About the course

In Network Society Studies we focus on the idea of networks as society’s nervous system, and as essential to understanding the relationship between digital communication technologies and social and political change. Throughout the course, we work with a range of theoretical perspectives and analytical concepts for studying networks, networking and the network society from the perspective of media and communication studies.

The course is built around lectures and a series of student-led seminars on different topic areas and theoretical perspectives related to the overall topic of the course. The course is therefore contingent on student’s active participation and production of seminar assignments each week.

We offer a blended learning environment with possibilities for students to attend classes on campus or online. All lectures and seminars are both livestreamed and archived online.

This course is offered as part of a programme:

Media and Communication Studies: Culture, Collaborative Media, and Creative Industries, Master's programme (Two-Year) Media and Communication Studies: Culture, Collaborative Media, and Creative Industries, Master's programme (Two-Year)

Course content

Syllabus autumn 2023

Earlier syllabuses

Entry requirements and selection

Entry requirements

General entry requirements + English 6

30 credits on advanced level in Media- and Communication Studies, Communication for Development or other Social Science discipline + English B.

Selection

University credits completed 100%

Course literature

Castells, M. (2004) Informationalism, Networks, and the Network Society: A Theoretical Blueprint, Avaliable on: http://annenberg.usc.edu/sites/default/files/2015/04/28/Informationalism,%20Networks%20and%20the%20Network%20Society.pdf)

Castells, M. (2007). Communication, Power and Counter-power in the Network Society. International Journal of Communication, 1, 238-266.

van Dijck, J. (2013) The culture of connectivity: A critical history of social media. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Townsend L. and Wallace, C. (2016) Social Media Research: A Guide to Ethics. Available at: http://www.dotrural.ac.uk/socialmediaresearchethics.pdf

Each term approximately 200 pages of additional readings connected to the interchangeable thematic strands are added. Further, students should independently identify and apply additional readings (of approximately 50 pages) relevant to the specific topic addressed in their individual exam paper.

Course evaluation

Written course evaluation carried out at the end of the course.

Contact

For more information about the education:

K3student@mau.se

This education is provided by

Faculty of Culture and Society

At the Faculty of Culture and Society, research and education concerns many of the major issues of our time – for example those...

School of Arts and Communication

At the School of Arts and Communication (K3), we work with interdisciplinary education and research in media, culture and...