Module Directory

This module examines technology as a political, cultural and economic force in society. Students are encouraged to develop a critical understanding of technology as social through theory and its application to contemporary and historical examples of technological change.

Topics this module has covered include radicalisation online, new forms of data surveillance, the relationship between technology and masculinity, cyberbullying and revenge pornography, the politics of silicon valley, online harms and children, and posthumanism.

The aims of this module are:

• to explore the questions:
  
  
  
  • What is the relationship between technology and society?
  
  
  • How have radical tech cultures shaped contemporary society?
  
  
  • What are the implications of ‘living online’ for the worlds of work and leisure in the 21st century?
  
  
  • What are the key continuities and differences as technologies change over time?
  
  
  • What is at stake for all of us in the power relations of technology?
  
  
  
  

Students will also be introduced to a broad range of related theories and concepts:

• Convergence


• Interactivity


• Technological Determinism


• Virtual Reality


• Radicalisation


• Cyberlibertarianism


• Cybernetics


• The Network Society


• Big Data


• Internet of Things


• Digital Capitalism


• Post-Truth


• Surveillance

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Demonstrate a critical understand of how technology influences society and the role of the social in this process


2. Critically evaluate technological change in relation to wider social power relations and processes.

Syllabus: Autumn Term

• Topic 1 - week 2 Module introduction: Digital Society


• Topic 2 - week 3 Convergence


• Topic 3 - week 4 What’s New about New Media?


• Topic 4 - week 5 Technology as Social


• Topic 5 - week 6 Silicon Valley Culture: The Politics of Tech


• Topic 6 - week 7 Disruption: Automation, AI and claiming the future


• Topic 7 - week 8 Bubbles and Pipelines - Radicalisation Online


• Topic 8 -week 9 Technology and Masculinity


• Topic 9 - week 10 Essay Surgeries


• Topic 10 - week 11 Documentary: We Live in Public

Spring Term

• Topic 11 - week 16 From Post-Industrialism to the Network Society


• Topic 12 - week 17 Digital Capitalism and the Information Divide


• Topic 13 - week 18 Data Surveillance and Governmentality


• Topic 14 - week 19 From E-Democracy to Democracy Hacked


• Topic 15 – week 20 Open Source Intelligence in A Post-truth World


• Reading Week – week 21


• Topic 16 - week 22 Alternative Politics and Digital Activism


• Topic 17 - week 23 Cyberculture, Posthumanism and the Virtual Body


• Topic 18 - week 24 Children, Online Risks and Digital Literacy


• Topic 19 - week 25 Essay Surgeries

Most modules in Sociology are divided into lectures of around 50 minutes and a class of around 50 minutes. Some are taught as a 2hr seminar, and others via a 50-minute lecture and 2-hr lab. The lectures provide an overview of the substantive debates around the topic of the week, while the classes will give you the opportunity to reflect on your learning and actively engage with your peers to develop your understanding further.

The weekly lectures and classes will take place face-to-face. You are strongly encouraged to attend the classes as they provide an opportunity to talk with your class teacher and other students. The classes will be captured and available via Listen Again. However, if you want to gain the most you can from these classes it is very important that you attend and engage. Please note that the recording of classes is at the discretion of the teacher.

Please note that you should be spending up to eight hours per week undertaking your own private study (reading, preparing for classes or assignments, etc.) on each of your modules (e.g. 32 hours in total for four 30-credit modules).