Description
This assignment serves as a study guide for this week’s reading, Chapters 5-7 of Tufekci’s Twitter and Tear Gas.
As you read these chapters, you will encounter many key terms and concepts that are important for the study of civic engagement. Synthesize these themes using this study guide as you proceed through the text. I know it is difficult to take your time with reading since you have so many assignments across your many classes, but do make sure you are reading carefully so you can truly digest the content. This guide is intended to help you with that process, so I’m looking for thoughtful responses that take Tufekci’s larger contexts and discussions into consideration, rather than just copy-and-paste answers.
In section 1 of this assignment, define the terms below in your own words. Some of them have clear definitions in the chapters, but others will require some interpretation. I have included page numbers for your reference, but these concepts are discussed throughout the chapters.
In section 2, respond to the provided discussion prompts. As with the page numbers in the first section, these are just a reference point–the responses to the prompts may require several more pages of context to fully understand.
Please submit both sections in one .doc or PDF by Sunday, 11:59 PM.
Section 1: Key Terms
- Social ecologies (117)
- Many-to-many coordination (118)
- Technodeterminism (119)
- Social construction (126)
- Social fact (127)
- Digital dualism (130)
- Network effects (135)
- Networked gatekeeping (138)
- Community policing (143)
- Algorithmic feedback loops/cycles (159, 160)
- Confirmation bias (160)
Section 2: Discussion Prompts
- In 1-2 sentences, summarize Aristotle’s theory of causation. Why is this theory relevant to Tufekci’s argument? (120)
- What is social construction? And, what is the social construction of technology? Why are these concepts important in civic engagement? (126)
- What does Tufekci mean when she describes the online sphere as only quasi-public? (136)
- What was the “emotional contagion” study? What are the implications of this research? (158)
- How does gatekeeping function differently in social media contexts than in the arenas of traditional media? (138, 162)
- What did you find most compelling about these chapters?
