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INF 161: Social Analysis of Computerization - Winter 2025


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Overview

You will have to conduct research and write an essay that analyzes a journalistic treatment of technology and contrasts that that approach with the concept of sociotechnical research.  Your backgroup readings will help direct you to outlining what that may include.  A common definition of such research approaches includes "A research outlook that highlights the interdependence and inextricable linkages between people (sociological systems) and ICTs (technological systems), underscores the co-evolution of these systems, and emphasizes that both systems need to be jointly optimized in order to produce positive practical outcomes." (from: Ruhl, U. (2018). Towards an interdisciplinary Socio-Technical Definition of Virtual Communities, in Encyclopedia of Information Science & Technology, 4th ed.  Hershey, PA: IGI Global. For other definitions, consider these sources:

You can search for terms such as infrastructure, datafication, surveillance, capitalism, technological determinism, social determinism, social constructionism.

Read and cite the article you are addressing. 

Conduct research hoping to find articles or evidence that allows you to distinguish between socio-technical research perspectives and other kinds of discourse.  The following databases may offer you insights that will be useful for your persuasive arguments:

Find some images if appropriate to augment your writing from the tab that contains "Finding & Using Images."  Make sure that you cite the image.

 

Towards an Interdisciplinary Socio-Technical Definition of Virtual Communities

 

 

Sociotechnical Perspective Resources & Writing: Annotated Bibliography Assignment

The following sources or databases cover the subject areas noted or index academic/scholarly literature across a multidisciplinary span and will take you into several disciplines where you can see how different social scientists and other scholars explore tools, technology, context and action.  Some of these databases can be searched together in one search, such as Academic Search Complete, Education Source, Communications Abstracts and may include links within the database to the content in HTML or PDF options; otherwise use the Get it at UC" icon.  Many of them contain Annotated Bibliographies upon which you can model yours.

 

There are several eBook resources that may contain useful entries or chapters and you are encouraged to search that content:

Paper # 2 - Infrastructure as Relation

This 2-3 page essay will analyze the infrastrural relations of commercial social media network sites and platforms such as TikTok.  Some subject headings that may be helpful include:

  • Social media
  • Dogota; etjmp;pgu
  • Internet

Resources:

  • Newspapers - with the future of TikTok access in US currently under consideration there is lots of discussion about the pros/cons
  • Communications Abstracts
  • JSTOR
  •  

Paper # 3 - Anotated bibliography for your final project

Annotated bibliographies are usually prepared in one of two styles:

1. Essay form - where you discuss the themes of the papers or research in 150 words and then cite them fully in footnotes

2. Numbered items - where you provide the citation to the work and then annotate it with a 150 word "description" and response to the content that resonates with other entries and your general top

Format - select a consistent style to cite your references - APA, etc

Research - think of the subject and then research for 5 peer reviewed articles -

 

Paper 4 - The Promise of Access

This 3-5 page essay will reflect on Greene's The Promise of Access