Global Digital Cultures: Interdisciplinary Perspectives

Digitalisation is transforming our cultural practices - from friendships, intimacy and sexual relations, to the construction, targeting and surveillance of the public. Digital platforms and mobile apps, such as TikTok, YouTube, Tinder, Instagram, Netflix, the Russian platform VK and the Chinese WeChat and Tantan, have rapidly become central to the production, circulation, consumption and monetisation of culture. How can we understand these transformations as they take shape across the globe?

This course introduces you to new digital technologies and practices from an interdisciplinary perspective in order to address this question. We will distinguish and connect approaches within Media Studies, Geography, Sociology, Anthropology and Political Science.

Through lectures, readings and assignments, you will explore how digital transformations are both embedded in specific cultural contexts and part of global economic structures. You will be introduced to key concepts and case studies from the different disciplines, enabling you to critically reflect on, and intervene in, current digital practices. A central question is whether and how these practices mitigate or exacerbate social inequalities.

Coordinator

Mr Thomas Poell

Timetable

You can find the timetable on Datanose.

Entry requirements

Open for second-year and third-year Bachelor's students and other interested parties, such as contract students or students from other Dutch higher education institutions. Master's students can only participate if there are still spots available.

Registration

UvA Bachelor's students can register from 10 to 17 June 2024 in the GLASS registration rounds. Master’s students can send a short motivation to keuzeonderwijs-iis@uva.nl.

‘Bijvak’ students and contract students can register from June 10 2024 until one week prior to the start of the course, by completing the online registration form.

If you have any trouble while registering, please contact us at keuzeonderwijs-iis@uva.nl

Please note: as a contract student you can choose to participate either including or excluding assessment. If you choose the latter, you only have access to the seven lectures of the course. If you also wish to attend the seminars, please choose 'including assessment'.

Costs

Prices can be found on the IIS website.

More information

See the Course Catalogue

SDGs in education

The IIS strives to reflect current societal issues and challenges in our elective courses, honours modules and degree programmes and attempts to integrate the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in this course. For more information about these goals, please visit the SDGs website.

Facts & Figures

Mode: Short-term, open uva course
Credits: 6 ECTS,
Language of instruction: English
Conditions for admission: Open
Starts in: October