Monday, September 9, 2013

Studying User Generated Religion

In weeks 3-9 students in COMM 480 will be conducting research online regarding how religion gets performed and/or constructed within various social media platforms.  The aim of this research and its related writing assignment is to teach students to conduct and report on  first-hand online.  Students will focus on a specific social media platform and expression of religion to study the ways digital media can be used to create, express, practice and spread what can be described as "lived religion" online.   Studying lived religion in this assignment means paying special attention to how religion is experienced and practiced online by particular individuals or a specific group.

This week students are asked to create their own research blog and make their first post.  This initial post is a "case study proposal" that outline what topic and context you hope to study.

This post should state:
- what social media platform you will investigate
- what religious context you will study
- why you have selected this particular case (both religious context and platform)
- and propose an initial research focus, discussing how to study the way religion is lived out in this example.

Students should also provide a hyperlink to their chosen case study. Posts should be at least 300 words and appear online by 10am Friday of the corresponding week to receive full credit.

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