Instructors

Charlie Hurt
Office #2
School of Library Science
(520)621-3566
Margaret Higgins
Office #14
School of Library Science
(520)621-5223

Course Objectives

The course aims to explore twin issues: the impact of information on the development, maintenance, and changing of societies, and, in reverse, the impact of individuals, groups, and societies (as collectives) on the recording, storing and disseminating of information.

The course will specifically examine the interactions of individuals, groups, and information; and it will focus on the effect of information on individuals as part of society, on groups as part of society, and thus on society as a composite of both individuals and groups.

Course Outcomes

By the end of the course students will be able to think critically about the interaction of society and information. They will also be able to think critically about the information with which they interact specifically, and how the source, and subsequent collection and dissemination of information have an impact on individuals and on societies.

Academic Code of Integrity

Students are expected to abide by the University of Arizonaís Code of Academic Integrity. ëThe guiding principle of academic integrity is that a studentís submitted work must be the studentís owní.

Text: Cetron, M. & Davies, O. (1994). Mastering Information in the New Century. Washington, DC: Special Libraries Association.

Evaluation

Examinations:

Essays: Students will write two essays. Each essay will be worth 20%. (essay total 40%)

Participation: Grading will be on the basis of involvement with listserv discussions, and via question and comment in class. Participation to the extent of two messages per month from each student is expected. Teaching assistants will monitor the Lists and respond to any questions. Participation will be worth 5%. (participation 5%)

Grading

A: 100-90
B: 89-80
C: 79-70
D: 69-60
E: 59-50

Information, Sociology, and Science

Thu Jan 16 Introduction & course outline; Whatís information? Whatís sociology?

Text: Ch 1 & 2. pp. 1-27.

Himes, J, S. (1968). The study of sociology. pp 2-7. Glenview, Ill: Scott Foresman & Co.

Koller, M. & Couse, H. (1969). Modern sociology. pp 3-13. NY: Holt Rinehart & Winston. .

Ritchie, L. (1991). Another turn of the information revolution: Relevance, Technology, and the Information Society. In Communication Research, 18, 3, 412-427.

Ursul, A. (1989). Theoretical basis of information. International Forum on Information and Documentation, 14 ,4, 10-18.

Tue Jan 21 The intangibility of information; its role in society

Text: Appendix 31, p. 73-75.

Simms, J. (1996). Information: Its nature, measurement and measurement units. Behavioral Science, 41, 89-103.

Thu Jan 23 Media Effects on Human Information Processing

Essay expectations

Livingstone, M. (1988). Art, illusion, and the visual system. Scientific American, 258, 78-86.

Stein, E. (1990). Age differences in processing information from television news. Journal of Gerontology, 45, 1, 1-18.

Tue Jan 28 Science & Information production

Chalmers, A. (1990). Science and its fabrication. Milton Keynes: Open University Press

Chalmers, A. (1982). What is this thing called science? 2nd ed. St. Lucia, Queensland: Queensland University Press.

Hess, B., Markstein, E. & Stein, P.(1988). Sociology. 3rd ed. NY: MacMillan Publishing. pp. 26-48 (on research)

Horton, P. & Hunt, C. (1964). Sociology. New York: McGraw-Hill, pp 4-21. (on ways of knowing)

Lowry, R. & Rankin, P. (1977). Social science and social concern. 3rd ed. Lexington: Mass: D.C. Heath & Company, pp 17-39.

Thu Jan 30 Information & beliefs, or v.v?; Distortion of information.

Bonto, M. & Payne, D. (1991). Role of environmental context in eyewitness memory. American Journal of Psychology, 104, 117-134.

Robinson, E. & Mitchell, P. (1992). Childrenís interpretations of messages from a speaker with a false belief. Child Development, 63, 639-652.

Slusher, M. & Anderson, C. (1996). Using causal persuasive arguments to change beliefs and teach new information. Journal of Educational Psychology, 88, 110-122.

Socialization: information as agent

Tue Feb 4 Role of Education in Information Provision

Weisz, E. & Kampel, B. (1990). Classrooms as socialization agents: the three Rís and beyond. Education, 111, 1, 100-105.

Rollins, R. (1976). Words as social control: Noah Webster and the creation of the American dictionary. American Quarterly, 28,4, 415-430.

Thu Feb 6 Role of The Media in Information Provision

Andreyenkov, V., Robinson, J. & Popov, N. (1989). News media use and adolescentsí information about nuclear issues: a Soviet -American comparison. Journal of Communication, 39, 95-104.

Arnett, J.J. (1995). Adolescentsí uses of media for self-socialization. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 24, 519-533.

Robinson, J., Chivian, E. & Tudge, J. (1989). News media use and adolescentsí attitudes about nuclear issues:An American-Soviet comparison. Journal of Communication, 39, 105-113.

Tue Feb 11 Role of Stories

Fox-Gotham, K. & Staples, W. (1996). Narrative analysis and the new historical sociology. The Sociological Quarterly, 37,3, 481-501.

Tedlock, D. (1988). The witches were saved: A Zuni origin story. Journal of American Folklore, 101, 312-320.

Young, T. (1991). Are comic book super-heroes sexist? Sociology and Social Research, 75, 4, 218.

Thu Feb 13 Role of Language & Gender

Henley, N. Hamilton, M. & Thorne, B. (1995). Womanspeak and Manspeak. In J. Henslin (Ed.) Down to Earth Sociology: Introductory Readings. pp. 149-156. NY: Free Press.

Signorella, M. (1992). Remembering gender-related information. Sex Roles, 27, 143-156.

Six, B. & Eckes, T. (1991). A closer look at the complex structure of gender stereotypes. Sex Roles, 24, 57-71.

Tue Feb 18 Social identity, language & race; Review

Blauner, B. (1993). Language of race: talking past one another. Current. 349, 4-10.

Cary, L. (1992). As plain as black and white. Newsweek, 119, 53.

Kniss, F. (1996). Ideas and symbols as resources in intrareligious conflict: the case of the American Mennonites.Sociology of Religion, 57, 17-23.

Hartman, H. & Hartman, M. (19960. More Jewish, Less Jewish: Implications for education and labor force characteristics. Sociology of Religion, 57, 175-193.

Thu Feb 20 Exam One

Social Strata and Social inequalities

Tue Feb 25 Stratas and the politics of information

Cisneros, H. (1990). Four-tiered education. New Perspectives Quarterly, 7, 4, 15-17.

Minogue, K. (1989). Journalism and the public mind. Government and Opposition, 24, 473-488.

Samuelson, R. (1996). Confederacy of dunces. Newsweek, Sep 23, p. 65.

Skees, J. & Swanson, L. (1994). The politics of information. In J. Christensen, R. Maurer, & N. Strang (Eds.), Rural Data, People, & Policy. pp 15-27. San Francisco: Westview Press.

Webber, M. (1970). The politics of information. In Denzin, N. (Ed.), The Values of Social Science. pp 119-125. Aldine Pub.

Thu Feb 27 Inequalities of access to information

Hancock, L., & Wingert, P. (1995). The haves and have nots. Newsweek, 125, 9, 50-53.

Kuttner, R. (1994). Only connect. American Prospect, Spring, 6-10.

Ruben, B. (1995). Access denied. Environmental Action.27, 3, p. 18.

Samuelson, R. (1995). The myth of cyber inequality. Newsweek, 125, 9, p.55.

Tue Mar 4 The information rich; the information poor.

First essay due

Entwisle, D. & Alexander, K. (1993). Entry into school: The beginning school transition and the educational stratification in the U.S. Annual Review of Sociology, 19, 401-423.

Kozol, J. (1995). Savage Inequalities. In J. Henslin (Ed.), Down to Earth Sociology. NY: Free Press.

Sayers, D. (1995). Educational equity issues in an information age. Teachers College Record, 96, 4, 767-774.

Thu Mar 6 Culture of the celebrity

Neimark, J. 91995). The culture of celebrity. Psychology Today, 28, 3, 54-90.

Prindle, D. Risky business: The Political Economy of Hollywood. pp. 105-124. San Francisco: Westview Press.

Westen, R. (1996). The real slant on gossip. Psychology Today, July,Aug, 44-51.

Institutions, information, and technologies

Tue Mar 11 Information technology & work

Text: Appendices 41-46, pp. 78-81.

Barner, R. (1996). The new millenium workplace: seven changes that will challenge managers - and workers. The Futurist, 30, 2, 14-19.

Ditlea, S. (1995). Home is where the office is: technology improvements have made the home office an effective workplace. Nationís Business, 83, 11, 41-45.

Thu Mar 13 Information technology & social change

Andrisin-Wittig, M. & Schmitz, J. (1996). Electronic grassroots organizing. Journal of Social Issues, 52, 1, 53-69.

Brent, E. (1996). Electronic communication and sociology: looking backward, thinking ahead.The American Sociologist, 27, 1, 4-10.

Carley, K. (1995). Communication technologies and their effects on cultural homogeneity, consensus, and the diffusion of new ideas. Sociological Perspectives, 38, 4, 54?-570.

Naisbitt, J. (1982). Megatrends: ten new directions transforming our lives. pp 1-33. New York: Warner Books.

Tue Mar 25 Public Information

(Read any three of the following readings).

Benenson, B. (1994). New bills would streamline secret document process. Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report. 52, 9, 554.

Fitzgerald, M. (1993). Privatizing government secrecy. Editor & Publisher, April 24, p. 36-38

Gallagher, T (1994). Lessons in secrecy (experiments on how authorities hide public information). The Bulletin of the American Society of Newspaper Editors, 759, Jne-Jly, p.16.

Gross, D. (1991). Byting the hand that feeds them. The Washington Monthly, November, 37.

Hansen, C. (1995). Open secrets, closed minds. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 51, 4, 16-18.

Harders, J. (1995). Pay and pay again. (access to public records). The Quill. 83, 8, 17-19.

Karabell. A. (1993). New CIA wine, old CIA bottles. Nieman Reports, 47, 1, 46-50.

Splichall, S. & Chamberlin, B. (1994). The fight for access to government records, round two: enter the computer. Journalism Quarterly, 71, 3, 550-560.

Thu Mar 27 Private information; Review

American survey: we know youíre reading this. (1996). The Economist, Feb 10, p. 27-28.

Piller, C. (1993). Privacy in peril: how computers are making private life a thing of the past. MacWorld, 10, 124-131.

Pritchard-Schoch, P. (1993). The right to government information about individuals: the privacy issue revisited. Online, Mar, 99-102.

Rothfeder, J. (1989). Is nothing private? Business Week, Sept 4, p. 74-82.

Tue Apr 1 Exam Two

Information and Change: interrelationships

Thu Apr 3 Freedom of Information & Speech

Buckholtz, T. (1995). Information proficiency: your key to the information age. NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold.

Hentoff, N. (1993). Free speech: are there limits? The Progressive. May 1993. 16-18.

Fiss, O. (1996). The silencing effect of speech. In The irony of free speech. pp 5 -26. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Tue Apr 8 Intellectual Property

Green, Jay. (1995). Rights squabble begins over new media explosion. Variety. Jan 2, v. 335. 4-6.

Horowitz, I. L. (1996). Publishing, property, and the national information superstructure. Publishing Research Quarterly, 11,1,40-45.

Snapper, J. (1991). The user and justifications for the regulation of intellectual property. Social Epistemology, 5, 1, 78-87.

Thu Apr 10 Information Gathering & Dissemination

Halleck. A. (1994). Zapatista on-line. NACLA Report on the Americas. 28, 2, 30-33.

Meyer, D. (1995). The challenge of cultural elites: celebrities and social movements. Sociological Inquiry. 65, 2, 181-206.

Straubhaar, J & LaRose, R. (1996). Communications media in the information society. Chapters 3 & 18. New York: Wadsworth.

Tue Apr 15 Propaganda as Information

Katz, J. (1994). Seven million homeless people canít be wrong. New York. May 23, 14-17.

Lone, C. (1994). Shot down. New Republic. June 20, 12-15.

(See also Skees and Swanson, from readings, Feb 25)

Thu Apr 17 Information Seeking Behaviors

Second essay due

Text: Ch. 3. pp 29-38.

Dunn, K. (1986). Psychological needs and source linkages in undergraduate information-seeking behavior. College & Research Libraries, 47, 475-481.

Gantz, W. (1991). Assessing the active components of information seeking. Journalism Quarterly, 68, 630-638.

Glass-Schuman, P. (1991). Reclaiming our technological future. Whole Earth Review, Winter, p. 75

Stamm, K. & Guest, A. (1991). Communication and community integration: an analysis of the behavior of newcomers. Journalism Quarterly, 68, 4, 644-656.

Tue Apr 22 Social Influences on Information Seeking

Gostin, L., Turek-Brezina, J. Powers, M., Kozloff, R. Faden, R. & Steinhauer, D. (1993). Privacy and security of personal information in a new health care system. Journal of the American Medical Association. 270, 20, 2487-2494.

Hamilton, D. (1990). Stereotype-based expectancies: effects on information processing and social behavior. Journal of Social Issues. 46, 2, 35-60.

Nichols, M. (1996). The medicine gap. Macleanís. Aug 12, 43-45.

Thu Apr 24 Information Underload & Overload

Text: Chs 4 & 5 pp 39-52.

Limerick, P. (1992). Information overload is a prime factor in our culture wars. Chronicle of Higher Education, 38, n47, July 29, A32

Sweetland, J. (1993). Information poverty - let me count the ways. Database, Aug. 8-11.

Tue May 1 Review