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7 pages/≈1925 words
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APA
Subject:
Communications & Media
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Case Study
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English (U.S.)
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Topic:

Google’s Monopoly of Knowledge According to Technological Determinism Theory

Case Study Instructions:

Final project
• Reference: use at least 5 academic sources (this means journal articles, books, book chapters, or readings from this course); if you are writing about a specific media company and digital platform, consider incorporating first-hand documents such as annual report, privacy policy or terms of service
• Length: 7-9 pages, double spaced, including reference
• Organization: feel free to use subheadings to organize the flow of the paper; provide title
page and page number; if needed, you can incorporate one or two tables or graphs to
present data.
• Citation: MLA or APA
• Due Date: April 14th at 11:59pm on Quercus ***if you foresee difficulties in meeting this
deadline, please contact me in advance to make arrangement. The department has a deadline for final grades to be turned in and this is also to make sure that the grade will show up on your transcript in a timely manner, especially for those who are graduating.
• Note: Avoid using block quote (more than three lines) unless necessary. Don’t let the long quote speak for you. Your analysis should be authentic and reflect concepts introduced in the lecture and materials. Discuss the examples/case study in detail rather than just stating the fact and unpack how they speak to the concepts or your arguments.
• Feel free to email me for alternative topic or literature suggestions.
You can pick from one of the following three options
1. Long response to reading
a. Pick one assigned reading from the class list and write a response, incorporating concepts introduced in class material
b. (Suggested) Structure:
i. Use 1 or 2 pages to introduce the context of the reading and the key
arguments of the reading;
ii. then introduce your own analysis and argument for/against the key
argument presented in the paper;
iii. you can bring in real world examples or case study (1-2) and discuss in-
details in your response, or feel free to bring in your own experience
iv. proper conclusion
c. The quality of the analysis is key here (whether it is authentic, detailed and specific, for example: “I disagree with X author’s value proposition of Facebook because a) data is not by default valuable and it takes human efforts to make meaning out of it and b) Facebook’s monopolistic market position and high profitability is not sustainable in the long-term as various government are launching anti-trust investigations” and think about how examples provided support to your arguments)
2. Write a case study applying one of the foundational theories:
a. Does Google (or Apple, Spotify, Amazon, Steam, etc.) have monopoly of
knowledge (according to Harold Innis’s term) in our society and how?
b. How tech companies employ technological determinism/Californian ideology in
policy discourse when facing government probing (e.g. in labor issues, market
monopoly, privacy, threat to democracy and sociocultural fabric of the society)
c. Apply Actor Network Theory to understand a culture phenomenon (web uses), or
a social event (such as a social movement): for example, Lil Nas X’s Old Town Road on TikTok
3. In-depth analysis of a platform using theoretical framework in institutional dynamics and platform studies section:
a. Political economy analysis of a media company or digital platform (issue of value, labor, power), focusing on one or two processes from commodification, structuration, or spatialization
b. Analyze a social media platform using the social media logic (week 10) and reflect on how it shapes your use
c. Study of a regional platform: analyze a European, Chinese, or non-Western digital platform and how different culture, socio-political factors shape them

Case Study Sample Content Preview:

Final Project
Name of the Student
Institutional Affiliation
Course ID
Instructor’s Name
Due Date
Google’s Monopoly of Knowledge According to Technological Determinism Theory
Introduction
Many global tech companies are known for obstructing competition in the software industry. Tech companies are responsible for variations in some cultural phenomena. Google is a tech company that enjoys the advantages of being a monopoly power. Google has a monopoly of knowledge. This essay will explore Google’s knowledge monopoly. It will also explore how technological determinism leads to monopoly.
Google controls significant human interactions and activities. It gives direct access to most social media soft wares such as Amazon and Facebook. According to Lipsky (2021), productive technology influences organizational structure and human social relations. Cultural practices and social relations circle around the economic and technological baseline of a community. Rapid-changing technological factors alter human actions.
Discussion
Technological determinism assumes that society's technology influences its cultural values and social structure. It was founded by Thorstein Veblen, who believed in the proposition that technology defines nature in any given society (Pokrovskaia et al., 2021). It means that technology determines the outcome, and it is a driving force of culture. It also defines the course of history in a given society. It's a reductionist theory in communication that gives a link between society's nature and technology. It provides a perspective as to who controls human affairs. Technological determinism is related to the struggle between ceremonial culture and technology. As a tech company, Google is a primary and essential source of information and hence, leads to change in society. It influences the choices people make. Technological determinism is manifested with the introduction of new technologies that affect various times and changes, leading to the loss of existing knowledge.
Google has market shares, which dictate its supply of products, services, and information dissemination. It gives them access to information all over the world. They influence their services because their services are almost free and use advertisement segments to promote specific ideologies. This tech giant has enormous power over the population.
Technology has influenced the consumer's behaviors, attitudes, and opinions. Google has been accused of accessing people's data and copyright claims. These data acquired are used to influence the family cultures and dynamics. Technological determinism has influenced the consumption of information. Excessive use of technological devices causes isolation and poor social constructions, expanding and influencing poor communication and low responsibilities. The company can discriminate on free speech and, therefore, impact ideology development among political issues. There are no checks and balances in its activities because it is purely based on shareholders' contributions and powers. The question of global acceptance of information and knowledge being determined by selected companies is often raised, and it calls for regulation of the intensive influence they wield.<...
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