SKDK4004 The Digital Body: Embodiment in Digital Cultures and Workplaces
- Number of credits10
- Teaching semester2025 Autumn
- Language of instructionNorwegian/English
- CampusHamar
- Required prerequisite knowledge
None.
The human body both forms and is formed by technology. This course will take as its starting point the phenomenological concept of homo faber – the human as tool-using animal, and the tool as an extension of the human. The course will cover theoretical perspectives and conceptualizations of the relations between the human body and digital technology and how human bodies interact with, are conceived through and are shaped by digital technology and digital media platforms, and how technologies are shaped by the body in turn. These theoretical perspectives will be illustrated through discussions of themes and phenomena related to digital culture and society, such as
- monitoring and tracking technologies,
- body images and representation in digital media,
- digital media in physical activity and movement culture,
- human experience in digital games and virtual reality,
- datafication of bodily processes,
- cybernetics,
- public and subjective perceptions of health and illness in digital media and online communities,
- the ways in which both worker bodies are shaped by the use of digital tools.
Important concepts we will be working with include:
- Embodiment
- Post-humanism
- Cybernetics and the cyborg
- Human-technology relations
- Datafication of the human body
- Digital habits
- “Instagram face”
- VR/AR/embodiment in games and gaming
- The idea of the body as “wetware”
- Bodily ability structures and how they are shaped by technology use
- Digital augmentation
- E-health
- “ability structures”
- Affordances
Learning Outcome
Upon passing the course, students have achieved the following learning outcomes:
Students
- Have an in-depth understanding of the different ways the body and bodily interaction with digital communication tools have been conceptualized within the field of digital culture and communication
- have thorough knowledge of key concepts and ideas from posthumanism, (post-)phenomenology and sociomaterial perspectives
- have advanced knowledge of important topics and questions related to datafication, digitized bodies and e-health
Students
- can reflect on and discuss relevant concepts, perspectives and methodologies related to the digital body
- can apply theoretical concepts and methodologies within the field of digital communication and culture to analyse themes and practices concerning the human body in digital culture
- have the ability to reflect and think critically about issues concerning datafication and digitization of the human body.
Students
- can consider the ethical and social impact of digital technologies as they relate to information about- and understandings of the human body
- can review and convey current research on how digital media and technologies affect the human body and bodily practices
- can discuss topical themes and issues related to the human body in a digitized society with both specialists and the general public
- are able to independently apply knowledge and theoretical perspectives to analyse human-technology relations in different situations and contexts
Working methods will include lectures, seminars, group work, student presentations, self-study, and written, oral and digital assignments. Online learning platforms will be used in teaching, as well as a range of digital platforms and programs, such as VR/AR platforms and games. Part of the teaching will take place in the Future Classroom Lab at Campus Hamar.
All courses are subject to evaluation. The time, date and method of this evaluation is decided by the course coordinator in consultation with student representatives. The course coordinator is responsible for ensuring that the evaluation is carried out.
Attendance of minimum 75% and participation in class is mandatory. In order to take the exam, two individual obligatory assignments must be approved:
- One digital product created in groups and
- one individual written assignment.
The language of the obligatory assignments is either English or one of the two written forms of Norwegian.
The examination with be an individual written home exam with a duration of three days. Performance is assessed using a grading scale from A-F, where E is the lowest passing grade. The language of the exam is either English or one of the two written forms of Norwegian.
Permitted examination support material
- Syllabus literature
- All printed and written resources
- Generated text and content is to be clearly marked and academically justified
| Form of assessment | Grading scale | Grouping | Duration of assessment | Support materials | Proportion | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Home exam | ECTS - A-F | Individual | 3 Day(s) | 100 |