Perspectives on Online Hate Speech

Catalog description

Focuses on online hate messages: racist/ethnic/sexist social media postings, websites, and discussion forums; harassment, toxicity, and cyberbullying. Topics include the prevalence, content, and effects of online hate; motivations; coordinated organized attacks; media use by existing offline hate groups; potential for offline aggression; remediation messages (human and robotic), and related topics. Readings primarily are research articles. Student groups complete original comprehensive literature reviews on a particular subtopic with reports to a California civil rights commission. This course involves exposure to and discussion of extremely offensive terms and materials. It’s heavy on reading and writing.