Courses
COMM7640 Introduction to the Chinese Internet (3 units)
- Medium of Instruction:
- Putonghua
This course is designed to introduce how the adoption of the internet affects Chinese society at individual, interpersonal, group, and community levels. It will cover multiple perspectives that account for communication processes altered by the rapid development and penetration of the internet in China. Various topics will be covered in this course, including interpersonal relationships, online movements, media convergence, public relations, health communication, and digital societies. Attention will be paid to discussion on distinctive features of the Chinese internet and general patterns of technologically mediated communication. From reading and discussing scholarly work on Chinese internet and theories of computer mediated communication, students will be able to examine how social and technological processes shape the consequences of internet adoption in China. Practical implications will also be discussed through evaluating and critiquing product designs as well as investigations of user experience.