Digital Civil Society

Digital technologies have fundamentally changed how people come together to make change in the world, a sphere of action commonly called 'civil society'. How did this happen, what's being done about it, and what does it mean for democratic governance and collective action in the future? This course analyzes the opportunities and challenges technology presents to associational life, free expression, individual privacy, and collective action. Year-long seminar sequence for advanced undergraduates or master's students. Each quarter may be taken independently. Winter Quarter focuses on the 2000s and considers the emergence of social media platforms, the rise of mobile connectivity, institutional shifts in journalism, and major developments in intellectual property, state surveillance, and digital activism.