Adelphi University - Department of Communications
Spring 2004 - COM 406
New Communication Technologies & Social Change
Instructor: Toni Sant, Ph.D. [ contact ]
Wednesdays 2:30pm - 5pm
Blodgett Hall - Room 119This course offers a critical analysis of the social, economic, political, legal, and cultural implications of new information technologies. Starting out with an introductory overview of current electronic media, the course examines related issues, including: media convergence, digital rights management, computer network security, Internet telephony, mobile telecommunication, peer-to-peer file sharing, and broadband Internet access.
Students will learn about the development and practical applications of many of the new technologies. Through book reports and research projects, the class explores specific topics showing the possibilities and dangers of communications innovation in social contexts, and their impact on people and their ways of life.
Required technical skills before taking this course:
- Familiarity with the Internet
- Use of email and basic web browsing
Reading List
Each student is required to read 4 books for this class.
The first three books will be read by the whole class.Burnett, Robert and P.David Marshall. Web Theory: An Introduction, (New York: Routledge, 2003)
Lessig, Laurence. The Future of Ideas: The Fate of the Commons in a Connected World. (New York: Random House, 2001)
Rheingold, Howard. Smart Mobs: Transforming Culture and Communities in the Age of Instant Access. (Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing, 2002)
The fourth book can be any one of the following books, chosen by each student in consultation with the instructor:Recommended reading for research projects focused on Unit B:
Gitelman, Lisa. New Media, 1740-1915. (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2003)
Hayles, N. Katherine. Writing Machines. (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2002)
Rodzvilla, John. We've Got Blog: How Weblogs Are Changing Our Culture. (Perseus 2002).
Recommended reading for research projects focused on Unit C:Isenberg, Doug. GigaLaw Guide to Internet Law. (NY: Random House, 2002)
Klein, Alec. Stealing Time: Steve Case, Jerry Levin, and the Collapse of AOL Time Warner. (Simon & Schuster 2003)
Lessig, Laurence. Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace (Basic Books, 2000)
Recommended reading for research projects focused on Unit D:Mitnick, Kevin. The Art of Deception: Controlling the Human Element of Security. (NY: John Wiley & Sons, 2002)
Meikle, Graham. Future Active: Media Activism and the Internet. (New York: Routledge, 2002)
McCaughey, Martha and Michael D. Ayers. Cyberactivism. (New York: Routledge, 2003)
Oram, Andy. Peer-to-Peer: Harnessing the Power of Disruptive Technologies. (O'Reilly & Associates, 2001)
Course Schedule (subject to change)
UNIT A: Introduction & Overview
01/28 Introduction to New IT
02/04 New IT and the Key Issues
02/11 Issues Grouping/Grouping IssuesUNIT B: New IT Key Issues
02/18 Convergence and Confluence
02/25 Broadband & Always-on Internet Access
03/03 Self: Remediated/Virtual/Networked
03/10 Mid-term Report and Proposals for Final ProjectsUNIT C: New IT + Law/Politics/Commerce
03/17 New IT and the Law I : Code
03/24 New IT and the Law II : Antitrust
03/31 New IT and the Law III : Privacy
04/07 Spring Break
UNIT D: Technologies of Cooperation
04/14 Digital Rights I : Peer-to-Peer File Sharing
04/21 Digital Rights II : Digital Rights Management
04/28 Digital Rights III: SecurityUNIT E: Final Projects and Presentations
05/05 Final Projects I
05/12 Final Projects II [date and time to be confirmed - depending on exam week schedule]
Attendance Policy
Absence on day of your own presentations will automatically result in "F" as a grade for that day's assignment. Every student is allowed up to 2 absences during the semester, including absences for religious holidays and medical/personal emergencies. Each absence after the second will result in a lowered grade: an "A" becomes an "A-", a "B-" becomes a "C+", etc. No exceptions.
Grading - Participation: 10% | Mid-term paper: 20% | Book report: 25% | Final Project: 45%