The spread of Internet and digital media transformed the processes of communication, socialization, production and consumption around the world. Recently social media platforms have increasingly modified and somehow disrupted the ways in which individuals and groups get together in urban areas, debate, participate in civic life and promote themselves and their business. Through the perspective of media sociology the course will provide students with the theoretical and analytical frameworks useful to understand the major transitions of contemporary digital societies. The main focus will be on social media platforms and their role in marketing communication, in the civic public sphere and in the processes of urban heritage valorisation. Along with the theoretical knowledge, students will learn how to analyse social media contents thanks to Digital Methods (social analytics tools) and they will learn how to develop Social listening activities related to corporate brands and to public or private institutions’ communication. Those competencies and abilities will reinforce the students professional skills in relation with the profile of Digital Expert in the field of innovative and sustainable data-based services oriented to public and private companies and institutions.

The main learning outcomes will relate to the following topics: - theoretical-explanatory frames relating to the transformations and impacts of digital media in contemporary society; - methodologies and tools for social media analysis aimed at improving public and private entities communication with regard to their customers, general citizens, media outlets etc.; The student must be able to apply the knowledge and the competencies acquired to achieve the following objectives: - realising social media listening analysis on different platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr etc.; - being able to refer data to wider interpretative frames and narratives which may arise in the digital public sphere; - being able to map social media contents in relation with issues which may arise in specific contexts such as private or public companies and institutions based in the local area.

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The course is articulated in two main parts: - The first part will include a number of theoretical lessons aimed at explaining the main frameworks related to the transformation and impacts of digital media in contemporary societies; - The second part will be devoted, through a project-based approach, to the methodologies (Digital Methods) and tools required for social media contents analysis. Among the two parts a number of lessons could be dedicated to case studies analysis or to the intervention of other experts and teachers or to the students’ advancements monitoring.

In consideration of the evolving emergency situation, the course could be offered either entirely online or in classroom. No blended solution will be adopted. The first part of the course will take approximately 20 hours (2 CFU), the second part will take 20 hours (2 cfu) and the remaining 20 hours (2 cfu) will be devoted to case studies, to experts’ interventions and to the the students’ advancements monitoring.

Boyd, D. M. and Ellison, N. B. (2007). Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1), 210–230. Castells, M. (2013). Communication power. Oxford: OUP. Crawford, K. (2009). Following you: Disciplines of listening in social media. Continuum, 23(4), 525-535. Fuchs, C. (2017). Social media: A critical introduction. London: Sage. Fuchs, C. (2018). Propaganda 2.0: Herman and Chomsky’s propaganda model in the age of the internet, big data and social media. In Pedro-Carañana, J., Broudy, D. and Klaehn, J. (Eds.) The propaganda model today: Filtering perception and awareness. London: University of Westminster Press. Available at: 10.16997/book27. f. Gillespie, T. (2018). Custodians of the Internet: Platforms, content moderation, and the hidden decisions that shape social media. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Jenkins, H., Shresthova, S., Gamber-Thompson, L., Kligler-Vilenchik, N., & Zimmerman, A. (2018). By any media necessary: The new youth activism (Vol. 3). NYU Press. Jenkins, H., Ford, S., & Green, J. (2018). Spreadable media: Creating value and meaning in a networked culture (Vol. 15). NYU press. Rogers, R. (2019). Doing digital methods. SAGE Publications Limited. Sunstein, C. (2017). Hashtag Republic. Princeton University Press, Princeton (US). Tuten, T. L. (2020). Social media marketing. Sage. van der Hoeven, A. (2019). Historic urban landscapes on social media: The contributions of online narrative practices to urban heritage conservation. City, Culture and Society, 17, 61-68.

Modalità di esame: Prova orale obbligatoria; Elaborato scritto individuale; Elaborato scritto prodotto in gruppo;

Exam: Compulsory oral exam; Individual essay; Group essay;

... The final evaluation consists of two parts: 1) Students will have to prepare a report (individual or group report) related to the Digital Methods application on a specific case study or project previously agreed by the teacher. The report (15 pages minimum) will describe the context, the objective, the research methodology deployed and the principal results of the analysis. The report will be evaluated both in his substantial and formal aspects (writing, spelling etc.). 2) An oral individual interview on a selection of the reading materials. During the oral exam, the student will have to answer up to four questions on the topics presented during the classes or referenced in the reading materials selected. The final vote will be given by the weighted average of the report vote (50%) and the average of the oral interview (50%). Those who do not submit the report will agree on a specific exam program with the teacher.

Gli studenti e le studentesse con disabilità o con Disturbi Specifici di Apprendimento (DSA), oltre alla segnalazione tramite procedura informatizzata, sono invitati a comunicare anche direttamente al/la docente titolare dell'insegnamento, con un preavviso non inferiore ad una settimana dall'avvio della sessione d'esame, gli strumenti compensativi concordati con l'Unità Special Needs, al fine di permettere al/la docente la declinazione più idonea in riferimento alla specifica tipologia di esame.