Digital Media and Society BA

Core modules:

Data Visualisation: Coding and Design

This module consists of three key elements. The first is principles of good graphic design, combined with how graphical representations of data can be used to lie and mislead. The second is learning how to make a wide range of graphs, maps, and figures, for different audiences using a modern and powerful programming language. The third is interpreting visual representations of data, whether from other sources or by students on the module themselves, and using them to answer substantive research questions. This is a hands-on module that allows students to create, understand, and apply data visualisations in the context of social science research. Learners will develop fundamental coding, graphic design, and data literacy skills in parallel during the module, and apply these to real-world data visualisation scenarios.

20 credits

Digital Media and Society I: Core Concepts

Students taking this introductory module will be introduced to core concepts, issues, and debates about the production, use and social impacts of digital media and information technologies in society. Students will learn to develop an understanding of the core theoretical and conceptual approaches to understanding digital media and its impacts on society. Students will also be taught fundamental applied skills in digital media content production, design, and distribution, and will apply these skills in coursework.

20 credits

Introduction to Media and Communication

This module provides students with an introduction to the complex, dynamic, and fascinating relationship between the media and our contemporary society. It will take students back to some of the earliest academic media theories, later arriving at discussions of cutting-edge communication-related debates. The module covers a wide range of topics, including:

Media ownershipAudience studiesMedia and democracy'Effects' of media and human behavioursCelebrity and influencer culturesSocial media governance

The module will enable students to reflect on taken-for-granted assumptions about the media / society relationship. Students will apply this knowledge to case studies and examples of contemporary media forms, content and institutions, and in doing so they will develop media literacy skills.

This module aims to:A1: Introduce students to the relationship between media and societyA2: Explore and reflect on the strengths and limitations of core sociological theories relating to media in societyA3: Explore a range of empirical media in society case studiesA4: Introduce students to the forces that influence media production and consumptionA5: Introduce students to the role of the media in contemporary social and cultural lifeA6: Assist in the development of independent research and writing skills.

20 credits

Introduction to Digital Methods Research

This unit introduces students to methods for carrying out research, sometimes referred to digital methods. It provides hands-on practical opportunities to try out in practice. Digital methods are techniques for researching digital cultures and content. Students will explore online surveys and interviews, or virtual ethnography. They will use new methods devised especially for researching digital content like: social media content, likes and shares; blog posts and comments; hyperlinks; search engine results. Students on this module will learn about the tools, techniques and processes of digital methods, and they will be introduced to the ethical questions that they raise.

20 credits

Digital Media and Society II: Contemporary Issues

In this module, students will build upon the learning developed in Digital Media and Society I: Core Concepts.Students will apply the theories and concepts acquired in the prerequisite module to emerging issues, debates, and social concerns, with a focus on the impact that digital systems and AI technologies have on a range of areas, including (but not limited to) wellbeing, the environment, and various industries. Students will implement the technical skills acquired in the prerequisite module in a content management system, learning how to create and customise a range of digital content formats, including AI-generated material. Students will also engage with each others' work in a constructive and industry-relevant fashion.

20 credits

Optional modules:

Understanding and challenging inequality: Sociological and policy debate

Social inequalities and social divisions are fundamental challenges and complex problems in modern societies. This module aims to develop your understanding of societal inequalities and divisions, and of societal debates and actions to challenge and transform societal discourses, relations and structures that underpin social inequalities and divisions. Drawing on multidisciplinary sociological and social policy perspectives and debates, the module will develop your understanding of the complexity of contemporary inequalities and divisions, and the range of political and collective actions required and pursued to address these. You will engage with theoretical, research and policy perspectives about the ways in which the distribution of resources, status, opportunities and life chances in society is associated with economic, social, political and cultural dimensions of inequality and division. You will learn about the ways in which collective actions, transformative social policies and societal activism seek to challenge these dimensions of inequality and division. 

Three key themes will guide your module learning: inequality, justice and injustice; inclusion and exclusion; and local and global relationships. Engaging with these themes, the module will explore a range of sociological, political and social policy issues with module delivery tailored each year to the School's/Department's research expertise providing students with cutting edge learning based on the module team's specialist and current research and policy fields. Each year the module will explore several substantive topics and issues including, for instance, social welfare and social justice; childhood, family life, care and intergenerational relations; migration and transnational relations; crime and criminalisation; the digital world and risks; and decolonisation and neo-colonialism. The module builds on the Semester 1 Part 1 Social Inequalities and Division module to develop students' understandings of the causes, nature and extent of inequalities and divisions in contemporary society; and debates and actions concerned to promote equality, justice and inclusion.

20 credits

Theories of Society

This module aims for in-depth investigations of decisive advances in sociology's theoretical inquiry into social relations, conditions, and processes. You will receive guidance in interpreting key concepts and ideas in a range of different contributions to social theory and in analysing the configurations of those concepts and ideas.

 

The module will support you in developing the skills to engage closely with complex primary socio-theoretical writings in order to understand, reconstruct, and articulate their essential logical steps and arguments. Moreover, the module seeks to encourage and facilitate critical assessments and discussions of the successes and limitations of different socio-theoretical works. It aims to foster a comparative perspective on the similarities and differences between the theories of society under inspection.

 

The module will enable you to recognise social theory's potential to help make sense of persistent problems and challenges posed by social relations and conditions as well as to help envisage ways of addressing those problems and transforming the social world.

 

A series of lectures will set out and scrutinises the conceptual configurations, inferences, and arguments presented in socio-theoretical writings. The corresponding series of seminars will provide an environment for you and your fellow students to collaborate in in-depth interpretations, analyses, and critical discussions of the course content and in honing your skills to reconstruct and compare a variety of socio-theoretical arguments

20 credits

Sociology of hope, community and social justice

This module aims to introduce and develop students' understanding of the concepts of hope, community and social justice and their related theoretical contexts, challenges and debates. 

Drawing on multidisciplinary sociological and social policy perspectives and debates, the module will develop students' knowledge and critical understanding of the concepts of hope, community and social justice and the range of historical and contemporary political and collective actions that have been shaped by transformative approaches and/or pursued these 'better world' ambitions. 

The module will adopt a thematic approach to facilitate students' understanding of what hope, community and social justice mean and how these have been defined as well as ensuring students have familiarity and confidence in navigating the theoretical approaches, empirical studies and substantive 'real world' case studies/topic areas associated with these thematic categories.

20 credits

Making Sense of Education: Facts, Fiction and Data

Politics, practices and media discourses related to Education, frequently invoke 'evidence' or statistical reasoning in an attempt to persuade. These approaches can be deliberately misused or accidentally misleading. This module will equip you with the knowledge you need to become a discerning data user and critic through a mix of active learning, seminars and computer workshops. You will develop practical skills to support your engagement with 'evidence' throughout your studies, explore a range of issues in qualitative and quantitative research design, and create a foundation for your future development as a critical researcher.

20 credits

Reporting Institutions

This module aims to help students understand how the world works - how the levers of power operate in international, national and local politics and how they can use this information and understanding to hold those in power to account on behalf of readers, viewers and listeners.

20 credits

Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics

There's more and more data around us - in the media, used by politicians or governments, generated by users and businesses. Whether you are a data analyst, social researcher, journalist, or simply an informed citizen, understanding how data is used—and sometimes misused—is a crucial skill. In a world increasingly driven by data, the ability to critically interpret and evaluate statistical claims is more essential than ever.

This 20-credit module aims to demystify data and help you develop your analytical and critical thinking skills regarding data and statistics used in research, businesses, politics, and the media. Through engaging teaching, active learning and examples from research, politics, and the news media, the module will enable you to develop the knowledge and skills you'll need to understand, analyse, and interpret data with confidence, and tell good from bad data.

The module is comprised of weekly lectures as well as interactive computer workshops and is assessed through a written data communication task and a multiple-choice exam — both designed to reflect the types of assessments commonly used in recruitment and relevant workplace scenarios.

20 credits

We have two themed routes as part of this course - Journalism, Media and Communication, and Marketing and Consumer Society. We've grouped the modules we recommend choosing for your preferred route. These modules are available to all students. They are only a recommendation to those looking to theme their studies, not a requirement.

Journalism, Media and Communication route:

Reporting Institutions

This module aims to help students understand how the world works - how the levers of power operate in international, national and local politics and how they can use this information and understanding to hold those in power to account on behalf of readers, viewers and listeners.

20 credits

Marketing and Consumer Society themed modules begin in subsequent years.

Core modules

Digital Media and Social Change

This module will introduce you to a range of core theoretical frameworks in order to understand, analyse and evaluate the complex relationship between digital media and social change. You will focus on two key aspects of the relationship between digital media and social change. 

Firstly, you will examine purposeful activist use of digital media to create social change, investigating how new possibilities for participatory communication have been exploited by activists to contest inequalities. Topics you might cover include influential social movements, such as #BlackLivesMatter, to environmental influencers on Youtube and Instagram.

During the second half, you will analyse the large-scale social, economic and political changes created by the internet. This will include assessing the new forms of participation that have been created as audiences become producers, as well as the new forms of surveillance and inequalities that are entangled with these developments. 

This module will support you in developing the critical skills needed to discuss and unpack contemporary scholarship, providing vital scaffolding for your final year dissertations.

20 credits

Advancing with Digital Methods

Building on what you studied in Level 1, this module will help you advance your understanding of new methods for carrying out digital research.

You will be introduced to advanced techniques for doing research on and about digital platforms, including social media. You will be taught how to use advanced tools, techniques and processes, through extensive practical experience in computer lab sessions. Throughout this module, you will be encouraged to evaluate the discussed tools and techniques in the context of their emergence and sometimes rapid decline. You will be asked to address questions of epistemology, information politics and ethics.

By the end you will have gained a deeper understanding on how digital methods are used to create particular kinds of knowledge.

20 credits

Social Research Design and Methods

Social research methods are an important aspect of higher education in the social sciences, equipping you with practical skills to carry out a research project of your choice. 

In this module, you will be introduced to some key approaches and practices of doing social research. You will learn about different methodological approaches often classified as qualitative and quantitative research, as well as practical ways of doing such research using interviews, surveys, focus group discussions and more. 

You will be able to apply these skills in crafting a research proposal for your dissertation to be undertaken in Year 3 of the programme.

20 credits

Digital Storytelling

The use of digital media to enhance the effectiveness of a narrative is common in the fields of business, entertainment, cultural heritage, education and journalism. The module provides an introduction to the area of digital storytelling including key concepts and technologies involved in creating/using digital content and how to use digital media to tell a story. Students will be taught practical skills such as how to create and use digital media such as images, videos, and sounds, and how to design and create complex multimedia applications using Adobe Animate CC (an industry recognised platform, using HTML and CSS).

20 credits

Optional modules

Sociological Theory and Analysis

The content of this module will build upon your understanding of sociological theory by encouraging you to explore its relevance to key themes and issues in contemporary society.

The course will explore major theoretical works in critical social theory, feminist social thought, the critique of colonialism, and cultural theory. In order to foster your understanding of social theory, you will study the application of core ideas and concepts to substantive issues in modern contemporary society, including the problem of class, gender relations, race, and order and conflict. 

Overall, you will gain a critical understanding of the importance and use of modern and contemporary social theory.

20 credits

The Sociology of Crime

Crime, and the process of criminalisation, are major features of all societies. Since the nineteenth century, sociologists have developed a range of criminological theories to explain 'criminality'.

During this module, you will review the historical development of a range of theoretical approaches to the study of crime and consider how sociologists have studied the primary institutions of social control. You will also investigate and discuss the contribution of the sociology of crime to issues of contemporary significance using a case study model of learning.

By the end of the module, you will appreciate the importance of a sociological approach to crime and criminalisation, and be able to apply criminological theories in order to understand some of the most pressing and topical crime problems of today.

20 credits

Sociology of Media and Consumer Culture

You will examine the relationship between media and consumer culture.

Some of the key debates you will explore during this module include engaging with various conceptual and theoretical understandings of consumer culture, discussing the relationship between media and marketing, and the impact of media on consumer culture.

By the end, you will have developed a deeper understanding of media, consumer culture, and their wider impacts on society.

20 credits

Doing Quantitative Sociological Research

This dynamic inquiry-based module will provide you with practical experience of conducting quantitative sociological research that has real-life application to the social world.

Using the latest UK dataset provided by the Office for National Statistics, you will experience the realities of planning and conducting quantitative research, developing your ability to communicate your findings in appropriate formats. 

There will be several hand-on workshops where you will be able to develop and practice your skills in using SPSS.

20 credits

Sociology of Family: Continuity and Change

Using a sociological and anthropological perspective, this module seeks to problematise the concept of 'family' as a natural and universal phenomenon. The content covered will underscore the need to explore the notion of the family as a social and historical construction by examining the diversity of family life in countries around the world. 

While acknowledging the impact of social change on different family constructions, you will seek to understand how some family structures remain the same, creating a situation where one society can have multiple family structures. In particular, this module will encourage you to focus on the role of the state in constructing the family and the impact these different constructions of family life have on particular individuals, such as women, children and the elderly.

You expand your skills in applying sociological thinking to everyday life and this will increase your awareness of the ways in which some family constructs are privileged whilst others are marginalised in society. In addition to this, you will gain employability skills by enhancing your practices in critical reflection, and by developing your ability to write in ways that have utility beyond the University.

20 credits

Media Law for Journalists

This module provides for those wishing to be journalists, or studying journalism, essential knowledge of media law applying in England and Wales, and of regulatory codes which UK journalists should comply with. This law includes that of defamation, privacy and contempt of court, and other law governing court reporting. The codes seek to uphold journalistic standards generally, including protection of people's privacy and of the identities of sources promised confidentiality. The module also demonstrates that UK journalists can assert `human rights' which in law and the codes uphold freedom of expression, including publication of material `in the public interest'.

20 credits

Men, Feminism and Gender relations

During this module, you will critically examine the growing body of sociological and other literature concerned with men and masculinities. The content you will cover will locate this growth of interest within the context of the feminist movement and subsequent writings/critiques of masculinities and patriarchy.

You will be supported and encouraged to connect the covered topics to wider scholarship on gender relations. Some of the key case studies that you will explore include men in sport, men and media, men and health/well-being, men and feminism, as well as men and sexualities. Methodological and epistemological issues involved in the study of men and masculinities will also form part of this module.

This module will also introduce students to the new skill of vlogging, which they will be supported to develop for their assessment.

20 credits

Sociology of the Body

In the social world, we are understood first through our bodies. This can have an impact on everything from our opportunities for employment to our access to medical care. During this module, you will examine the cultural and societal impact we have on bodies and they have on us by exploring the social contribution of the body and the ways it is controlled and experienced in contemporary society.

Throughout, you will be introduced to key theoretical approaches to the sociology of the body and develop understanding of the social construction of the body. You will have the opportunity to critically explore the range of social factors that can impact the body and identity and discuss how our bodies intersect with our multiple social identities. 

Overall, you will develop an understanding of some of the social factors that can shape bodily experience and identity, such as racialisation, gender, ageing, weight, medicalisation, and representation. You will also be encouraged to develop a social justice focused framework for understanding the marginalised body in contemporary society.

20 credits

In Sickness and in Health: The Sociology of Medicine

Covid conspiracies and care home crises. AIDS activism and autism advocacy. Questions relating to health and illness are amongst the most crucial facing society today. From before people are born until the moment they die, everyone is profoundly shaped by their engagements with medicine. 

In this module, you will examine the ways in which bodies, minds and societies are formed through engagements with and understandings of health, illness and medicine. You will explore topics such as: intersecting inequalities in healthcare provisions, patient experiences of ill health, activism and the fight for recognition, contemporary health crises, and the COVID pandemic. 

By critically examining these examples, you will develop a nuanced understanding of the role of health, illness and medicine within contemporary society.

20 credits

Crime, Justice and Social Policy

During this module, you will examine the variety of responses to crime that encompass the use of both crime policy and social policy. Crime policy responses encompass the use of the role of the policy, courts and prisons. Alongside this is the social policy approach which includes health, housing, education, employment, youth and family as a means of crime reduction. 

The content you will cover seeks to demonstrate the criticism of 'traditional' crime policy-based responses to crime and the way in which social policy has emerged as an alternative way to tackle the so-called 'crime problem'. You will consider multiple theories of crime which make competing arguments for the use of crime or social policy as a response, the role of criminologists in policy making, and the criminalisation of social policy as an unintended outcome.

This module speaks more broadly to the challenges and dynamics of the policy-making process when seeking to tackle complex societal issues. You will therefore benefit from situating these challenges within specific examples of governmental attempts to tackle crime with direct and indirect policy initiatives.

20 credits

Understanding 'Race' and Migration

This module explores the meaning of 'race' and migration in various social and political contexts. It aims to develop an in-depth understanding of sociological theories of 'race', racism and migration through an exploration of the development of 'race' as an ideology, as a concept influenced by history and politics, and through its relevance in the contemporary context. The module examines how ideas about race and migration help to shape and determine social and political relations. It also explores the role of race and migration as major sources of social divisions and how racism operates in the reproduction of structural inequalities. These issues are explored through sociological theory, as well as policy and practice areas such as theories of racialised identities, immigration regimes, education and criminal justice.

20 credits

Social Problems: Policy and Practice

Drawing on current examples and comparative references, you will explore social and ideological constructions of social problems and the role of the state and other agencies in responses to them. This module is team taught which means sessions are delivered by a range of leading experts on different social problems.

Some of the key concepts and themes in social policy and practice that you will cover include inequality, justice and fairness, individual versus collective responsibility, and welfare versus social control. The content of this module mainly focuses on major contemporary issues, including welfare and work, housing and homelessness, and community participation.

By the end, you will be equipped with the necessary critical perspective and skills to understand and explore social problems.

20 credits

Children and Digital Cultures

Digital technology has transformed the lives of many, impacting on culture and society. Many young people have quickly seen ways of extending and deepening social networks through their uses of technology, and immersed themselves in Virtual Worlds, Facebook etc and enjoyed browsing on shopping sites. This module examines new technologies and associated social practices impacting on children's lives, considering the nature of new digital practices and how these affect identity, society and culture. Educational implications of new technologies is a developing field of research and students will engage critically with debates within the field alongside examining websites and new practices.

20 credits

Data Driven Storytelling

Data-driven approaches to reporting are gaining in popularity and importance in today's world. Established media institutions, such as The New York Times in the US or The Guardian and Press Association in the UK (and many more around the world) already have units that specialise in data journalism. Thus, it becomes essential for the next generation of journalists to be data-literate and to appreciate how data can be verified and used not only to find stories but to tell stories. This module is designed to make you confident and comfortable in working with data and, furthermore, to expand your journalistic toolkit for data-driven, analytic and investigative journalism.

20 credits

Core modules

Dissertation in Digital Media and Society

This unit enables students to undertake an in-depth study on a topic of their own choice, which relates to digital media and society, and is guided by one-to-one academic supervision. It aims to enable students to develop and demonstrate skills in the planning, definition and management of a substantial piece of enquiry on digital media and society. The dissertation may take the form of a theoretical literature-based analysis, an empirical exploration, either through primary or secondary research, or it may incorporate elements of digital media production. The focus and methods are agreed with the unit leader in advance of the unit, to ensure that students have been trained in the use of relevant methods.

40 credits

Optional modules

Digital Media Work Placement

This unit provides students with the opportunity to undertake work experience, develop enterprise and employability skills, and apply their understanding of digital media/society in a chosen workplace. The module requires students to undertake the equivalent of four weeks work experience at a company or organisation which engages with digital media. Through this students will experience the practical demands of a working environment, and they will be required to evaluate their experience. Students experiences will vary depending on the projects in which they are involved and the companies/organisations in which they work. On the module, students will enhance their understanding of the inter-connection between Digital Media, the skills they have developed and their application in the wider world.

20 credits

Digital Marketing and Consumer Culture

You will examine key sociological perspectives on digital marketing and their broader impacts on consumer culture. The content of this module will situate the emergence of data-driven marketing within a broader social history of marketing practices and discourses.

Example topics covered include, but are not limited to, social media, eCommerce, and on-demand platforms, geo and location based marketing, influencer marketing, and video games. 

You will gain the skills and knowledge needed to critically understand the social implications and power dynamics of digital marketing and their impacts on everyday life.

20 credits

Global Data Industries

Platforms and digital technology corporations now double up as the data industries, especially with their focus on data accumulation, storage, management and governance. Similarly, the emergence of data annotation and labelling firms in countries in the Global South, the rise of data centres across countries, and the emergence of governance frameworks that enable or regulate these industries make them important entities to be studied.

Through this module, you will acquire an understanding of datafication, its infrastructural and commercial dimensions, all of which undergird the development of the data industries. 

You will learn how to critically analyse the experiences of human labour and work, as well as sustainability in the context of the data industries in diverse contexts. You will also gain more experience in comprehending policy, governance and regulatory developments in relation to these industries.

20 credits

Organised Crime and Illicit Markets

This module will introduce you to the growing field of organised crime studies. This rich area of research encompasses many disciplines from criminology and sociology to history, economics and politics. At the heart of organised crime studies are attempts to understand how, why and when illicit marketplaces are created and sustained and the roles of various actors within these markets.

You will have the opportunity to explore how governments and law enforcement agencies have tried to respond to organise crime by investigating a range of case studies specific to illicit marketplaces. You will also analyse the role of the media and the influence of popular culture on the way organised crime is defined and understood.

By exploring the primary literature, which covers the historical and contemporary developments in organised crime, you will be equipped to engage with sociological debates surrounding the development of this type of criminality, particularly its (alleged) increasingly transnational nature over the past two decades.

20 credits

Digital Identities

This module explores how identities are being reimagined in a digital age. It provides students with an in-depth understanding of internet and social media technologies' roles in people's identity negotiations, the relationship between digital media and social life, and offers theoretical grounding for students to critically assess their own digital identities. It reviews debates about identity formations from the earliest digital media moments while also considering contemporary concerns like: identity concealment on social media platforms; a phenomenon called 'content moderation' (to ask which digital identities are not allowed); and the extent to which digital media users can (and want to) enact 'authentic' identities. But the module also asks why people might disconnect from digital technologies altogether, as these choices - especially in areas with high levels of internet and smartphone uptake - form a key part of who a person is and how they live their lives.

20 credits

Protest, Movements and Social Change

During this module, you will gain deeper insight into how we study protests and movements and their impact on social change. 

The content will take a historical overview, tracing the development of theoretical and empirical approaches to the study of social movements, matched with historical and contemporary case studies of movement from around the world. 

By focusing on what functions movements play in society, as well as how they have been studied, you will become equipped with the tools to both analyse movements, and engage with sociological debates surrounding larger questions of inequality, identity, democracy and social justice.

20 credits

Whiteness, Power and Privilege

This module explores the importance of studying whiteness in order to understand racism as a system of power relationships. You will learn about why the construction of whiteness has become a key focus in debates about race and ethnicity, and critically examine some of the key themes to emerge in this field of study.

Some topics you will explore include the historical origins of 'white studies' and the representations of whiteness in literary and visual culture. You will also examine the racialised, classed and gendered boundaries of whiteness and explore the relevance of space and place to understanding the operation of racialised power and privilege.

You will gain awareness of racism as a global issue of inequality and injustice and enhance your understanding of barriers to inclusivity. You will apply the knowledge gained from the module to a topic of your choice.

20 credits

Reimagining Care: Families, Services and Policies

An increasing number of people made vulnerable by experiences of disability, old age, or family circumstances, rely on care and support provided by social care services or family and friends. Despite this, we are surrounded by narratives of social care systems in crisis, including bankruptcy of local authority providers, chronic care worker staffing shortages, poor outcomes for service users and for carers, and so on. We are also witnessing changes in the nature of care, with increasing opportunities provided by new technologies. In this module, we ask why care is facing so many challenges and consider evidence-based solutions.

Drawing on the ongoing research of the ESRC Centre for Care (hosted by the University of Sheffield), you will consider a series of issues and contexts explored in our own research, practice and personal experiences. Content will cover a breadth of childrens' and adults' care, including the varied care needs of people with physical disabilities or learning difficulties, vulnerable children, and older people supported at home or in residential care. You will also investigate the roles and experiences of those who provide care and support in the form of family carers and the paid care workforce. 

Through these topics, you will be expected to engage in wider sociological and policy debates, including the meaning of 'care', funding and affordability, the mixed economy and inequality of care provision in order to imagine policy alternatives. 

20 credits

Journalism in Film and Fiction

The ways in which journalists are portrayed in popular culture can help moderate public feeling about both news gathering and news gatherers. Positive or negative representations of the ways in which news is brought to audiences are central to how (or whether) journalism functions within a democracy.

This module offers students an engaging and insightful exploration of how the worlds of journalism and storytelling intersect in the realms of cinema, TV and literature. The interdisciplinary course delves into the portrayal of fictional journalists and considers the ways in which these portrayals may help build public narratives around issues such as trust.

Through analysis of representations of the media, the module identifies common tropes, stereotypes and the influence of contemporary popular culture to depict journalists and their roles within a social context.

The module provides students with a unique opportunity to explore the dynamic interplay between the reality of being a journalist and fictionalised accounts by helping to enhance critical thinking and media literacy skills while gaining a deeper understanding of the impact of journalism on society and the ways in which these representations help shape our understanding of the world around us.

20 credits

Intimacy and Personal Relationships

The module explores approaches to theorising and studying intimacy and personal relationships. Beginning with the Individualisation thesis and its critics, the module will go on to explore recent moves towards conceptualising personal relationships in terms of embeddedness, relationality, intimacy and linked lives. Students will also explore a range of substantive topics within the field including memory, genealogy, material culture and home, marriage and sexuality, responsibility and care, and friendship.

20 credits

Queer Identities in the Media

You will be introduced to queer theory in order to discuss the role of different media in how gender and sexuality are constructed, represented and expressed.

The content will trace activist and academic origins of the word 'queer' and explore queer (self-)representations in mainstream and alternative media, such as newspapers, films, zines, blogs, social media and dating apps. You will also investigate how different representations promote or challenge the binaries of male versus female, masculine versus feminine, and heterosexual versus homosexual, as well as how they promote gender and sexuality transnationally.

This module will enable you to think critically across a range of social sciences disciplines. It will introduce you to different methodologies and provide a grounding in interdisciplinary social science research.

20 credits

Algorithms, AI and Society

Algorithmic systems, AI, machine learning and other data-driven technologies are transforming society. They are having wide-ranging effects which are far from straightforward. Their use results in harms as well as benefits, and algorithmic systems and AI feed into and are fed into by inequalities.

You will critically interrogate claims that AI, automation and algorithms will simply lead to a better society. You will be asked to explore the negative effects of related change and the ways in which algorithmic and AI systems are not experienced equally by all. Throughout, you will review theoretical literature on AI-in-society and on algorithmic culture, focussing on high profile accounts of their social consequences in areas such as education, welfare, social care, big tech and the media.

By the end of this module, you will have gained a systematic knowledge of contemporary and advanced level debates relating to algorithms and AI.

20 credits

Sex Work: Rights, Regulation and Resistance

Sex workers across the globe often experience stigmatisation, marginalisation and criminalisation. Drawing on a large and growing body of international scholarship, you will be introduced to the complexities and diverse realities of sex work.

You will engage in content that explores the various sex markets, gendered differences in the buying and selling of sex, violence, exploitation and trafficking, sex worker-led activism and resistance, and the regulatory modules used across the globe to govern sex industries.

By the end of the module, you will be equipped with a critical understanding of a range of theories and concepts that help to make sense of the social, cultural, and legal dimensions of sex work.

20 credits

Digital Health

You will explore the social implications of digital technologies in health, considering what these mean for our experiences of health and illness as patients and as citizens, for the work of health care professionals, and for the provision of health care.

During this module, you will investigate a range of contemporary developments, such as self-tracking and gamifying health, telemedicine and care at a distance, health information on the net, electronic patient records, illness, death and dying on the web, and health activism and online patient groups.

Across the topics of investigation, you will consider questions about the changing representations and cultures of health and illness, whether we can all be medical experts now, who has responsibility for health, how we relate to health care professionals, the commodification of health data and the relative benefits for state and industry. 

20 credits

What it means to be human

New technologies and new scientific knowledge make powerful claims about `human nature’ that are reconstructing how we understand ourselves. At the same time, they also give us new potential to reshape our bodies and brains. This module aims to critically engage with these developments using concepts from a number of sociological traditions. Can biology tell us anything meaningful about social interaction or racial and gendered differences, or about ability and disability? What are the criteria by which we determine ‘the human’ and who decides what these shall be? Does our psychology have an evolutionary basis? How are the boundaries between humans and machines changing? What is the human impact on the environment? Should we use new technologies to enhance ourselves? The module will provide students with the opportunities and tools to grapple with these and other important questions.

20 credits

Education@Sheffield

In Education@Sheffield students are invited to explore and evaluate the rich and diverse research taking place within the School of Education. Through a series of seminars presented by active researchers, students are encouraged to critically engage with research - and the researchers themselves - in the fields of educational and childhood studies. The Education@Sheffield module enables students to acquire a critical understanding of various themes, settings and methodologies which shape contemporary educational research.

20 credits

Free Speech and Censorship

Free Speech and Censorship critically explores the historical and contemporary status of freedom of speech and expression and the limits and constraints on this liberty. The module covers topics as varied as the philosophies of free speech; the history and significance of free speech; the legal framework for the protection of free speech in Europe and the US; the limits of free speech and press freedom; debates about harm and offence. Students taking this module should be interested in examining these debates as they apply to contemporary media, legal and political systems. Assessment is via academic coursework on a topic selected by the student and approved by the module leader.

20 credits