DSOC 25A42 - Sociology of Digital Public Spaces

This course examines how the increasing use of social media and digital technologies, including AI, influences how public issues are promoted, debated, and addressed. The reshaping of the media landscape, the emergence of new forms of activism, and the growth of online discussion spaces raise numerous concerns, particularly regarding disinformation and polarization. Does digital technology facilitate the manipulation of opinion? To what extent do mobilizations develop more effectively? To what extent do social networks generate more polarized opinions? How is the power to divide the agenda between governments, media, and mobilizations? Here are some of the questions we will address.

Throughout the course, these issues will be examined from a sociological perspective. We will benefit from recent research and the more classical theories developed by the social sciences. The course will rely on studies focusing primarily on Europe and the United States, but efforts will also be made to document other cultural areas.

The course is open to all students at the University College. A basic understanding of the history of sociology, its major schools of thought, and research methods is helpful but not required.

Each session will include a lecture and a discussion of a research article or a book chapter. You will be expected to participate actively during the course and contribute regularly to enrich the group discussions. An exploratory research will be conducted in groups during the semester.

Course assessment will be based on three main components:

1/ Active participation in class (1-point bonus)