Is the digital dream darkening? This course examines social justice movements and digital technologies in the age of surveillance capitalism. We will focus on the early promises and contemporary perils of the digital age by examining social movements and struggles for social justice around the world. Are inequalities based on race, ethnicity, gender, and class being exacerbated by digital technologies? Could new technologies create opportunities for advancing social justice?
We will first analyze the early cyber manifestos and imagined techno futures with the advent of the digital world. The second part of the course will focus on contemporary surveillance pressures on individuals and social movements by governments and private corporations with examples from around the world. We will also discuss cyber crimes. The final part of this course will discuss the possibilities and methods of building alternative futures of social justice by employing digital technologies. Our topics will include border surveillance, digital colonialism, platform-based labor, algorithmic biases, data justice, pharmaceutical patents, copyright restrictions, pirate parties, and green technologies.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 20

Prerequisites: None

Distribution Requirements: SBA - Social and Behavioral Analysis

Typical Periods Offered: Fall

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Fall; Not Offered