Consulta de Guies Docents



Curs Acadèmic: 2022/23

3353 - Grau en Humanitats

23407 - Discourse Analysis


Informació del Pla Docent

Curs acadèmic:
2022/23
Centre acadèmic:
335 - Facultat d'Humanitats
Estudi:
3353 - Grau en Humanitats
Assignatura:
23407 - Discourse Analysis
Àmbit:
---
Crèdits:
4.0
Curs:
598 - Grau en Humanitats: 3
677 - Mínor en Estudis Humanístics de Literatura: 1
598 - Grau en Humanitats: 4
681 - Mínor en Estudis Humanístics en Història: 1
678 - Mínor en Estudis Humanístics de Pensament: 1
Idiomes de docència:
Teoria: Grup 1: Anglès
Seminari: Grup 101: Anglès
Grup 102: Anglès
Professorat:
David Martin Block Allen
Periode d'Impartició:
Primer trimestre
Horari:

Presentació

This course begins with a consideration what is meant by discourse analysis and more concretely, critical discourse studies. It then moves to examine and analyse – critically - a series of phenomena, both old and new, arising around the idea that we are currently living in hyper-mediatised, post-truth societies. These phenomena include:

 

  1. The infosphere as the site of digitised phenomena
  2. Mediatization and the age of spectacle
  3. Surveillance capitalism and the colonization of human life by data.
  4. Truth, post-truth and other signs of the times
  5. Discursive devices, e.g. humbug, bullshit, lying, misleadingness, agnotology, fake news, gaslighting, deepfake, etc. 
  6. Mindsets, e.g. emotions, faith, anti-expertise, anti-intellectualism, conspiratorial thinking, etc. 
  7. Informational segregation, e.g. echo chambers, filter bubbles, etc.
  8. Digitised identities, e.g. celebrity, the attention economy, celebrity, influencers, the info-sphere, info-selves, algorithmic identities, etc.
  9. Political and other public discourses, e.g. populism, authoritarianism, nationalism, climate change denial, racism, sexism and misogyny, homophobia/transphobia, Islamophobia.
  10. Information toxicity

 

These phenomena will be amply exemplified with cases studies based on current events. There will also be space to consider possible ways to deal with the more problematic aspects of our existence in the twenty-first century.

Competències associades

During the course students will develop the following competences:

 

Critical reading, involving the ability to:

  • process and organize information
  • identify the ideological load of texts
  • identify social and cultural content
  • identify voice and intertextuality
  • understand how different orders and genres of discourse work in context

 

Critical expression, involving the ability to:

  • plan (conceptualize), organize and produce coherent and cohesive written arguments
  • plan (conceptualize), organize and produce coherent and cohesive oral arguments
  • negotiate meaning with others in oral interactions

 

Critical listening, involving the ability to:

  • process information efficiently in real time.
  • adopt the position of the other as a means through which richer understandings might emerge

 

Study skills, involving the ability to:

  • prioritise
  • plan workloads
  • work autonomously
  • work ethically
  • work rigorously

 

Resultats de l'aprenentatge

The key aims of the module are:

  • to develop an understanding of key concepts, ideas and issues arising in the 'post-truth' era
  • to gain insight into a wider range of perspectives on these concepts, ideas and issues
  • to develop the capacity for the analysis, evaluation and synthesis of primary and secondary sources
  • to gain insight into how to plan and write required coursework
  • to develop  the capacity for sustained and independent argument
  • to develop the capacity for critical self-reflection.

 

By the end of the module, participants should be able to:

  • contribute to conversation and debate revolving around issues of the ‘post-truth’ era
  • link material covered during the module to their daily lives and the lives of others
  • exploit relevant literature sources
  • critically analyse texts written about relevant topics
  • demonstrate a variety of ways in which concepts, analytical frameworks and evidence illuminate an understanding of issues
  • communicate and present arguments, both in writing and orally, to fellow students and other interested parties

Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible

This course contributes to the achievement of the following sustainable development objectives:

  • quality education
  • gender equality
  • reduced inequalities
  • peace, justice and strong institutions

 

Prerequisits

None

Continguts

  1. Critical discourse studies/Critical discourse analysis
  2. Technology, social transformation and the digital age
  3. Data, mediatisation and the age of spectacle
  4. Surveillance capitalism and the colonisation of human life by data
  5. Truth, post-truth and other signs of the times in which we live
  6. Discursive devices, e.g. humbug, bullshit, lying, misleadingness, agnotology, fake news, gaslighting, deepfake, etc. 
  7. Mindsets, e.g. emotions, faith, anti-expertise, anti-intellectualism, conspiratorial thinking, etc. 
  8. Informational segregation, e.g. echo chambers, filter bubbles, etc.
  9. Digitised identities, e.g. celebrity, the attention economy, celebrity, influencers, the info-sphere, info-selves, algorithmic identities, etc.
  10. Political and other public discourses, e.g. populism, authoritarianism, nationalism, climate change denial, racism, sexism and misogyny, homophobia/transphobia, Islamophobia.
  11. Information toxicity
  12. Issues arising

Metodologia docent

The course consists of lecture sessions and seminar sessions.

In lecture sessions the format will be primarily presentation (by David Block), but there will be space for general discussion and questions and answers.

 

Seminar sessions will be more student discussion-based and therefore far more student-centred.

 

All sessions will be organised around readings and other input (e.g. visiting social media sites of all kinds, watching a documentary or a reality TV programme). Assigned work for each session will be accompanied by a worksheet on which questions and activities will be provided. Students are expected to do all assigned work before sessions, in effect, to come to the sessions prepared. This will be especially important for seminar sessions, as their success will depend directly on students' preparedness for the discussion and debate integral to them.  

Avaluació

5% attendance (5 = 1-2 absences; 4 = 3-4 absences; 3 = 5-6 absences; 2 = 7-8 absences; 1 = 9-10 absences)

10% Preparedness for sessions (e.g. doing assigned reading) and participation in group discussions. 

35% 2 set tasks:

        (1) interview, transcription and short (1-page) written discussion  (15%)

        (2) short oral presentation (5-7 minutes) (20%)

50% Written essay: plan and write a final essay (4000 words, including references and appendices).

In this subject of curricular contents taught in English, students will be able to submit the exam, the assignments and any other of the written or oral instruments of evaluation, in the English language (recommended option) or in the Catalan or Spanish language.
 
Students who fail either of the two set tasks or the written essay will have the opportunity to resubmit.  

 

Bibliografia i recursos d'informació

Alperstein, N. M.  (2019). Celebrity and Mediated Social Connections: Fans, Friends and Followers in the Digital Age. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Baggini, J. (2017). A Short History of Truth: Consolations for a Post-Truth World. London: Quercus.

Ball, J. (2017). Post-truth: How Bullshit Conquered the World. London: Biteback.

Blackford, R. (2019). The Tyranny of Opinion. London: Bloomsbury.

Block, D. (2019). Post-truth and Political Discourse. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Castillo, D., & Eggington, W. (2017). Medialogies: Reading Reality in the Age of Inflationary Media. London: Bloomsbury

Cosentino, G. (2020). Social Media and the Post-Truth World Order. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Couldry, N. & Mejias, U. A. (2019). The Costs of Connection: How Data is Colonizing Human Life and Appropriating it for Capitalism. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

D’Ancona, M. (2017). The New War on Truth and How to Fight Back. London: Ebury.

Davies, E. (2017). Post-truth: Why We Have Reached Peak Bullshit and What We Can Do About it. London: Little, Brown.

Doyle W, & Roda, C. /eds.). (2019). Communication in the Era of Attention Scarcity. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Fairclough, N. (2010). Critical Discourse Analysis: The Critical Study of Language, 2nd edn. Harlow, UK: Longman.

Fairclough, N. (2015). Language and Power, 3rd edn, London: Routledge.

Farkas, J. & Schou, J. (2020). Post-truth, Fake News and Democracy: Mapping the Politics of Falsehood.  London: Routledge.

Floridi, L. (2014). The Fourth Revolution - How the Infosphere is Reshaping Human Reality. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Flowerdew, J. & Richardson, J. E. (Eds.) (2018). The Routledge Handbook of Critical Discourse Studies. London: Routledge.

Fuchs, C. (2020). Nationalism on the Internet: Critical Theory and Ideology in the Age of Social media and Fake News. London: Routledge.

Fuller, S. (2018). Post-Truth: Knowledge as a Power Game. London: Anthem.

Garbasevschi, (2021). Info-selves: The Value of Online Identity. Oxford: Wiley Blackwell.

Herman, E., & Chomsky, N. (1988). Manufacturing Consent. London: Vintage.

Keyes, R. (2004). The Post-truth Era: Dishonesty and Deception in Contemporary Life. New York: St. Martin’s Press

McIntyre, L. (2018). Post-truth. Boston: MIT.

Maddalena, G. & Gili, G. (2020). The History and Theory of Post-truth Communication. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Moore, M.(2018). Democracy Hacked: How Technology is Destabilising Global Politics. London: Oneworld Publications.

O'Neil, C. (2016). Weapons of Math Destruction. New York: Crown.

Overell, R. & Nicholls, B. (eds.) (2020). Post-Truth and the Mediation of Reality: New Conjunctures. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Proctor, R. N., & Schiebinger, L. (eds.). (2008). Agnotology: The Making and Unmaking of Ignorance. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

Saul, J. M. (2013). Lying, Misleading, and What is Said: An Exploration in Philosophy of Language and in Ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Seargeant, P. (2020). The Art of Political Storytelling: Why Stories Win Votes in Post-truth. London: Bloomsbury.

Statham, S. (2022). Critical Discourse Analysis: A Practical Introduction to Power in Language. London: Routledge.

van Dijk, T. (2014). Discourse and Knowledge. A Sociocognitive Approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Wodak, R. (2021). The Politics of Fear: The Shameless Normalization of Far-Right Discourse. London: Sage.

Wodak, R. and Meyer, M. (Eds.) (2016). Methods for Critical Discourse Analysis, 3rd edn. London: Sage.

Zuboff, S. (2019). The Age of Surveillance Capitalism. New York: Profile Books.

 


Curs Acadèmic: 2022/23

3353 - Grau en Humanitats

23407 - Discourse Analysis


Informació del Pla Docent

Curs acadèmic:
2022/23
Centre acadèmic:
335 - Facultat d'Humanitats
Estudi:
3353 - Grau en Humanitats
Assignatura:
23407 - Discourse Analysis
Àmbit:
---
Crèdits:
4.0
Curs:
598 - Grau en Humanitats: 3
677 - Mínor en Estudis Humanístics de Literatura: 1
598 - Grau en Humanitats: 4
681 - Mínor en Estudis Humanístics en Història: 1
678 - Mínor en Estudis Humanístics de Pensament: 1
Idiomes de docència:
Teoria: Grup 1: Anglès
Seminari: Grup 101: Anglès
Grup 102: Anglès
Professorat:
David Martin Block Allen
Periode d'Impartició:
Primer trimestre
Horari:

Presentació

This course begins with a consideration what is meant by discourse analysis and more concretely, critical discourse studies. It then moves to examine and analyse – critically - a series of phenomena, both old and new, arising around the idea that we are currently living in hyper-mediatised, post-truth societies. These phenomena include:

 

  1. The infosphere as the site of digitised phenomena
  2. Mediatization and the age of spectacle
  3. Surveillance capitalism and the colonization of human life by data.
  4. Truth, post-truth and other signs of the times
  5. Discursive devices, e.g. humbug, bullshit, lying, misleadingness, agnotology, fake news, gaslighting, deepfake, etc. 
  6. Mindsets, e.g. emotions, faith, anti-expertise, anti-intellectualism, conspiratorial thinking, etc. 
  7. Informational segregation, e.g. echo chambers, filter bubbles, etc.
  8. Digitised identities, e.g. celebrity, the attention economy, celebrity, influencers, the info-sphere, info-selves, algorithmic identities, etc.
  9. Political and other public discourses, e.g. populism, authoritarianism, nationalism, climate change denial, racism, sexism and misogyny, homophobia/transphobia, Islamophobia.
  10. Information toxicity

 

These phenomena will be amply exemplified with cases studies based on current events. There will also be space to consider possible ways to deal with the more problematic aspects of our existence in the twenty-first century.

Competències associades

During the course students will develop the following competences:

 

Critical reading, involving the ability to:

  • process and organize information
  • identify the ideological load of texts
  • identify social and cultural content
  • identify voice and intertextuality
  • understand how different orders and genres of discourse work in context

 

Critical expression, involving the ability to:

  • plan (conceptualize), organize and produce coherent and cohesive written arguments
  • plan (conceptualize), organize and produce coherent and cohesive oral arguments
  • negotiate meaning with others in oral interactions

 

Critical listening, involving the ability to:

  • process information efficiently in real time.
  • adopt the position of the other as a means through which richer understandings might emerge

 

Study skills, involving the ability to:

  • prioritise
  • plan workloads
  • work autonomously
  • work ethically
  • work rigorously

 

Resultats de l'aprenentatge

The key aims of the module are:

  • to develop an understanding of key concepts, ideas and issues arising in the 'post-truth' era
  • to gain insight into a wider range of perspectives on these concepts, ideas and issues
  • to develop the capacity for the analysis, evaluation and synthesis of primary and secondary sources
  • to gain insight into how to plan and write required coursework
  • to develop  the capacity for sustained and independent argument
  • to develop the capacity for critical self-reflection.

 

By the end of the module, participants should be able to:

  • contribute to conversation and debate revolving around issues of the ‘post-truth’ era
  • link material covered during the module to their daily lives and the lives of others
  • exploit relevant literature sources
  • critically analyse texts written about relevant topics
  • demonstrate a variety of ways in which concepts, analytical frameworks and evidence illuminate an understanding of issues
  • communicate and present arguments, both in writing and orally, to fellow students and other interested parties

Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible

This course contributes to the achievement of the following sustainable development objectives:

  • quality education
  • gender equality
  • reduced inequalities
  • peace, justice and strong institutions

 

Prerequisits

None

Continguts

  1. Critical discourse studies/Critical discourse analysis
  2. Technology, social transformation and the digital age
  3. Data, mediatisation and the age of spectacle
  4. Surveillance capitalism and the colonisation of human life by data
  5. Truth, post-truth and other signs of the times in which we live
  6. Discursive devices, e.g. humbug, bullshit, lying, misleadingness, agnotology, fake news, gaslighting, deepfake, etc. 
  7. Mindsets, e.g. emotions, faith, anti-expertise, anti-intellectualism, conspiratorial thinking, etc. 
  8. Informational segregation, e.g. echo chambers, filter bubbles, etc.
  9. Digitised identities, e.g. celebrity, the attention economy, celebrity, influencers, the info-sphere, info-selves, algorithmic identities, etc.
  10. Political and other public discourses, e.g. populism, authoritarianism, nationalism, climate change denial, racism, sexism and misogyny, homophobia/transphobia, Islamophobia.
  11. Information toxicity
  12. Issues arising

Metodologia docent

The course consists of lecture sessions and seminar sessions.

In lecture sessions the format will be primarily presentation (by David Block), but there will be space for general discussion and questions and answers.

 

Seminar sessions will be more student discussion-based and therefore far more student-centred.

 

All sessions will be organised around readings and other input (e.g. visiting social media sites of all kinds, watching a documentary or a reality TV programme). Assigned work for each session will be accompanied by a worksheet on which questions and activities will be provided. Students are expected to do all assigned work before sessions, in effect, to come to the sessions prepared. This will be especially important for seminar sessions, as their success will depend directly on students' preparedness for the discussion and debate integral to them.  

Avaluació

5% attendance (5 = 1-2 absences; 4 = 3-4 absences; 3 = 5-6 absences; 2 = 7-8 absences; 1 = 9-10 absences)

10% Preparedness for sessions (e.g. doing assigned reading) and participation in group discussions. 

35% 2 set tasks:

        (1) interview, transcription and short (1-page) written discussion  (15%)

        (2) short oral presentation (5-7 minutes) (20%)

50% Written essay: plan and write a final essay (4000 words, including references and appendices).

In this subject of curricular contents taught in English, students will be able to submit the exam, the assignments and any other of the written or oral instruments of evaluation, in the English language (recommended option) or in the Catalan or Spanish language.
 
Students who fail either of the two set tasks or the written essay will have the opportunity to resubmit.  

 

Bibliografia i recursos d'informació

Alperstein, N. M.  (2019). Celebrity and Mediated Social Connections: Fans, Friends and Followers in the Digital Age. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Baggini, J. (2017). A Short History of Truth: Consolations for a Post-Truth World. London: Quercus.

Ball, J. (2017). Post-truth: How Bullshit Conquered the World. London: Biteback.

Blackford, R. (2019). The Tyranny of Opinion. London: Bloomsbury.

Block, D. (2019). Post-truth and Political Discourse. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Castillo, D., & Eggington, W. (2017). Medialogies: Reading Reality in the Age of Inflationary Media. London: Bloomsbury

Cosentino, G. (2020). Social Media and the Post-Truth World Order. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Couldry, N. & Mejias, U. A. (2019). The Costs of Connection: How Data is Colonizing Human Life and Appropriating it for Capitalism. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

D’Ancona, M. (2017). The New War on Truth and How to Fight Back. London: Ebury.

Davies, E. (2017). Post-truth: Why We Have Reached Peak Bullshit and What We Can Do About it. London: Little, Brown.

Doyle W, & Roda, C. /eds.). (2019). Communication in the Era of Attention Scarcity. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Fairclough, N. (2010). Critical Discourse Analysis: The Critical Study of Language, 2nd edn. Harlow, UK: Longman.

Fairclough, N. (2015). Language and Power, 3rd edn, London: Routledge.

Farkas, J. & Schou, J. (2020). Post-truth, Fake News and Democracy: Mapping the Politics of Falsehood.  London: Routledge.

Floridi, L. (2014). The Fourth Revolution - How the Infosphere is Reshaping Human Reality. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Flowerdew, J. & Richardson, J. E. (Eds.) (2018). The Routledge Handbook of Critical Discourse Studies. London: Routledge.

Fuchs, C. (2020). Nationalism on the Internet: Critical Theory and Ideology in the Age of Social media and Fake News. London: Routledge.

Fuller, S. (2018). Post-Truth: Knowledge as a Power Game. London: Anthem.

Garbasevschi, (2021). Info-selves: The Value of Online Identity. Oxford: Wiley Blackwell.

Herman, E., & Chomsky, N. (1988). Manufacturing Consent. London: Vintage.

Keyes, R. (2004). The Post-truth Era: Dishonesty and Deception in Contemporary Life. New York: St. Martin’s Press

McIntyre, L. (2018). Post-truth. Boston: MIT.

Maddalena, G. & Gili, G. (2020). The History and Theory of Post-truth Communication. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Moore, M.(2018). Democracy Hacked: How Technology is Destabilising Global Politics. London: Oneworld Publications.

O'Neil, C. (2016). Weapons of Math Destruction. New York: Crown.

Overell, R. & Nicholls, B. (eds.) (2020). Post-Truth and the Mediation of Reality: New Conjunctures. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Proctor, R. N., & Schiebinger, L. (eds.). (2008). Agnotology: The Making and Unmaking of Ignorance. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

Saul, J. M. (2013). Lying, Misleading, and What is Said: An Exploration in Philosophy of Language and in Ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Seargeant, P. (2020). The Art of Political Storytelling: Why Stories Win Votes in Post-truth. London: Bloomsbury.

Statham, S. (2022). Critical Discourse Analysis: A Practical Introduction to Power in Language. London: Routledge.

van Dijk, T. (2014). Discourse and Knowledge. A Sociocognitive Approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Wodak, R. (2021). The Politics of Fear: The Shameless Normalization of Far-Right Discourse. London: Sage.

Wodak, R. and Meyer, M. (Eds.) (2016). Methods for Critical Discourse Analysis, 3rd edn. London: Sage.

Zuboff, S. (2019). The Age of Surveillance Capitalism. New York: Profile Books.

 


Curs Acadèmic: 2022/23

3353 - Grau en Humanitats

23407 - Discourse Analysis


Informació del Pla Docent

Curs acadèmic:
2022/23
Centre acadèmic:
335 - Facultat d'Humanitats
Estudi:
3353 - Grau en Humanitats
Assignatura:
23407 - Discourse Analysis
Àmbit:
---
Crèdits:
4.0
Curs:
598 - Grau en Humanitats: 3
677 - Mínor en Estudis Humanístics de Literatura: 1
598 - Grau en Humanitats: 4
681 - Mínor en Estudis Humanístics en Història: 1
678 - Mínor en Estudis Humanístics de Pensament: 1
Idiomes de docència:
Teoria: Grup 1: Anglès
Seminari: Grup 101: Anglès
Grup 102: Anglès
Professorat:
David Martin Block Allen
Periode d'Impartició:
Primer trimestre
Horari:

Presentació

This course begins with a consideration what is meant by discourse analysis and more concretely, critical discourse studies. It then moves to examine and analyse – critically - a series of phenomena, both old and new, arising around the idea that we are currently living in hyper-mediatised, post-truth societies. These phenomena include:

 

  1. The infosphere as the site of digitised phenomena
  2. Mediatization and the age of spectacle
  3. Surveillance capitalism and the colonization of human life by data.
  4. Truth, post-truth and other signs of the times
  5. Discursive devices, e.g. humbug, bullshit, lying, misleadingness, agnotology, fake news, gaslighting, deepfake, etc. 
  6. Mindsets, e.g. emotions, faith, anti-expertise, anti-intellectualism, conspiratorial thinking, etc. 
  7. Informational segregation, e.g. echo chambers, filter bubbles, etc.
  8. Digitised identities, e.g. celebrity, the attention economy, celebrity, influencers, the info-sphere, info-selves, algorithmic identities, etc.
  9. Political and other public discourses, e.g. populism, authoritarianism, nationalism, climate change denial, racism, sexism and misogyny, homophobia/transphobia, Islamophobia.
  10. Information toxicity

 

These phenomena will be amply exemplified with cases studies based on current events. There will also be space to consider possible ways to deal with the more problematic aspects of our existence in the twenty-first century.

Competències associades

During the course students will develop the following competences:

 

Critical reading, involving the ability to:

  • process and organize information
  • identify the ideological load of texts
  • identify social and cultural content
  • identify voice and intertextuality
  • understand how different orders and genres of discourse work in context

 

Critical expression, involving the ability to:

  • plan (conceptualize), organize and produce coherent and cohesive written arguments
  • plan (conceptualize), organize and produce coherent and cohesive oral arguments
  • negotiate meaning with others in oral interactions

 

Critical listening, involving the ability to:

  • process information efficiently in real time.
  • adopt the position of the other as a means through which richer understandings might emerge

 

Study skills, involving the ability to:

  • prioritise
  • plan workloads
  • work autonomously
  • work ethically
  • work rigorously

 

Resultats de l'aprenentatge

The key aims of the module are:

  • to develop an understanding of key concepts, ideas and issues arising in the 'post-truth' era
  • to gain insight into a wider range of perspectives on these concepts, ideas and issues
  • to develop the capacity for the analysis, evaluation and synthesis of primary and secondary sources
  • to gain insight into how to plan and write required coursework
  • to develop  the capacity for sustained and independent argument
  • to develop the capacity for critical self-reflection.

 

By the end of the module, participants should be able to:

  • contribute to conversation and debate revolving around issues of the ‘post-truth’ era
  • link material covered during the module to their daily lives and the lives of others
  • exploit relevant literature sources
  • critically analyse texts written about relevant topics
  • demonstrate a variety of ways in which concepts, analytical frameworks and evidence illuminate an understanding of issues
  • communicate and present arguments, both in writing and orally, to fellow students and other interested parties

Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible

This course contributes to the achievement of the following sustainable development objectives:

  • quality education
  • gender equality
  • reduced inequalities
  • peace, justice and strong institutions

 

Prerequisits

None

Continguts

  1. Critical discourse studies/Critical discourse analysis
  2. Technology, social transformation and the digital age
  3. Data, mediatisation and the age of spectacle
  4. Surveillance capitalism and the colonisation of human life by data
  5. Truth, post-truth and other signs of the times in which we live
  6. Discursive devices, e.g. humbug, bullshit, lying, misleadingness, agnotology, fake news, gaslighting, deepfake, etc. 
  7. Mindsets, e.g. emotions, faith, anti-expertise, anti-intellectualism, conspiratorial thinking, etc. 
  8. Informational segregation, e.g. echo chambers, filter bubbles, etc.
  9. Digitised identities, e.g. celebrity, the attention economy, celebrity, influencers, the info-sphere, info-selves, algorithmic identities, etc.
  10. Political and other public discourses, e.g. populism, authoritarianism, nationalism, climate change denial, racism, sexism and misogyny, homophobia/transphobia, Islamophobia.
  11. Information toxicity
  12. Issues arising

Metodologia docent

The course consists of lecture sessions and seminar sessions.

In lecture sessions the format will be primarily presentation (by David Block), but there will be space for general discussion and questions and answers.

 

Seminar sessions will be more student discussion-based and therefore far more student-centred.

 

All sessions will be organised around readings and other input (e.g. visiting social media sites of all kinds, watching a documentary or a reality TV programme). Assigned work for each session will be accompanied by a worksheet on which questions and activities will be provided. Students are expected to do all assigned work before sessions, in effect, to come to the sessions prepared. This will be especially important for seminar sessions, as their success will depend directly on students' preparedness for the discussion and debate integral to them.  

Avaluació

5% attendance (5 = 1-2 absences; 4 = 3-4 absences; 3 = 5-6 absences; 2 = 7-8 absences; 1 = 9-10 absences)

10% Preparedness for sessions (e.g. doing assigned reading) and participation in group discussions. 

35% 2 set tasks:

        (1) interview, transcription and short (1-page) written discussion  (15%)

        (2) short oral presentation (5-7 minutes) (20%)

50% Written essay: plan and write a final essay (4000 words, including references and appendices).

In this subject of curricular contents taught in English, students will be able to submit the exam, the assignments and any other of the written or oral instruments of evaluation, in the English language (recommended option) or in the Catalan or Spanish language.
 
Students who fail either of the two set tasks or the written essay will have the opportunity to resubmit.  

 

Bibliografia i recursos d'informació

Alperstein, N. M.  (2019). Celebrity and Mediated Social Connections: Fans, Friends and Followers in the Digital Age. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Baggini, J. (2017). A Short History of Truth: Consolations for a Post-Truth World. London: Quercus.

Ball, J. (2017). Post-truth: How Bullshit Conquered the World. London: Biteback.

Blackford, R. (2019). The Tyranny of Opinion. London: Bloomsbury.

Block, D. (2019). Post-truth and Political Discourse. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Castillo, D., & Eggington, W. (2017). Medialogies: Reading Reality in the Age of Inflationary Media. London: Bloomsbury

Cosentino, G. (2020). Social Media and the Post-Truth World Order. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Couldry, N. & Mejias, U. A. (2019). The Costs of Connection: How Data is Colonizing Human Life and Appropriating it for Capitalism. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

D’Ancona, M. (2017). The New War on Truth and How to Fight Back. London: Ebury.

Davies, E. (2017). Post-truth: Why We Have Reached Peak Bullshit and What We Can Do About it. London: Little, Brown.

Doyle W, & Roda, C. /eds.). (2019). Communication in the Era of Attention Scarcity. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Fairclough, N. (2010). Critical Discourse Analysis: The Critical Study of Language, 2nd edn. Harlow, UK: Longman.

Fairclough, N. (2015). Language and Power, 3rd edn, London: Routledge.

Farkas, J. & Schou, J. (2020). Post-truth, Fake News and Democracy: Mapping the Politics of Falsehood.  London: Routledge.

Floridi, L. (2014). The Fourth Revolution - How the Infosphere is Reshaping Human Reality. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Flowerdew, J. & Richardson, J. E. (Eds.) (2018). The Routledge Handbook of Critical Discourse Studies. London: Routledge.

Fuchs, C. (2020). Nationalism on the Internet: Critical Theory and Ideology in the Age of Social media and Fake News. London: Routledge.

Fuller, S. (2018). Post-Truth: Knowledge as a Power Game. London: Anthem.

Garbasevschi, (2021). Info-selves: The Value of Online Identity. Oxford: Wiley Blackwell.

Herman, E., & Chomsky, N. (1988). Manufacturing Consent. London: Vintage.

Keyes, R. (2004). The Post-truth Era: Dishonesty and Deception in Contemporary Life. New York: St. Martin’s Press

McIntyre, L. (2018). Post-truth. Boston: MIT.

Maddalena, G. & Gili, G. (2020). The History and Theory of Post-truth Communication. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Moore, M.(2018). Democracy Hacked: How Technology is Destabilising Global Politics. London: Oneworld Publications.

O'Neil, C. (2016). Weapons of Math Destruction. New York: Crown.

Overell, R. & Nicholls, B. (eds.) (2020). Post-Truth and the Mediation of Reality: New Conjunctures. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Proctor, R. N., & Schiebinger, L. (eds.). (2008). Agnotology: The Making and Unmaking of Ignorance. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

Saul, J. M. (2013). Lying, Misleading, and What is Said: An Exploration in Philosophy of Language and in Ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Seargeant, P. (2020). The Art of Political Storytelling: Why Stories Win Votes in Post-truth. London: Bloomsbury.

Statham, S. (2022). Critical Discourse Analysis: A Practical Introduction to Power in Language. London: Routledge.

van Dijk, T. (2014). Discourse and Knowledge. A Sociocognitive Approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Wodak, R. (2021). The Politics of Fear: The Shameless Normalization of Far-Right Discourse. London: Sage.

Wodak, R. and Meyer, M. (Eds.) (2016). Methods for Critical Discourse Analysis, 3rd edn. London: Sage.

Zuboff, S. (2019). The Age of Surveillance Capitalism. New York: Profile Books.