Internet Cultures

Catalog description

This course will examine topics of relevance to internet as culture, including several online communities - writers of fanfiction, gamers, and trolls are among the possibilities -- as case studies of the larger phenomenon. It will explore methods of studying such topics and communities, with a focus on netnography and thick description, and raise questions about privacy, anonymity, ethics and aesthetics. The class will examine the latest trends in internet cultures and research, including such topics as online misogyny, trolling, citizen journalism, internet folklore, and digital activism.