In Western countries, the emergence of the Internet and its increasing use in all areas of daily life have dramatically changed the way in which these societies work. As a consequence, it is legitimate to interrogate to what extent pre-Internet sociology still allows us to understand contemporary social worlds. What are the implications of the Internet for sociological analysis? Which fundamental paradigms and practices of sociology are transformed by the Internet? What does it mean to be a sociologist in the Digital Age? To address these questions, this course proposes an introduction to the history of sociology and a critical assessment of what changed with the Internet. It starts with a presentation of the main sociological trends of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and their major concepts, in order to examining how each of these theories has been impacted and challenged by the emergence of the Internet.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:- Know the main currents in sociological thought and critically assess their relevancy in the Internet age;
- Know the major debates and concepts in contemporary sociology and critically assess how the Internet influences these debates and concepts;
- Develop a personal stance on the way in which Internet both changes and reproduces previous social functioning.
Indicative Assessment
Book Review 25%, 1000 words [Learning outcome 1]Exam, due in the examination period, 2 hours 35% [Learning outcome 1, 2, 3]
Essay, due in the examination period, 40%, 5000 words [Learning outcome 1, 2, 3]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:a) 36 hours of contact: 24 hours of lectures and 12 hours of workshop and workshop-like activities.
b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing
Preliminary Reading
- Allison, Cavanagh. 2007. Sociology In The Age Of The Internet. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).
- Cotten, Shelia R. 2001. “Implications of Internet Technology for Medical Sociology in the New Millennium.” Sociological Spectrum 21(3):319–40.
- Kuklick, Henrika. 1980. “Restructuring the Past: Toward an Appreciation of the Social Context of Social Science.” The Sociological Quarterly 21(1):5–21.
- Schmitz, Andreas. 2012. “Elective Affinities 2.0?” RESET. Recherches en sciences sociales sur Internet (1).
- Willis, Suzanne and Bruce Tranter. 2006. “Beyond the ‘digital Divide’ Internet Diffusion and Inequality in Australia.” Journal of Sociology 42(1):43–59.
- Zhao, Shanyang. 2006. “The Internet and the Transformation of the Reality of Everyday Life: Toward a New Analytic Stance in Sociology.” Sociological Inquiry 76(4):458–74.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2019 | $3360 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2019 | $5160 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.