The Politics of Information Access

Honors College
HON 201 (Section 53330)
Thursday, 4:00-4:50, 117 Lincoln Hall

http://www.uic.edu/classes/hon/hon201/

Laura Quilter | lauramd@uic.edu | 996-8974
Veronda Pitchford | vjpitch@uic.edu | 996-2728

Synopsis - Requirements - Syllabus - Readings - Facilitating - Papers & Projects
Course Projects

Synopsis and Raison d'Etre

This course will critically analyze the structure of the modern information society. We will examine the political ramifications of production and access to information.

For years, pundits have said that the US is moving away from an industrial economy and toward an information economy. Statistics such as "80% of all jobs are related to the information economy" seem to bear this out. Yet information is still in many ways a nebulous term. We will examine traditional and new methods of producing, storing, distributing and accessing information, and the ramifications of different methods. The course will be primarily discussion-based, with some short guest lectures. Class participation is crucial. Ongoing participation (in-class and via listserve) and a single class project will be required of students.

What Is To Be Done? (Course Requirements)

• Attend every class.
• Act as facilitator for one session.
• Join the listserve. Send an email message to:
  listserv@listserv.uic.edu
  in the body of the email message type:
  subscribe polinfoacc your name
  (Example: subscribe polinfoacc Veronda Pitchford)
• Read any two new readings on the appropriate topic each week. You will send in one review of each reading to the listserve: Summarize each reading briefly (2 sentences is good) and then critically analyze it and discuss your reaction to it and opinions of it.
• Be prepared to discuss your readings in class, and on the listserve. If you don't participate, it doesn't count.
• Pick one major theme from the course and do a project or write a short (1200-1700 word) paper discussing it. Papers should be submited electronically: either by email to the instructors, or put it on a web page. You may feel free to discuss your paper and ideas on the listserve to get reactions from others. All papers will be mounted in the class web space. (If you have ideas about doing a project other than a paper, or doing group-work, talk to the instructors. If you want a brief tutorial on putting up a web page talk to the instructors by mid-September.) You will need to read more of the readings for your paper. Other material may of course be used. Papers should be properly endnoted. Turabian, MLA, or Chicago Manual of Style is ok; but be consistent. Where material is available online, it should be linked. A rough draft is due by mid-November.

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