The assignment is to write a 4-6 page review of a scholarly book (“Privacy at the Margins”, Scott Skinner-Thompson, 2020) by relating to information, the information society, and/or information policy (how information systems have changed society). Scott Skinner-Thompson examines how the privacy of marginalized communities
(such as black, gay, trans and religious communities) is often violated and proposes a new way of understanding privacy.
The primary learning goals for the book review involve demonstrating the ability to read challenging scholarly literature, orally defend your interpretations, and engage in sustained written analysis of the material. This preliminary overview should:
-Provide a thumbnail sketch of the issues, controversies, or problems addressed by the author.
-Explain how the reading relates to the substantive themes of the course.
-List the main questions (factual, argumentative, theoretical) that you feel must be addressed in order to evaluate the book.
Focus on the following issues, which will be the basis for grading the assignment:
-The quality of the analysis of the authors arguments and their significance.
-Success in relating the reading to the themes of the course.
-Success in identifying the perspective from which the author approaches their topic and any blind spots or weak arguments.
-Explicit use of evidence from the source to support the claims made in the paper.
-The quality of the writing, including clarity of exposition and incisiveness of argument, as well as a clear command of grammar, spelling, and footnoting conventions.
