This learning unit is not open to incoming exchange students!
Teacher(s)
Language
French
Content
Course Title Q2 2026: "Digital Anthropology: From the Social Network Tik Tok to AI"
Each lesson consists of a one-hour presentation, followed by a 40-minute discussion and a 20-minute summary by the instructor.
Argumentation : With Generation Z, followed by Alpha, the use of the Internet and the massive use of digital technology, including social media and platforms, is a fact. How is the massive use of these technologies transforming daily lives, and therefore societies and their cultures? Using ethnographic data and anthropological analyses, the course will analyze the upheavals we have experienced in recent years, with the aim of providing students with tools for anthropological analysis of today's world.
The course is based on seven lessons, plus an introduction and conclusion:
1. Analysis of the societal and cultural consequences of the business plan for digital platforms and social media.
2. Social, cultural, and psychological consequences of the TikTok algorithm: mobilization of influencers, perception of the world, the role of brands, performance, subscribers, the pursuit of wealth and fame, regulation, surveillance, the market for user data.
3. What can generative AI do? Principles of digital neural networks, LLM and images, learning systems, the nature of clouds, the principle of PROMTs, anthropological consequences.
4. Silicon Valley tech communication: philosophers of libertarian neoliberalism, transhumanism, secession through enclave capitalism. Anthropological consequences of the post-democratic discourses of tech ideologues.
5. The Internet, infrastructure, AI, the integration of data wells, the cloud, and software are fueling other forms of governance, new empires, headed by kings. These advances rely on new connections between tech, defense, and widespread surveillance. This is disrupting old forms of governance and allowing new cultural forms to emerge.
6. How could there be a creative use (scientific, technical, and artistic) of generative AI in LLM, Image, and also Video? A statistical revolution or evolution, when the lead is the chatbot and the prompt.
7. Illicit businesses are linked to the Internet, the Darknet, platforms, AI, cryptocurrency, and teen recruitment. Another thing is the psychological consequences and suffering induced by certain algorithms, isolation, and the creation of communities with morality as a substitute for analysis.
Each lesson consists of a one-hour presentation, followed by a 40-minute discussion and a 20-minute summary by the instructor.
Argumentation : With Generation Z, followed by Alpha, the use of the Internet and the massive use of digital technology, including social media and platforms, is a fact. How is the massive use of these technologies transforming daily lives, and therefore societies and their cultures? Using ethnographic data and anthropological analyses, the course will analyze the upheavals we have experienced in recent years, with the aim of providing students with tools for anthropological analysis of today's world.
The course is based on seven lessons, plus an introduction and conclusion:
1. Analysis of the societal and cultural consequences of the business plan for digital platforms and social media.
2. Social, cultural, and psychological consequences of the TikTok algorithm: mobilization of influencers, perception of the world, the role of brands, performance, subscribers, the pursuit of wealth and fame, regulation, surveillance, the market for user data.
3. What can generative AI do? Principles of digital neural networks, LLM and images, learning systems, the nature of clouds, the principle of PROMTs, anthropological consequences.
4. Silicon Valley tech communication: philosophers of libertarian neoliberalism, transhumanism, secession through enclave capitalism. Anthropological consequences of the post-democratic discourses of tech ideologues.
5. The Internet, infrastructure, AI, the integration of data wells, the cloud, and software are fueling other forms of governance, new empires, headed by kings. These advances rely on new connections between tech, defense, and widespread surveillance. This is disrupting old forms of governance and allowing new cultural forms to emerge.
6. How could there be a creative use (scientific, technical, and artistic) of generative AI in LLM, Image, and also Video? A statistical revolution or evolution, when the lead is the chatbot and the prompt.
7. Illicit businesses are linked to the Internet, the Darknet, platforms, AI, cryptocurrency, and teen recruitment. Another thing is the psychological consequences and suffering induced by certain algorithms, isolation, and the creation of communities with morality as a substitute for analysis.
Teaching methods
After an introduction to the participants and their preferred digital tools, the expected work will be explained at length and in detail by the instructor. In the second part of the introductory course, the instructor will present the anthropological implications of the seven lessons (see the content section).
The course is held in a newly refurbished auditorium (Leclerc 80), allowing for flexible organization based on the different moments of each lesson.
Aside from the introduction and conclusion, the seven lessons of the course are based on the following principle:
First hour: Presentation of a topic by the instructor (PowerPoint, diagrams, videos, recordings).
Second hour: 40 minutes of in-depth discussion with participants, followed by a 20-minute summary of the discussions by the instructor.
(PowerPoint and a summary are provided to students at the end of the course by the instructor on Moodle.)
The course will conclude with a summary presentation based on the topics raised by students during the lessons.
All participants must be present at all lessons.
The course is held in a newly refurbished auditorium (Leclerc 80), allowing for flexible organization based on the different moments of each lesson.
Aside from the introduction and conclusion, the seven lessons of the course are based on the following principle:
First hour: Presentation of a topic by the instructor (PowerPoint, diagrams, videos, recordings).
Second hour: 40 minutes of in-depth discussion with participants, followed by a 20-minute summary of the discussions by the instructor.
(PowerPoint and a summary are provided to students at the end of the course by the instructor on Moodle.)
The course will conclude with a summary presentation based on the topics raised by students during the lessons.
All participants must be present at all lessons.
Evaluation methods
The course assessment is based on the writing of a 4-page essay (maximum 15,000 characters, including spaces, for example, in Times 12 font, single-spaced).
This essay is submitted at the beginning of the exam session and presented to the instructor during the oral exam.
The Spirit of Written Work: This involves putting yourself in the situation of having to submit an anthropology research project for a dissertation, for example, to an employer or a research funding organization. You have a maximum of four pages, in a clear style, with compelling and precise arguments to attract the attention of the reader/evaluator.
The research subject must focus on an original aspect of digital technology (algorithms, PROMT, social networks, thread: 'For you', platform, philosophy, social transformations, influencers, streaming, creators, business, addiction, use of AI, etc.). Originality and scientific relevance, as well as the nature of the anthropological approach to formulating the research topic, will be decisive in the final exam grade.
This written work must be submitted at the beginning of the exam session and presented by each participant during an oral exam lasting approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
The four pages of written work must It is imperative to follow the following format (no exceptions are possible):
Page 1: Summary presentation of the research
Title of the research
Presentation of the research in 450 characters, including spaces
Problem: What the research focuses on: primary objective (PO) and secondary objectives (SO1, SO2, etc.) (one summary paragraph)
Description of the ethnographic fieldwork: Where and how will you produce data and for how long (one summary paragraph)
Page 2: Your personal contribution to digital technology: history, experience, specialization
In one page, present your exposure to the different aspects of digital technology; this may involve going back to different stages of your life.
Then present how you currently use the various digital entities that you regularly use on a daily basis, in the different aspects or contexts of your life.
Specify the digital areas where you have acquired experience, or even expertise, and how this can be an asset in the research you are presenting here.
Page 3: Detailed presentation of the Research
Detailed presentation of the primary and secondary objectives, the fieldwork, and the expected results. To complete this third page, references to existing scientific work (books, articles, etc.) are essential. AI may be used, provided you specify the chatbot used and the sequence of prompts written (italicize them before your paragraphs). Be sure to carefully evaluate the originality of your research proposal, the fieldwork, its implementation methods, and the expected results.
Page 4: Bibliography
This final page requires the presentation of an annotated bibliography. In one page, you are asked to identify the main scientific references explicitly related to your research project. For each citation used, specify, in one to two lines maximum, what it relates to and why you consider it an essential reference for your research topic.
This essay is submitted at the beginning of the exam session and presented to the instructor during the oral exam.
The Spirit of Written Work: This involves putting yourself in the situation of having to submit an anthropology research project for a dissertation, for example, to an employer or a research funding organization. You have a maximum of four pages, in a clear style, with compelling and precise arguments to attract the attention of the reader/evaluator.
The research subject must focus on an original aspect of digital technology (algorithms, PROMT, social networks, thread: 'For you', platform, philosophy, social transformations, influencers, streaming, creators, business, addiction, use of AI, etc.). Originality and scientific relevance, as well as the nature of the anthropological approach to formulating the research topic, will be decisive in the final exam grade.
This written work must be submitted at the beginning of the exam session and presented by each participant during an oral exam lasting approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
The four pages of written work must It is imperative to follow the following format (no exceptions are possible):
Page 1: Summary presentation of the research
Title of the research
Presentation of the research in 450 characters, including spaces
Problem: What the research focuses on: primary objective (PO) and secondary objectives (SO1, SO2, etc.) (one summary paragraph)
Description of the ethnographic fieldwork: Where and how will you produce data and for how long (one summary paragraph)
Page 2: Your personal contribution to digital technology: history, experience, specialization
In one page, present your exposure to the different aspects of digital technology; this may involve going back to different stages of your life.
Then present how you currently use the various digital entities that you regularly use on a daily basis, in the different aspects or contexts of your life.
Specify the digital areas where you have acquired experience, or even expertise, and how this can be an asset in the research you are presenting here.
Page 3: Detailed presentation of the Research
Detailed presentation of the primary and secondary objectives, the fieldwork, and the expected results. To complete this third page, references to existing scientific work (books, articles, etc.) are essential. AI may be used, provided you specify the chatbot used and the sequence of prompts written (italicize them before your paragraphs). Be sure to carefully evaluate the originality of your research proposal, the fieldwork, its implementation methods, and the expected results.
Page 4: Bibliography
This final page requires the presentation of an annotated bibliography. In one page, you are asked to identify the main scientific references explicitly related to your research project. For each citation used, specify, in one to two lines maximum, what it relates to and why you consider it an essential reference for your research topic.
Other information
Les 8 séances de cours en présentiel et obligatoire ont lieu au Q2, à des dates à préciser entre février et début mai, sur le site de l'UCLouvain à Louvain-la-Neuve, au local Leclercq 80.
Bibliography
Fournie lors de la première séance d'introduction et lors de chacune des 7 leçons
Faculty or entity
Programmes / formations proposant cette unité d'enseignement (UE)
Title of the programme
Sigle
Credits
Prerequisites
Learning outcomes
Master [120] in Anthropology
Master [120] in Multilingual Communication
Master [120] in Communication
Master [120] in History of Art and Archaeology: Musicology
Master [120] in Translation
Master [120] in Interpreting
Master [120] in Sociology
Master [120] in History
Advanced Master in Visual Cultures
Master [120] in Ethics
Master [120] in Philosophy
Master [60] in History of Art and Archaeology : General
Master [60] in History of Art and Archaeology: Musicology
Master [60] in Sociology and Anthropology
Master [120] of Education, Section 4 : Social Sciences