identify organizational and regulatory constraints in the social media system; understand and reproduce the codes of media texts such as memes and viral content; and assess key issues in social media such as regulation, labour and privacy.
Course Learning Objectives
- Critically analyze social media content
- Evaluate source, audience, and effects of social media
- Identify organizational and regulatory constraints in social media systems
- Assess key issues in social media such as regulation, labour and privacy
- Understand the codes of medias texts such as memes and viral content
Required Texts
- Ashlee Humphreys. Social Media: Enduring Principles. Oxford UP, 2016.
- Jason Lanier. Ten Arguments for Deleting your Social Media Accounts Right Now. New York: Henry Holt, 2018.
- Additional readings will be posted on Learn.
Course Requirements and Assessment
|
Assessment |
Date of Evaluation |
Weighting |
|
Quiz |
May 17 |
10% |
|
Test of Concepts 1 |
June 12 |
20% |
|
Test of Concepts 2 |
July 10 |
20% |
|
Take Home Essay Exam |
July 31 |
30% |
|
Activities |
Various |
20% |
|
Total |
100% |
Course Schedule
Week 1: May 8
Topic: Introduction and Overview
Readings: Introduction and Chapter 2 in Social Media
Activities: Survey of social media forms to discuss/use
Week 2: May 15
Topic: Applying Media Theory
Reading: Baudrillard, Jean, and Marie Maclean. “The Implosion of the Social in the Media.” New Literary History 16.3 (1985): 577-89 (available through the library)
Activities:
- Movie Screening: The Matrix (Note: Students who do not wish to view The Matrix due to violent content may select an alternate text that they should view and discuss on their quiz; if you opt not to view the film with the class, please arrive for lecture at 8:30pm.)
- Take-home quiz on Learn (due Friday, 17 May at 11:55pm).
Week 3: May 22
Topic: What do we do with social media?
Readings: Chapter 5 in Social Media; Introduction to Math Destruction (available on Learn)
Activities: Social Media Activity (TBA)
Week 4: May 29
Topic: What are the benefits and risks?
Readings: Chapter 6 in Social Media; Chapter 1 in delete (available on Learn)
Activities: Social Media Activity (TBA)
Week 5: June
Topic: What about intersectionality
Readings: Chapter 7 & 8 in Social Media
Activities: Social Media Activity (TBA)
Week 6: June 12
Test of Concepts 1 on Learn. No class.
Week 7: June 19
Topic: Thinking about networks and communities.
Readings: Chapter 9 & 10 in Social Media
Activities: Social Media Activity (TBA)
Week 8: June 26
Topic: Thinking about marketing.
Readings: Chapter 11 in Social Media; Chapter 4 in Math Destruction (available on Learn)
Activities: Social Media Activity (TBA)
Week 9: July 3
Topic: Thinking about intersectionality.
Readings: Chapter 13 in Social Media; Chapter 10 in Math Destruction (available on Learn)
Activities: Social Media Activity (TBA)
Week 10: July 10
Test of Concepts 2 on Learn. No Class.
Week 11 & 12: July 17 & 24
Topic: What to do with social media?
Readings: Jason Lanier, Ten Arguments
Activities: Write. Discuss. Write.
Take Home Essay Exam due in Learn on July 31st at 11:55pm.
Course Policies
Note: Students who require an accommodation of any kind, or who perceive that they may have difficulty meeting the exam and attendance requirements for this course, should meet with the course instructor as soon as possible to discuss accommodation options.
Late Work
As the majority of your grade for this course is based upon exams and presentations, there will be a zero tolerance policy for late work. Students who require an accommodation due to extenuating circumstances must submit documentation and arrange an extension prior to the assignment or exam due date.
Attendance Policy
As this class is primarily lecture, workshop, and exam based, students are strongly encouraged to attend regularly. Students who miss class are responsible for obtaining notes from a classmate. The instructor will not respond to “what did I miss?” queries.
Institutional-required statements for undergraduate course outlines approved by Senate Undergraduate Council, April 14, 2009
Academic Integrity
In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of
Waterloo community are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. See the UWaterloo Academic Integritity webpage (https://uwaterloo.ca/academic-integrity/) and the Arts Academic Integrity webpage (https://uwaterloo.ca/arts/current-undergraduates/student-support/ethical-behaviour) for more information.
Discipline
A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity, to avoid committing academic offences, and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course professor, academic advisor, or the Undergraduate Associate Dean. When misconduct has been found to have occurred, disciplinary penalties will be imposed under Policy 71 – Student Discipline. For information on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71 - Student Discipline. For typical penalties check Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties (https://uwaterloo.ca/secretariat-general-counsel/policies-procedures-guidelines/guidelines/guidelines-assessment-penalties).
Grievance
A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70 - Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4 (https://uwaterloo.ca/secretariat-general-counsel/policies-procedures-guidelines/policy-70). When in doubt please be certain to contact the department’s administrative assistant who will provide further assistance.
Appeals
A decision made or penalty imposed under Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances (other than a petition) or Policy 71, Student Discipline may be appealed if there is a ground. A student who believes he/she has a ground for an appeal should refer to Policy 72, Student Appeals (https://uwaterloo.ca/secretariat-general-counsel/policies-procedures-guidelines/policy-72).
Note for Students with Disabilities
The AccessAbility Services office, located on the first floor of the Needles Hall extension (NH 1401), collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with the AS office at the beginning of each academic term.