Sociology (SOCI) 460

The Sociology of Information Technology (Revision 2)

SOCI 460

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Delivery Mode: Individualized study online

Credits: 3 credits

Area of Study: Social Science

Prerequisite: One of SOCI 335, SOCI 337, SOCI 345, SOCI 381, or any 300-level Sociology or Women's and Gender Studies course or Labour Studies or equivalent.

Faculty: Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences

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SOCI 460 is not available for challenge.

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Overview

Sociology 460 is a three-credit, senior-level university course that is designed to encourage critical thinking vis-à-vis information technology. This course is designed to increase your understanding of technology, information technology, and the impact technology has on your life and our world.

Outline

  • Unit 1: Introduction
  • Unit 2: Theories of Information Technology
  • Unit 3: Information Technology and Work
  • Unit 4: Surveillance, the Panopticon, Facebook, Social Media, and the Mercers
  • Unit 5: The Deepening Divide
  • Unit 6: The Religion of Technology
  • Unit 7: Conclusion

Evaluation

To receive credit for this course you must obtain a grade of at least 50 percent on the final assignment and an overall course composite grade of at least D (50 percent). The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

Activity Weighting
Unit 2 Assignment 10%
Unit 3 Assignment 10%
Unit 4 Assignment 10%
Unit 5 Assignment 10%
Unit 6 Assignment 10%
Unit 7 Assignment 10%
Quizlet Exam 10%
Final Assignment 30%
Total 100%

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.

Course Materials

Textbooks

Clark, A. C. (1990/1953). Childhood’s end. New York: Del Rey.

Noble, D. F. (1999). The religion of technology: The divinity of man and the spirit of invention. New York: Penguin.

van Dijk, J. A. G. M. (2005). The deepening divide: Inequality in the information society. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Webster, F. (2014). Theories of the information society (4th ed.). London and New York: Routledge.

Other material

All other course materials will be accessed online.

Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized-study counterparts.

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Opened in Revision 2, April 8, 2019.