Issues and Concepts in Digital Society

This postgraduate seminar is a core course, taught in conjunction with Researching Digital Life. The course will explore the rise of digital and mobile technologies and their effects on macro-level social institutions, as well as on everyday social life. This core course provides an introduction to the key concepts and debates in the field of digital sociology. This course is designed for students who may or may not have a background in in the Sociology of Technology, Internet Studies or Media Studies and is intended to serve as a foundational introduction to the sociological study of digital technology and its effects on social life and cultural developments. The course will introduce students to key texts in the field of Digital Sociology, as well as classic texts in technology studies, cultural studies, and internet research. The course will examine claims that we now live in a 'networked society', an 'information society' or a 'digital age' and will explore the ways in which our social spaces, relationships and activities are mediated by and through digital technologies. Particular attention will be paid to the social, economic, and political conditions that give rise to digital technologies and data infrastructures. Credit Level: 11 Year taken: Postgraduate