Comm 594: Fall 2003
Professor:       Annette N. Markham

Meetings:       Tuesdays 6-8:30 p.m., BSB 1169

Section #:        33067

Office Hours: Mondays 11-12 a.m., T/TH 1-2 p.m., or by appointment

 

Overview

How we define “Internet” influences how we interact with it, study it, and consider its potential or critique its limitations. This advanced grad seminar will study metaphor theory and also explore and analyze the predominant metaphor frames encapsulating new communication technologies.

 

Three main metaphoric frames:

Internet as Tool

Internet as Place

Internet as a Way of Being

 

Within these three major frames, we can examine specific metaphors, such as:

Internet as Conduit

Internet as Prosthesis

Internet as Web

Internet as Culture

Internet as Power

Internet as Knowledge

Internet as Voice

Internet as ….

 

More specifically, students and professor will review professional and scholarly definitions and uses of Internet technologies to create a list of key metaphor frames currently in use and to discover alternative or new conceptualizations. 

 

Put differently, we're going to examine how people TALK about Internet technologies in their theory books, in science fiction novels and films, and in popular culture sources, like newspapers and magazines. Then, we're going to try to figure out how the metaphors are influencing us, as policymakers, as scholars, and as users.

 

Students will conduct original research that either a) studies a specific metaphor within Internet Research or b) explores the metaphors being used within a specific set of texts related to Internet.

 

This seminar comprises a working project.  Studies emerging from this course should break new ground in the discipline and should be conference quality.

 

Assignments and Evaluation:

Class attendance, online film discussions, and class participation:

required to receive an A in the course
 Attendance at 4 university level seminars of your choice: required to receive an A in the course
Written Synopses of readings:   50%
Conference quality paper: 50%

 

Class Attendance, online film discussion, and Participation:

Success in advanced graduate level seminars requires consistent attendance and active participation.  As this is not an entry level grad course, participants are expected to complete readings in advance of class meetings, prepare questions and arguments to contribute to the weekly meetings, engage in active conversation with colleagues, and act as mentor or leader when necessary to contribute to the intellectual development of the group.

Contributions to Online Film Discussions:
 
During the semester, students will watch the following films on their own or are invited to watch these films at the professor’s home on specified evenings (selected Thursday evenings throughout the semester).  Online discussion of these films will commence after the date listed.  These discussions are designed to help you work through ideas for your papers, figure out connections between popular culture (films or novels) and theory, etc. 
 
Each person in the class should engage this discussion fully online, connecting particularly to their individual readings and projects.  Substantive contributions include responding to your colleagues.  Progression of ideas will only occur with the exchange of ideas (going beyond the presentation of one’s own ideas is only the first step of engaged intellectual dialogue).
 

09/04: 2001
09/16: Tron
09/30: Lawnmower Man
10/07: Johnny Mnemonic
10/21: Bladerunner 
11/04: Gattaca
11/18: The Matrix

Attendance at departmental seminars:

To promote the active exchange of ideas, faculty, grad students, and special guests give monthly scholarly presentations.  Students are expected to engage in this activity.  Please send an email with a brief synopsis of the talk you have attended to receive credit for this activity.  If for some reason, your schedule conflicts with the seminar times offered, you may substitute another university level presentation to receive credit.

 

Written Synopses of Readings:

Overview:

You will be covering readings that your colleagues may not read.  To help everyone understand what you have read, please supply a 3 page synopsis of your reading.  This should contain, minimally, a statement of what you believe is the author’s central claim, a summary of the main points, and your critical analysis of this piece as it relates to the class.

 

Write one synopsis per reading.

 

Specific Guidelines:

Use the following to help guide your analysis of the readings.  Please address all of these questions within 3 pages:

 

What is this author’s theory of what metaphor is?

What is this author’s theory about what metaphors do?  or how metaphors work?

How does this author link metaphors to thought?  To society?

How does this piece compare to the initial readings we did?

How could this author’s work be used to think about how we define “Internet”?

What weaknesses in argument are evident?

What is the most compelling point in this reading?  Why?

 

Submission Requirements:

Submit each synopsis separately to the discussion board, any time until 4 p.m. prior to the weekly class meeting.

Submission should be in word document format, typical font, font size and margins. Name, telephone, and email must be included on each synopsis.

Bring hard copies for all class members to class

 

Presentation Requirements:

Be prepared to offer a concise summary of your selected authors' main points.

Be prepared to offer a concise summary of your analysis of the authors' works (your main points).

Throughout the meeting, bring these authors' points into the discussion when necessary to help build our understanding

 

Conference Quality Paper:

Overview:
Each student will conduct a study of metaphors of Internet.  The goal of this assignment is to build current knowledge of how the internet is currently framed and defined in various research or news environments and to explore how these metaphorical frames function to shape our current understanding of what we call the Internet.
 
Material from these studies will be used to develop a framework for understanding current research on the Internet.  To best contribute to this framework, no duplication of topics is allowed for these papers. 
Students may choose one of the following forms: 
      1. Conduct a metaphor analysis of a branch of literature which discusses the Internet
      2. Analyze a metaphor of the Internet, reviewing the literature in which this metaphor is used and applying a specific theory of metaphor
      3. Make a good argument for a third alternative
Proposal Stage:
Two informal topics must be brought to class in week 3.  We will discuss topics and each student will choose their general topic. 
 
Proposal for topic must be submitted via email to amarkham@uic.edu before the beginning of class in week 4.  Topic will be approved by end of class period.
 
Formal written proposal for the project can be submitted should be no more than five pages and should include the following elements:  Overview, Justification, Synopsis of Literature, Research Questions, Methodological Procedures, and Timeline.
 
Submission Requirements:
Final due on November 25, 5 p.m., electronically delivered by email to amarkham@uic.edu and also to the student dropbox in Blackboard.
Filename must be specific to name of author:  (SmithFinal.doc).
Dropbox subject line must be specific to author and document (Smith final paper submission or SmithFinal.doc)
25 pages maximum, not including cover page, abstract, appendices, and bibliography
Font must be typical:  12 point TNR or 10 point Arial font (or equivalent)
Margins must be reasonable (1 inch minimum, 1.25 maximum) margins
Document must include cover page, appendices if necessary, abstract, name, and page numbers.
Professional quality papers contain zero spelling and grammar errors, include sufficient signposting to guide readers, provide a complete and accurate bibliography (APA style required for this class).  Guides for writing research papers exist online in various places.  Also, the UIC writing center can provide resources for conducting and writing studies that contain original research.
 
Content Guidelines:
In some semblance, the paper should contain an Introduction (overview of the problem or issue being addressed, statement of your thesis, a specific preview of your main points and what the paper contains, description and justification of methods of inquiry, and Your Argument, supported where necessary by previous studies and theories (based on a review of the literature, which may or may not be a section in the paper) and also supported by ample evidence from the unit of analysis.
 
Presentation Requirements:
During week 14 of the semester, students will give a 20 minute presentation of their paper and engage in class discussion about their study and findings.