Social History of the Media

This course addresses the social history of media from a sociological perspective, focusing particularly on electronic, digital, and algorithmic media. The first part of the course tackles the evolution of various media technologies, from the camera to the walkman, from the phonograph to the personal computer, which will be critically analyzed in relation to their social origins, historical and cultural contexts, everyday uses, and shared imaginaries.
The second part of the course is devoted to the technological and cultural transformations linked to the development of algorithmic media and "intelligent" machines, from the late twentieth century to the present. In this monographic part of the course, face-to-face lectures will alternate with various activities in class. Students will organize into working groups aimed at exploring specific social dimensions of the history of media and technologies.

Students will develop the following skills:
- Knowledge of the main social, cultural and political dynamics underlying the development of modern media technologies;
- Knowledge of the main historical and cultural processes related to the shared imaginaries and everyday uses of modern media and algorithmic technologies;
- Capacity for historical and critical analysis of media and technologies;
- Ability to critically reflect around contemporary communication;
- Communication and collaborative skills developed through participation in working groups.