SC508-7-SP-CO:
Digital Economy
2024/25
Sociology and Criminology
Colchester Campus
Spring
Postgraduate: Level 7
Current
Monday 13 January 2025
Friday 21 March 2025
20
15 March 2024
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
MA NP5312 Advertising, Marketing and the Media,
MA NP53MO Advertising, Marketing and the Media
The digital economy and the social media landscape are rapidly transforming social structures and ways of living.
This module explores key features of the contemporary digital economy and addresses some of the following questions; how can we research digital cultures? What role do consumers play in producing the digital economy? What are the key differences between legacy media and social media? How have mobile phones transformed our lives?
The aim of this module is:
- to understand how digital economies can disrupt, shape and interact with social systems, using contemporary examples.
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the digital economy as historically situated.
- Identify and critically reflect on key methodological issues raised by digital infrastructures for social research inquiry;
- Demonstrate a deep understanding of participatory culture within the context of platform capitalism
- Problematize and situate mundane seemingly everyday online consumption in a wider social context.
- Demonstrate a systematic understanding of the role of technology in contemporary society
No additional information available.
This module will be delivered via:
- One 2-hour seminar each week.
Attendance in person is expected.
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Lincoln, S. and Robards, B. (2016) 'Editing the project of the self: sustained Facebook use and growing up online',
Journal of Youth Studies, pp. 1–14. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2016.1241869.
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Reid, L. and Ellsworth-Krebs, K. (2017) 'Practicing energy prosumption: Using unsolicited online data to reveal the everyday realities of solar thermal panels in the United Kingdom',
Energy Research & Social Science, 34, pp. 191–199. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.07.010.
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Lupton, D. and Watson, and A. (2021) 'Towards more-than-human digital data studies: developing research-creation methods',
Qualitative Research, 21(4), pp. 463–480. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794120939235.
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Arnesson, J. (2023) 'Influencers as ideological intermediaries: promotional politics and authenticity labour in influencer collaborations',
Media, Culture & Society, 45(3), pp. 528–544. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437221117505.
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Hund, E. and McGuigan, L. (2019) 'A Shoppable Life: Performance, Selfhood, and Influence in the Social Media Storefront',
Communication, Culture and Critique, 12(1), pp. 18–35. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1093/ccc/tcz004.
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's
reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Group presentation and report |
|
10% |
| Coursework |
Essay |
|
90% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Katy Wheeler, email: katy.wheeler@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Katy Wheeler, Prof Sean Nixon, Dr Maitrayee Deka, Dr Michael Bailey
socpgtad@essex.ac.uk
Yes
No
Yes
No external examiner information available for this module.
Available via Moodle
Of 18 hours, 18 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).
* Please note: due to differing publication schedules, items marked with an asterisk (*) base their information upon the previous academic year.
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