Socially-Engaged Software 2024

MS139: Socially-Engaged Software

Scripps College Media Studies, Spring 2024
Mon / Wed 2:45 – 4:00PM
Lang 214

Professor: Xin Xin (any pronouns)
Email: xxin@scrippscollege.edu
Virtual Office Hours: Fri 3:00 — 5:00PM (Booking Page / Zoom Link)

Course Description

This course introduces the theories and practices of socially-engaged software, a DIY and grassroots approach to making software that challenges society?s pre-existing power relations. Through archival materials, technical demonstrations, and site visits, we will study how hackers, activists, and artists incorporate software to challenge authoritarian regimes and uplift communities. Students will form independent research topics throughout the semester and study software as a cultural artifact.

Learning Outcomes

An overview on the history, theories, and practices of socially-engaged software.
Comprehensive understanding of oppurtunities and limits of software within social movements.
Conducting independent research that involves both theoretical and technical analysis.

Assessable Assignments

#1 Case Study – DUE 2/5~2/26
#2 Interview – DUE 3/18
#3 Research Paper – DUE 5/1

Final Grade Calculation

Participation – 20%
Reading Discussion – 20%
Case Study – 10%
Interview – 15%
Research Paper – 35%

Grading Chart

93-100 = A	90-92 = A-	88-89 = B+
82-87 = B	80-81 = B-	78-79 = C+
72-77 = C	70-71 = C-	68-69 = D+
62-67 = D	60-61 = D-	0-59 = F

Course Schedule

Week	Date	Agenda	Assignments
1	1/17	Welcome & Introduction	Class Survey
2	1/22 (Online)	What is Socially-Engaged Technology? Community Agreement Assignment #1 Case Study Overview	Read Tactical Poetics: FloodNet's Virtual Sit-ins by Aria Dean and the 1st Declaration of La Realidad for Humanity and against Neoliberalism by EZLN, then participate in group discussion on Canvas (Due 1/29) Complete Assignment #1 Case Study (Due 2/7~2/28)
2	1/24	No Class
3	1/29	Reading Discussion Do you think that virtual sit-ins are effective on the Internet “we” live in today? Why or why not? What are some common ways for digital protests to take place in the U.S. today?
3	1/31	What is Software Criticism? Part 1 Case Study: TogetherNet
4	2/5	What is Software Criticism? Part 2 Read On Software, or the Persistence of Visual Knowledge by Wendy Hui Kyong Chun	Finish reading On Software, or the Persistence of Visual Knowledge by Wendy Hui Kyong Chun and participate in group discussion on Canvas (Due 2/12)
4	2/7	Case Study: Transborder Immigrant Tool (Claudio)
5	2/12	What is Software Criticism? Part 3 Reading Discussion
5	2/14	Case Study: Native-Land.ca (Angie & Ethan) Case Study: Anti-Eviction Map (Harrison & Jazzmin)	Read Uncivilizing Digital Territories by Luandro or listen to Fork the Government by Planet Money, then participate in corresponding group discussion on Canvas (Due 2/19)
6	2/19	Reading Discussion Assignment#2 Interview Overview	Complete Assignment #2 Interview (Due 3/18)
6	2/21	Case Study: forkonomy() (Olivia & Joseph) Case Study: Bail Bloc (Ryan & Josie)
7	2/26	Reading Discussion Seeding Collaboration Toward Planetary Action Digital Tools to Battle Ecological Crisis: Jen Castro on Building Technologies with Frontline Communities Stacco Troncoso on Feminism, Solidarity Economics, and the Peer-to-Peer Commons Toucan’s Raphaël Haupt on Coordinating Climate Action through Decentralized Protocols It’s About How It Feels While We Are Together: Games as Radical Tools for Social Intervention The inventor of the digital cookie has some regrets
7	2/28	Case Study: FEMALE EXTENSION (Marina & Reese) Case Study: Have I Been Trained? (Giana & Sophy & Yiyao)
8	3/4 (Online)	Guest Lecture: Dillon Sung (Stop LAPD Spying Coalition)
8	3/6	No Class
9	3/11	Spring Break — No Class
9	3/13	Spring Break — No Class
10	3/18	Assignment#3 Research Paper Overview
10	3/20	Hacker Demo: Grayson Earle (Bail Bloc)	Read Scrapism: A Manifesto, GitHub, Medium, and Twitter take down database of ICE employee LinkedIn accounts, Downloading the profiles of everyone on LinkedIn who works for ICE, ICESPY and respond to Canvas discussion (Due 3/25)
11	3/25	Reading Discussion Symposium Event Discussion	Prepare a 2-minute Research Paper Proposal Presentation (Due 4/1)
11	3/27	Compiling References: Scrapism as an Example
12	4/1	Research Paper Proposal Presentation
	4/3	1:1 Meetings (Sign-up Sheet)	Individualized reading assignment TBA (Due 4/8)
	4/6	Field Trip: Katherine Behar @ Beall Art Center
13	4/8	Lecture Seminar – Special Topics
	4/10	1:1 Meetings (Sign-up Sheet)	Individualized reading assignment TBA (Due 4/15)
	4/13	Field Trip: Katherine Behar @ Beall Art Center
14	4/15	Lecture Seminar – Special Topics
14	4/17	Interview Presentation
15	4/22	Peer Review Session
15	4/24	Peer Review Session
16	4/29	Peer Review Session
16	5/1	Final Symposium

Course and Institutional Policies

Attendance Policy

You may miss up to four classes and still pass this class. Note that 60 percent of the students' grade is given for work on in-class activities, and that these cannot be repeated except in extraordinary circumstances.

Participation Policy

You are expected to be attentive, ask questions, work alone and with a partner to complete your work.

Late Assignment and Missed Exam Policy

Labs and in-class activities will not be repeated except in extraordinary circumstances.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to abide by the Scripps College academic integrity code. You must submit work that is your own and which is original work for this class. Also, all sources must be documented. Omission of sources is considered plagiarism, even if it is an oversight and/or unintentional. All plagiarism will be reported to the department and Dean’s office for further action. For this course, collaboration is allowed in on lab activities and assignments IFF all contributions are documented.

Permissible cooperation should never involve one student having possession of a copy of all or part of work done by someone else, in any form (e.g. email, Word doc, Box file, Google sheet, or a hard copy). Also, assignments that have been previously submitted in another course may not be submitted for this course, and I discourage you from finding solutions on Stack Overflow or other online forums to paste into your notebooks.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Scripps students seeking to register to receive academic accommodations must contact Academic Resources and Services Staff (ARS) at ars@scrippscollege.edu to formalize accommodations. Students will be required to submit documentation and meet with a staff member before being approved for accommodations. Once ARS has authorized academic accommodations, a formal notification will be sent out.

A student’s home campus is responsible for establishing and providing accommodations. If you are not a Scripps student, you must contact your home institution to establish accommodations. Below is a list of coordinators on the other campuses:

CMC - Julia Easley, julia.easley@claremontmckenna.edu
Harvey Mudd – Deborah Kahn, dkahn@hmc.edu
Pitzer- Gabriella Tempestoso, gabriella_tempestoso@pitzer.edu
Pomona - Jan Collins-Eaglin, Jan.Collins-Eaglin@pomona.edu

Inclusivity Statement

This class is an example of Scripps College’s commitment to changing the norms in Computer Science. Creating this initiative at a liberal arts women's college is both a bold step towards correcting gender imbalance in this field.

Our community represents a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives. We are committed to providing an atmosphere for learning that respects diversity.

Institutional Policies

Students are responsible for reviewing Scripps College’s policies on incomplete grades, sexual misconduct, adverse weather, as well as student evaluation of instruction, and days of special concern/religious holiday.