Digital Technology and Social Change

This subject explores how digital technology informs everyday life, but also how society informs the design, development, and use of digital technologies. Using key concepts and theories from the Sociology of Technology field, the subject examines the role of new Information & Communication technologies (ICTs) on social change and on different societal dimensions. Particular attention is given to how digital technologies present both social possibilities (e.g., broader access to information and services, new types of self-expression, new forms of social connectedness, etc.) and social problems (e.g., privacy concerns, the digital divide, etc.). Students will study these tensions through the analysis of sociological studies, news, and hands-on digital engagement.