28871

Comparing networked public spheres during election campaigns in different countries

Yangliu Fan

Comments

This course provides students with an introduction to the concept of the networked public sphere, which consists of a multitude of actors interacting with one another. In the global context, different parameters of political and media systems can both promote or constrain the communication roles and behaviors of organizations and actors within these networks. This seminar will equip students with the essential knowledge and tools needed to analyze and compare the digital public spheres as (dynamic) networks through a combination of lectures, seminars, student presentations, and group discussions. In particular, it takes election campaigns as an example to compare networked public spheres in different countries and contexts. By analyzing users as actors, political issues as content, communicative actions on social media as ties, and a specific time frame (i.e., election campaigns), the course actively engages students with current literature on rethinking the concept of the public sphere amidst the digitalization of public communication. In order to empirically describe how networks structure and evolve, this course will offer an introduction to network analysis techniques, covering fundamental network concepts and measures. Moreover, students will gain hands-on experience analyzing real-world social media data to uncover topological patterns. They will learn to visualize and analyze network data using software tools like Gephi. By the end of the seminar, students will collaborate on a group project that compares networked public spheres in different countries. close

12 Class schedule

Regular appointments

Mon, 18:00 - 20:00 12 Class schedule

Mon, 2025-04-14 18:00 - 20:00

Lecturers:
Yangliu Fan