Course Description

Media, Information and Technoculture 246F/G The Political Economy of Information

The course studies social relations, particularly power relations, that mutually constitute the production, distribution, organization and consumption of information resources. Students consider the economic dynamics, especially the unequal distribution of material and symbolic resources, that structure the circulation of information commodities. A central question is: How are social relations mediated by information technologies?

Prerequisite: Two of: Media, Information and Technoculture 024a/b, 025a/b, 026a/b, Computer Science 031a/b, the former Journalism 024a/b, 025a/b; or permission of the course instructor.

3 lecture hours, half course

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