Course Overview

Course Title: Sociocultural Perspectives on Inequality Gender, Culture and Technology

Relevant SDGs: 05 Gender Equality，10 Reduced Inequities，12 Responsible Consumption & Production

Credit(s): 2 Credits

Course Description:

In a rapidly evolving world, the pursuit of a sustainable future is paramount. In this course, we will tackle the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from the intersection issue of inequality. Our approach will draw from extensive research and real-life case studies spanning multiple disciplines, including sociology, psychology, and communication. Our goal is to comprehensively grasp the diverse forms of inequality and explore strategies for their reduction. We aim to investigate the potential applications and extensions of sociocultural theoretical perspectives in understanding gender, cultural, and digital capital. We will adopt a multi-level approach, critically analyzing gender dynamics at individual, interactional, and structural levels. This analytical framework will be applied to various facets of social life, encompassing the self, family, school, and the workplace. Our exploration extends to the realm of language and social media content, where we will scrutinize how cultural goods are produced and consumed, emphasizing equitable and inclusive practices. Furthermore, we will dissect the role of technology and digital platforms in shaping access to cultural resources and opportunities, with a strong focus on bridging the digital divide and ensuring equal participation for all individuals. Throughout the course, discussions and assignments will challenge students to apply academic insights in addressing pressing societal issues. We will engage in a critical examination of common-sense assumptions related to culture, politics, and psychology, encouraging students to replace them with evidence-based reasoning and emphasizing the development of critical thinking skills.

Academic Team

PI:

• Yi Xu, Ph.D, Associate Professor, USC-SJTU Institute of Cultural and Creative Industry, xyphoebe@sjtu.edu.cn

Collaborators:

• Fang Xu, Ph.D, Continuing Lecturer, Interdisciplinary Studies Program at UC Berkeley, fangxu@berkeley.edu
• Yunling Zhou, Business Consultant, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), zhou.yunling@gmail.com

What skills will students get?

1. Understand the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their significance in addressing global challenges, enhance awareness of global sustainability objectives, and cultivate a sense of global citizenship.
2. Identify and analyze manifestations of inequality in society, and possess the capability to address these issues.
3. Analyze sociocultural theoretical perspectives to comprehend gender, cultural, and digital capital.
4. Develop critical thinking skills to challenge common-sense assumptions about culture, politics, and psychology.
5. Identify strategies for reducing inequality and promoting sustainable development.
6. Investigate the role of technology in shaping access to cultural resources and opportunities.
7. Foster equitable and inclusive practices in the production and consumption of cultural goods.

Mode of Teaching

1. Lecture
2. Discussion
3. Case Study

Grading

1. Attendance and Class Participation: 30% 
   Active participation in Problem-Based Learning (PBL) exercises and discussions.
2. Group Presentation: 50% 
   Final group presentation focused on a chosen topic related to inequality and its reduction. The presentation should leverage theoretical knowledge to analyze social phenomena or events critically. It should also offer insight and recommendations on how to address the identified issues.
3. Final Program Summary: 20%
   A written summary that provides an overview of your learning experience during the course. This should include your understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) topics, personal growth, feedback on the class.

Course-specific Restrictions

None.

Class Schedule

Instructors

Dr. Yi Xu

Dr. Xu Yi is an Associate Professor at the USC-SJTU Institute of Cultural and Creative Industry at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. She brings a diverse academic background to her interdisciplinary research. She earned her Ph.D. in social psychology from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, a master’s degree in developmental psychology from Columbia University in the United States, and a bachelor’s degree in microelectronics from Fudan University.

Her research interests encompass three key areas: 1) the influence of trust, how trust may impact people’s decision-making, particularly, the trust related to human-AI collaboration; 2) culture influence and transmission, to understand how cultural products are created, disseminated, and consumed in the digital era as well as how cyberculture influences broader cultural change; 3) digital divide with a focus on female and older adults, to investigate the potential disparities and how to bridge the gaps.

Dr. Fang Xu

Fang Xu, Ph.D, a lecturer in the Interdisciplinary Studies Program at UC Berkeley. She is an urban sociologist with expertise in language, cultural identity, and public policies in urban China. Her other research interests lie in urban studies, consumption, nationalism, and migration. In her book titled "Silencing Shanghai: Language and Identity in Urban China," the author explores the paradoxical and counterintuitive phenomenon of Shanghai's transformation into a global city while its native population, symbolized by the rapid decline of the unique Shanghai dialect, faces marginalization. This thought-provoking book has garnered reviews from reputable sources such as The China Quarterly, Language in Society, and has also been featured in an article by The Economist. Dr. Xu currently works on a research project that investigates linguistic assimilation and linguistic discrimination experienced by first generation immigrants whose mother language is not English, and their opinions on the notion, “Be American, Speak English.”

Yunling Zhou

Yunling Zhou is a business consultant and independent documentary producer. Her rare talent profile combines an education experience spanning computer engineering (BE at Shanghai Jiaotong university), business (MBA at Stanford Graduate School of Business) and filmmaking (documentary filmmaking and editing training at University of Southern California). She is a seasoned professional in the consulting industry, having dedicated over a decade to her role at the Boston Consulting Group. She is valued by Fortune 100 CEOs and documentary filmmaking colleagues alike for her insights and influence when it comes to solving complex problems, business or creative. She recently co-produced an archeology TV documentary for the Shanghai Television Station on the sunken 19th century Chinese sailing vessel outside of the Shanghai coast and published a business insight piece on China’s new urban trends with the Boston Consulting Group. She finds delight in bringing together multi-disciplinary work into her pursuits.

Course Contact

Dr. Yi Xu: xyphoebe@sjtu.edu.cn