MCDM-594C Social Impact of Mobile Communication FALL 2012 Saturdays 8:30am-4:30pm CMU 302 Dr. Katy Pearce kepearce@uw.

edu Office hours in CMU 340-E Mondays 12noon-2pm and by appointment (or Skype/Google chat) Description: This course will examine the social consequences of mobile communication and the role that the technology plays in the reformulation of everyday life for individuals and society. Topics include use of the personal (safety, microcoordination, family, youth) and societal (publicness, work, education, health, crisis) impact of mobile communication, the effect of mobile communication on social capital and politics as well as inequality (wealth, disability, gender, developing countries). Goals: In this course, we will: Critically read empirical studies and policy papers about information and communication technologies; o Greater familiarity with academic and policy perspectives on this topic; o Build critical evaluation skills; Present and discuss empirical studies and policy papers and compare arguments and findings; o Develop presentation skills; Learn about academic, professional, and policy approaches to mobile communication; o Exposure to a growing industry; Deploy mobile communication tools and evaluate them; o Gain familiarity with tools and evaluation; Write a realistic proposal for a mobile-based intervention; o Develop proposal writing skills. FOUR PEAKS INNOVATION: Applying inventive thinking and In this course, we will critical look at the social impact of technological tools to design new solutions for existing mobile communication and mobile tools. challenges. ENTREPRENEURSHIP: Cultivating skills and attitudes The social impact of mobile communication is of for managing risk vs. opportunity in the pursuit of profound importance for entrepreneurs. Considering growth whether starting a new venture, or operating how technologies affect individuals and society matters. within an established one. COMMUNITY: Developing, raising, and then banking Within this course there will be a collaborative writing social capital to connect and engage others in a assignment that focuses on mock proposal writing. Also sustained, meaningful, and collaborative way. guest speakers from the mobile policy and business communities will provide students with outside insights about future possibilities in the mobile sphere. STORY: Engaging communities in persuasive Written assignments and presentations are a primary communication through the creation and multi- element of this course. platform distribution of rich narrative content. Course management site: Course readings and communication will be in Canvas. https://canvas.uw.edu. This system may be new to you. If you need help, please visit: https://depts.washington.edu/uwcanvas/help/ Organization of course: As this course is designed in 5 Saturdays, the class will be organized in blocks. The first two hours we will discuss the readings broadly intermingled with lecture and presentations by students. We will then usually do a small group activity before breaking for lunch. After lunch we will often have a guest speaker, although sometimes we will continue to work on the group activity or have more student presentations, depending on the length. The last block of the class will tie up loose ends and connect to the next topic.
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Readings: Because this class only meets for 5 sessions, the reading load is heavy. Readings are to be completed before class. Readings are available in PDF form on Canvas. Because it is likely that you will want access to nonassigned sections of the books, all of the books are on reserve at the library and many are available digitally through the library. You are welcome to buy the books via Amazon or elsewhere. Books that are not available scanned that need to be purchased are: Ling, R., & Donner, J. (2009). Mobile communication. Cambridge: Polity. Ling, R. (2004). The mobile connection: The cell phones impact on society. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann. Questions about readings can be posted to Twitter, class hashtag #simc12. This is not a requirement but is encouraged. Course policies: All students are expected to come to class on time, having finished the assigned readings and prepared with questions, viewpoints, or examples to contribute to the discussion. Everyone should pay attention and participate fully in discussions, neither dominating nor allowing others to carry the intellectual load. You can expect to be treated with respect in this class. You are also expected to treat your classmates and instructors with respect. If you are rude or consistently behave in ways that interfere with others ability to learn, you will be asked to leave the classroom. Serious or repeated violations are grounds for academic misconduct charges. Late assignments will not be accepted without prior approval. Incompletes will be granted only when these three conditions are met: there is a serious emergency, no additional class attendance is necessary to finish the course, and the extension is cleared with the instructor before grades are due. Academic integrity: All students are expected to adhere to UWs academic integrity and code of conduct policies This includes plagiarism. This is a serious topic and all assignments will be reviewed for integrity. Please familiarize yourself with these policies. http://www.washington.edu/uaa/advising/help/academichonesty.php The MCDM is committed to upholding the academic standards of the University of Washingtons Student Conduct Code. If a faculty member suspects a violation of that code from one of their students, the first expectation is that they will engage in a conversation with that student about their concerns. In many cases, MCDM faculty members can successfully resolve academic misconduct incidences directly with that student. However, if a particular situation requires involvement beyond the MCDM faculty member, the matter must be elevated to the MCDM Associate Director of Academic Affairs. The MCDM Associate Director of Academic Affairs, in consultation with the MCDM Director, can then work with the COM Chair to seek further input and if necessary, move the case up to the Dean. While evidence of academic misconduct may result in a lower grade, MCDM faculty (indeed, all UW faculty) may not unilaterally lower a grade without taking the necessary steps outlined above. Accommodations: Students with disabilities should register with UWs Disability Resources for Students Office and meet with the instructor about accommodations. http://www.washington.edu/students/drs/ If you have a letter from Disability Resources for Students indicating that you have a disability that requires academic accommodations, please present the letter to me so we can discuss the accommodations that you might need for the class. I am happy to work with you to maximize your learning experience. Communication and media use This is a mobile communication course. You are expected to communicate and use digital media appropriately and thoughtfully. Media misuse undermines the educational experience in and out of class for all. This means: Laptops and/or tablet computers and/or mobile devices (cell phones, smartphones) should be used only to enhance your engagement with the class. If you are not taking notes, referring to the digital readings, or looking up things immediately relevant to what is being discussed and then contributing your findings to discussion, laptops and/or tablet computers should be turned off and put away.
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Texting, chatting, checking Facebook, doing work for other courses, watching YouTube etc is a distraction not just to you but to everyone else in the room. Please dont do it. Face-to-face chatter is equally problematic. If you need to talk to your classmate during the time that the class meets, demonstrate respect for the rest of us by doing it someplace else. Please do not record (audio or video) any class activities. This policy exists to create a comfortable environment for everyone your classmates, the instructor, and any guest speakers. Email and course management site communications (and all communications generally) among MCDM community members should seek to respect the rights and privileges of all members of the academic community. This includes not interfering with university functions or endangering the health, welfare, or safety of other persons. With this in mind, in addition to the University of Washington's Student Conduct Code, the MCDM establishes the following standards of conduct in respect to electronic communications among students and faculty: Email communications should be limited to occasional messages necessary to the specific educational experience at hand. Email communications should be responded to, if at all possible, within 48 hours. In particular regard to student communications with faculty, if an email from a student to a faculty member does not receive a response within 48 hours, then the student should investigate other ways of contacting the instructor (telephone, office hours, etc.). Email communications should not include any CC-ing of anyone not directly involved in the specific educational experience at hand. Email communications should not include any blind-CC-ing to third parties, regardless of the third partys relevance to the matter at hand.

Assignments: Youll be evaluated in this course by participation, presenting empirical studies, and writing a collaborative paper and presentation. Each week empirical studies that illustrate the course concept will be presented by a member of the class whom will also lead a short class discussion of the study. The number of presentations will depend upon the number of students enrolled. Students are encouraged to create a handout with a summary of the article as well as talking points for the discussion. (The presentations are worth 15% of your final grade.) The collaborative paper will be a mock proposal for using mobile technology to alleviate a particular social problem. You represent an organization and you will write a proposal for funding for your project that includes a proposal narrative, logic model, monitoring and evaluation plan, as well as a budget. (Points: 40% for paper, and 15% from peer review average score, 15% for presentation.) 15% of your grade will be from participation. Schedule: SESSI DATE ON 1 Sa 9/22 8:30am4:30pm TOPIC WHAT IS MOBILE? READING Please read before first class meeting. Setting the stage with a little Vonnegut: Vonnegut, K. (2009). Confido. Delacorte Press. http://www.amazon.com/Confido-ebook/dp/B002SVQDC8 History of mobile communication: Ling, R., & Donner, J. (2009). Mobile communication. Cambridge: Polity. Chapter 1 Different perspectives on mobile communication: Ling, R. (2004). The mobile connection: The cell phones impact on
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society. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann. Chapter 2 Castells, M., Fermadez-Ardevol, M., Gui, J., & Sey, A. (2006). Mobile communication and society. Cambridge: MIT Press. Chapter 1 Ling, R., & Donner, J. (2009). Mobile communication. Cambridge: Polity. Chapter 2 OPTIONAL: Katz, J. E., & Aakhus, M. A. (2002). Conclusion: Making meaning of mobiles - a theory of Apparatgeist. In J. E. Katz & M. Aakhus (Eds.), Perpetual contact: Mobile communication, private talk, public performance (pp. 301-318). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ACTIVITIES Day-in-the-life Debate: is mobile communication addictive? History of mobile communication Compare and contrast theories of mobile communication 2 Sa 9/29 8:30am4:30pm PERSONAL IMPACT OF MOBILE COMMUNICATIO N Safety and security: Ling, R. (2004). The mobile connection: The cell phones impact on society. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann. Chapter 3 Microcoordination and hypercoordination: Ling, R. (2004). The mobile connection: The cell phones impact on society. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann. Chapter 4 Class member presentation 1: Ling, R., & Birgitte, Y. (2002). Hyper-coordination via mobile phones in Norway. In J. E. Katz & M. A. Aakhus (Eds.), Perpetual contact: Mobile communication, private talk, public performance (pp. 139169). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. OPTIONAL: Licoppe, C. (2003). Two modes of maintaining interpersonal relations through the telephone: From the domestic to the mobile phone. In J. E. Katz (Ed.), Machines that become us the social context of personal communication technology (pp. 171-185). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers. Family: Wellman, B., & Rainie, L. (2012). Networked: The new social operating system. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Chapter 6 Siewiorek, D. (2012). Generation smartphone. IEEE Spectrum. Retrieved
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from http://spectrum.ieee.org/consumerelectronics/gadgets/generation-smartphone Class member presentation 2: Matsuda, M. (2009). Mobile media and the transformation of family. In G. Goggin & L. Hjorth (Eds.), Mobile technologies: From telecommunications to media. (pp. 62-72). London: Routledge. Youth: Castells, M., Fermadez-Ardevol, M., Gui, J., & Sey, A. (2006). Mobile communication and society. Cambridge: MIT Press. Chapter 4 Class member presentation 3: Haddon, L., & Vincent, J. (2009). Childrens broadening use of mobile phones. In G. Goggin & L. Hjorth (Eds.), Mobile technologies: From telecommunications to media (pp. 37-49). London: Routledge. Class member presentation 4: Goggin, G., & Crawford, K. (2011). Generation disconnections: Youth culture and mobile media. In R. Ling & S. W. Campbell (Eds.), Mobile communication: Bringing us together or tearing us apart? (pp. 249-270). New Brunswick: Transaction. OPTIONAL: Ling, R. (2009). Mobile communication and teen emancipation. In G. Goggin & L. Hjorth (Eds.), Mobile technologies: From telecommunications to media (pp. 50-61). London: Routledge. ACTIVITIES With all of the concerns for the personal impact of mobile communication, we will evaluate mobile apps that are promoted as helping with these personal issues. Publicness: Ling, R. (2004). The mobile connection: The cell phones impact on society. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann. Chapter 6 Class member presentation 5: Campbell, S. W., & Kwak, N. (2011). Mobile communication and civil society: Linking patterns and places of use to engagement with others in public. Human Communication Research, 37(2), 207-222. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2958.2010.01399.x Work: Wellman, B., & Rainie, L. (2012). Networked: The new social operating system. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Chapter 7 Class member presentation 6: Scott, C. R., Youn, H., & Bonanno, G. (2011). Mobile communication policies in the workplace: The case of U.S. state governments. In J. E. Katz (Ed.), Mobile communication: Dimensions of social policy (pp. 157-173). New Brunswick: Transaction.
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Sa 10/13 8:30am4:30pm

SOCIETIAL IMPACT OF MOBILE COMMUNICATIO N

OPTIONAL: Kennedy, T. L. M., Wellman, B., & Amoroso, J. (2011). Can you take it with you? Mobility, ICTs, and work-life balance. In J. E. Katz (Ed.), Mobile communication: Dimensions of social policy (pp. 191-210). New Brunswick: Routledge. Education: Class member presentation 7: Portus, L. M. (2011). M-enabled learning: The mobile phones contribution to education. In J. E. Katz (Ed.), Mobile communication: Dimensions of social policy (pp. 211-229). New Brunswick: Transaction. Health: Class member presentation 8: Mechael, P. (2008). Health services and mobiles: A case from Egypt. In J. E. Katz (Ed.), Handbook of mobile communication studies (pp. 91103). Cambridge: MIT Press. Crisis: Class member presentation 9: Xia, Y. (2011). Mobile phones role following China's 2008 earthquake. In J. E. Katz (Ed.), Mobile communication: Dimensions of social policy (pp. 87-102). New Brunswick: Transaction. ACTIVITIES Speaker: Katrin Verclas, National Democratic Institute; MobileActive Frontline SMS deployment We will create a Frontline SMS project as a group. FrontlineSMS is a free open source software used by a variety of organizations to distribute and collect information via text messages (SMS). The software can work without an Internet connection and with only a mobile phone and central computer. 4 Sa 10/27 8:30am4:30pm SOCIAL CAPITAL AND POLITICS Castells, M., Fermadez-Ardevol, M., Gui, J., & Sey, A. (2006). Mobile communication and society. Cambridge: MIT Press. Chapter 7 Social capital: Class member presentation 10: Wilken, R. (2011). Bonds and bridges: Mobile phone use and social capital debates. In R. Ling & S. W. Campbell (Eds.), Mobile communication: Bringing us together and tearing us apart (pp. 127149). New Brunswick: Transaction. Political engagement: Class member presentation 11: Walton, M., & Donner, J. (2011). Mobile-mediated publics in South Africas 2009 elections. In J. E. Katz (Ed.), Mobile communication: Dimensions of social policy (pp. 117-132). New Brunswick: Transaction.
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Class member presentation 12: Campbell, S. W., & Kwak, N. (2010). Mobile communication and civic life: Linking patterns of use to civic and political engagement. Journal of Communication, 60(3), 536-555. doi:10.1111/j.14602466.2010.01496.x OPTIONAL: Campbell, S. W., & Kwak, N. (2011). Political involvement in mobilized society: The interactive relationships among mobile communication, network characteristics, and political participation. Journal of Communication, 61(6), 1005-1024. doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.2011.01601.x ACTIVITIES Speaker: Chris Albon, Ushahidi Ushahidi deployment We will create a Ushahidi project as a group. Ushahidi is a non-profit software company that develops free and open source software (LGPL) for information collection, visualization and interactive mapping. The organization uses the concept of crowdsourcing for social activism and public accountability, serving as an initial model for what has been coined as 'activist mapping' - the combination of social activism, citizen journalism and geospatial information. Ushahidi offers products that enable local observers to submit reports using their mobile phones or the Internet, while simultaneously creating a temporal and geospatial archive of events. November ASSIGNMENT The Foundation for Cool Stuff has a Call For Proposals for using mobile technology to alleviate a particular social problem. You represent an organization and you will write a proposal for funding for your project that includes a proposal narrative, logic model, monitoring and evaluation plan, as well as a budget. This is a collaborative project. Group members should expect to meet in person and use the time in November when the class does not meet to work together. Team member roles include: Project manager: responsible for delegating tasks, managing deadlines, and communication specifically ensuring that the budget, logic model, and monitoring and evaluation teams are in sync Budget: multiple team members will be responsible for preparing a realistic budget and budget narrative Logic model: multiple team members will prepare a logic model. Monitoring and evaluation: multiple team members will prepare a monitoring and evaluation plan Due 12/15. 5 Sa 12/8 8:30am4:30pm MOBILE COMMUNICATIO N AND INEQUALITY Wealth: King, J. (2011). How big telecom used smartphones to create a new digital divide. Colorlines. Retrieved from http://colorlines.com/archives/2011/12/the_new_digital_divide_t
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wo_separate_but_unequal_internets.html Disability: Class member presentation 13: Goggin, G. (2011). Disability, mobiles, and social policy: New modes of communication and governance. In J. E. Katz (Ed.), Mobile communication: dimensions of social policy (pp. 259-272). New Brunswick: Transaction. Gender: Madrigal, A. (2012). Sorry, young man, youre not the most important demographic in tech. The Atlantic. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/06/sorryyoung-man-youre-not-the-most-important-demographic-intech/258087/ Class member presentation 14: Fortunati, L. (2009). Gender and the mobile phone. In G. Goggin & L. Hjorth (Eds.), Mobile technologies: From telecommunications to media (pp. 23-34). London: Routledge. OPTIONAL: Hjorth, L. (2011). Mobile specters of intimacy: A case study of women and mobile intimacy. In R. Ling & S. Campbell W. (Eds.), Mobile communication: Bringing us together and tearing us apart (pp. 3760). New Brunswick: Transaction. Developing countries: Donner, J. (2008). Research approaches to mobile use in the developing world: A review of the literature. The Information Society, 24 (3), 140-159. doi:10.1080/01972240802019970 Class member presentation 15: Chigona, W., Beukes, D., Vally, J., & Tanner, M. (2009). Can mobile Internet help alleviate social exclusion in developing countries? The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, 36, 1-16. Retrieved from http://www.ejisdc.org/ojs2.../index.php/ejisdc/article/view/535 Class member presentation 16: Porter, G., Hampshire, K., Abane, A., Munthali, A., Robson, E., Mashiri, M., & Tanle, A. (2012). Youth, mobility and mobile phones in Africa: findings from a three-country study. Information Technology for Development, 18(2), 145-162. doi:10.1080/02681102.2011.643210 ACTIVITIES Grading scale: 97% - 100% = 4 94% - 96.9% = 3.9 91% - 93.9% = 3.8 89% - 90.9% = 3.7
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Each team will present their proposal to the class.

87% - 88.9% = 3.6 86% - 86.9% = 3.5 85% - 85.9% = 3.4 84% - 84.9% = 3.3 82.3% - 83.9% = 3.2 80.7% - 82.2% = 3.1 79% - 80.6% = 3 77.7% - 78.9% = 2.9 76.3% - 77.6% = 2.8 75% - 76.2% = 2.7 Participation evaluation: Exceeds expectations: Contributes to the discussion by raising questions and comments that reflect little understanding of the material, sometimes builds on others ideas and seldom challenges assumptions and ideas. Meets expectations: Sometimes contributes to the discussion by raising questions, making sometimes relevant comments, builds on others ideas and sometimes challenges assumptions and ideas. Fails to meet expectations: Always contributes to the discussion by raising thoughtful questions, comments are relevant, and often builds on others ideas and most of the time. Challenges assumptions and ideas appropriately. Writing and presentation evaluation: 4.0 Excellent and exceptional work for a graduate student. Work at this level is extraordinarily thorough, wellreasoned, methodologically sophisticated, and well-written. Work is of good professional quality, shows an incisive understanding of digital media-related issues and demonstrates clear recognition of appropriate analytical approaches to digital media challenges and opportunities. 3.8 Strong work for a graduate student. Work at this level shows some signs of creativity, is thorough and wellreasoned, indicates strong understanding of appropriate methodological or analytical approaches, and demonstrates clear recognition and good understanding of salient digital media-related challenges and opportunities. 3.6 Competent and sound work for a graduate student; well-reasoned and thorough, methodologically sound, but not especially creative or insightful or technically sophisticated; shows adequate understanding of digital mediarelated challenges and opportunities, although that understanding may be somewhat incomplete. This is the graduate student grade that indicates neither unusual strength nor exceptional weakness. 3.3 Adequate work for a graduate student even though some weaknesses are evident. Moderately thorough and wellreasoned, but some indication that understanding of the important issues is less than complete and perhaps inadequate in other respects as well. Methodological or analytical approaches used are generally adequate but have one or more weaknesses or limitations. 3.0 Fair work for a graduate student; meets the minimal expectations for a graduate student in the course; understanding of salient issues is incomplete, methodological or analytical work performed in the course is minimally adequate. Overall performance, if consistent in graduate courses, would be in jeopardy of sustaining graduate status in "good standing." 2.7
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Borderline work for a graduate student; barely meets the minimal expectations for a graduate student in the course. Work is inadequately developed, important issues are misunderstood, and in many cases assignments are late or incomplete. This is the minimum grade needed to pass the course.

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