Comparative Literature 236 - Digital Culture
Spring
2026
01
4.00
Patricia Hartland
TU TH 2:30PM 3:45PM
UMass Amherst
76858
Herter Hall room 113
phartland@umass.edu
This course explores the history and social implications of our digitized culture(s). Considering information technology in terms of its relationship to the self and society, we will discuss a wide-ranging set of issues related to digital cultures, such as online communities and social networking, internet addiction, and machine learning. We will also investigate the implications of digital cultures in terms of social categories including class, race, and gender. Students can expect to develop analytical and critical skills that will allow them to articulate well-researched and cogently-argued responses to issues surrounding the use of digital technologies. (Gen. Ed. I)
Gen Ed I
An introduction to digital culture, including study of actual works of art in their new digital forms and the implications of "hypertext" for creative writing, theory, and criticism. Potential for academic research on the Internet, the World Wide Web, and electronic libraries.