INFORMATICS 202

Introduction to Social Informatics

Spring 2009

 

Instructor: Professor Kalpana Shankar, School of Informatics, Informatics 303

                    mailto:shankark@indiana.edu        

Lecture: MW 4:00-4:50

Office Hours: TBA

Discussion:  F 12:20-1:10; F 1:25-2:15; F 2:30-3:20

 

Readings: Other readings will be distributed in class or made available via Oncourse. 

 

Course Description:

I202 introduces the social and behavioral foundations of Informatics.  Theoretical approaches to how technology is used from psychological and socio-technical perspectives.  Examples of how current and emerging technologies such as games, email, and electronic commerce are affecting daily lives, social relations, work, and leisure time.

 

Introduction

Social informatics refers to an interdisciplinary body of research dedicated to studying the design, uses, and effects of information technologies.  Rather than trace the Òsocial impactÓ of these technologies, social informatics seeks to understand how social contexts shape the form and character of technology.  Conversely, it also studies how technology influences society, affects power relations, and restructures social and organizational networks.    

 

This course asks students to go beyond the ÒtechnicalÓ aspects of IT and consider the social relations that are an integral part of designing and adopting a technology or technological system.  It also challenges students to think critically about technological change and acquire a more sophisticated understanding of the political, economic, and social considerations that underlie technological development.

 

 

Objectives

 

By the completion of the course, students will:

 

1) Understand that the design, use, and application of information technology is a social AND a technical process.

 

2) Recognize socio-technical networks and understand how they function.

 

3) Be able to locate sources of information on social informatics topics, determine their credibility, summarize their content, and critique their arguments.

 

4) Identify key questions and findings in the social informatics literature.

 

5) Bring these class objectives to bear on their own experiences as informatics students and other Òreal-worldÓ situations and concerns.

 

Assignments

 

Grades will be determined based on writing assignments, 2 exams, and a final group project.