Last year, we shared the syllabus for a great new course at the University of New Hampshire: Anthropology of the Internet, taught by Svetlana Peshkova, Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology. This course has changed substantially since it was first offered, and we are pleased to be able to share an updated syllabus.
Dr. Peshkova taught the course for the second time this summer. This time, she included a popular fiction book (The Circle by Dave Eggers, which is highly recommended if you haven’t read it yet!) in addition to the ethnography My Life as a Night Elf Priest by Bonnie A. Nardi.
Here is the course description:
In the period of five weeks, students will explore how and in what ways the digital environment affects an individual, community, and the state, and how, in turn, individuals affect the digital landscape. Focusing on the dynamic interaction between digital environment and humans they will (1) tease out what is “new” about our contemporary moment, (2) clarify changes and continuity that characterize this digital age and its effects on our daily lives, (3) explore virtuality as a part of our daily experiences, and (4) learn how and in what ways cyberspace becomes a place of personal achievement, dwelling of community-like formations, and of social control and politics.
You can download and read the new syllabus here.
If you have any suggestions for other resources or readings for a course on the Internet, or how this course could be further revised, please use the comment box below or send us a Tweet.
Many thanks to Dr. Peshkova for sharing her updated syllabus!
