SJE Prx:Social Media/Peace&Justice;

Winter 2017: January 9, to March 4

Instructor: Jeffrey Mahan jmahan@iliff.edu (email me with questions or to set an appointment. I strive to respond within 24 hours, though I usually don't respond on the weekend. JM )

D one mindfully, digital participation helps build a more democratic, more diverse culture - a participatory one.

Howard Rheingold

From anti-Roman graffiti in the ancient world to tweets that #Black Lives Matter, activists have spoken out in public spaces. This praxis helps participants think about the role of Social Media in the struggles for social change. Participants: 1) explore social media (blogs, Face Book, Twitter, email, podcasts, etc.) as public spaces within which issues of justice and peace are experienced, articulated and debated, where sometimes ephemeral communities are formed to support activism and organize for social change.  2) identify their own social media networks and habits and  reflect on their lives in cyberspaces, 3) think theoretically about the role of social media in society, and 4) build skills to strategically incorporating social media into their own praxis.

The praxis seminar takes a network approach in which assignments are designed to encourage students and instructor as co-learners to support each other’s learnings, share information, and connections. Participants will have different levels of social media experience, understanding of digital culture, and knowledge about particular social issues. We will strive to draw on our networks within and outside the class to expand our knowledge and experience. This is an experiential praxis and completing the assignments will require a public media presence. You are encouraged to experiment with a new social media platform as part of this course

Required Reading:

There are brief weekly readings to discuss in Canvas. Make a preliminary post (typically 100 to 175 words) by 11:59PM on Tuesday, commenting on the week’s reading. Make a second responding to a colleague’s comments (typically 50 to 100 words) by 11:59PM on Thursday.

• Mahan, Jeffrey Media Religion and Culture: An Introduction, Chapters One and Two, Routledge, 2014. (to be posted in Canvas)
• Rheingold, Howard, Net Smart: How to Thrive Online , MIT Press, 2012 or 2014 edition. ($17.00 paper on Amazon, cheaper in Kindle or used)

Required Social Media Activity: Choose a social change issue that is being worked on by a movement, group, or figure whose digital presence you will follow and interact with between now and March 4.  Examples might include Black Lives Matter, Standing Rock/Dakota Access Pipeline, AltMuslim, denominational or community groups working on homelessness, mental health, refugee or immigrant rights. It can be a group you are already engaged with, or one you are simply interested in knowing more about. Identify the issue/group in Canvas on Week Two. Expect to invest at least an hour a week following, commenting and networking around this issue.

Evaluation

Degree Learning Goals: Please take some time to look over the Professional Degree Learning Goals (MDiv, MASC, MAPSC) and the Academic Degree Learning Goals (MTS, MA).

Incompletes:  If incompletes are allowed in this course, see the Master's Student Handbook for Policies and Procedures.

Pass/Fail:  Masters students wishing to take the class pass/fail should discuss this with the instructor by the second class session.

Academic Integrity and Community Covenant:  All students are expected to abide by Iliff’s statement on Academic Integrity, as published in the Masters Student Handbook, or the Joint PhD Statement on Academic Honesty, as published in the Joint PhD Student Handbook, as appropriate.  All participants in this class are expected to be familiar with Iliff’s Community Covenant.

Accommodations:  Iliff engages in a collaborative effort with students with disabilities to reasonably accommodate student needs.   Students are encouraged to contact their assigned advisor to initiate the process of requesting accommodations.  The advising center can be contacted at advising@iliff.edu or by phone at 303-765-1146. 

Writing Lab:  Grammar and organization are important for all written assignments.  Additional help is available from the Iliff Writing Lab, which is available for students of any level who need help beginning an assignment, organizing thoughts, or reviewing a final draft. 

Inclusive Language:  It is expected that all course participants will use inclusive language in speaking and writing, and will use terms that do not create barriers to classroom community.