Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2022 - CMNS 235 D100

Digital Democracies (3)

Class Number: 3246

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 10 – Apr 11, 2022: Mon, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    Nine CMNS units with a minimum grade of C-.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Introduces students to the study of the relationship between public communication, information media practices and structures, and democracy. Examines the role of media and communication in existing and emerging democratic contexts, including print and electronic journalism, alternative media, public spheres, and the challenges of constructing and maintaining a democratic media and communication environment in Canadian and global contexts.

COURSE DETAILS:

Technological infrastructure shapes what forms of political life are possible within a society. Political campaigns, investigative journalism, public engagement, protest, government — all unfold on different time scales, in different forms, and with different consequences depending on what machines they use. This course explores the forms of political life that have taken shape in Western democracies in and through modern digital computing. We will investigate especially a perceived tension at the heart of computing technologies — from artificial intelligence to social media — as they have been introduced to so many corners of political life: Are computing technologies agents of liberation and democratization, or of surveillance control? The Internet, for example, was embraced by many in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries as an inherently democratizing and liberating force, giving users equal access to voice and information. On the other hand, many feared the internet would become an unprecedented platform for corporate and government surveillance and manipulation. This course will analyze and historicize this tension, looking to unpack the complex and controversial role of computers in democratic political life from the Cold War to @CanadianPM.

Grading

  • Tutorial Attendance and Participation 20%
  • Discussion quotes and citations 10%
  • Primary Source Analysis 20%
  • Support an Argument 20%
  • Final Paper (2000 - 2500 words) 30%

NOTES:

Students must attend both lectures and weekly tutorials.

The school expects that the grades awarded in this course will bear some reasonable relation to established university-wide practices with respect to both levels and distribution of grades. In addition, the School will follow Policy S10.01 with respect to Academic Integrity, and Policies S10.02, S10.03 and S10.04 as regards Student Discipline (note: as of May 1, 2009 the previous T10 series of policies covering Intellectual Honesty (T10.02) and Academic Discipline (T10.03) have been replaced with the new S10 series of policies). For further information see: www.sfu.ca/policies/Students/index.html.

REQUIREMENTS:

Tutorial Attendance and Participation            

            Students are required to attend tutorials, having done the required readings, and are expected to engage in discussion.

Discussion quotes and citations                     

            Students may select 10 weeks from the course to submit a question or a citation they would like to discuss in tutorials. These will be uploaded to Canvas prior to tutorial meetings, and TAs will use them in preparing for discussions.

Primary Source Analysis                              

            Most weeks, we will work with at least one “primary source” – a document, film, article, or art piece that comes from a historical time, relating to our course themes. In this assignment, students will do a “deep dive” into one primary source to unpack its significance for digital democracies. This assignment will help students learn how to read and work with historical sources in preparation for their final papers.

Support An Argument                                     

            As a class, we will come up an “argument” of the kind that students’ final papers should present. Each student will then be responsible for developing evidence from class materials to support this argument. This assignment will help students learn how to support an argument using examples, analysis, and materials from the course in preparation for their final papers.

Final Paper                                                      

            Students will write a 2000 – 2500 word paper in response to a prompt related to course themes. There will be more than one prompt to choose from, and students have the option to design their own.       

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

All readings will be posted on Canvas the week prior.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

TEACHING AT SFU IN SPRING 2022

Teaching at SFU in spring 2022 will involve primarily in-person instruction, with safety plans in place.  Some courses will still be offered through remote methods, and if so, this will be clearly identified in the schedule of classes.  You will also know at enrollment whether remote course components will be “live” (synchronous) or at your own pace (asynchronous).

Enrolling in a course acknowledges that you are able to attend in whatever format is required.  You should not enroll in a course that is in-person if you are not able to return to campus, and should be aware that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who may need class or exam accommodations, including in the context of remote learning, are advised to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112) as early as possible in order to prepare for the spring 2022 term.