Subcultures & Communities in the Digital World

Module description

This module will introduce the main ways in which the rise of digital cultures have disrupted existing political forms and structures. The module will focus initially on identifying different understandings of politics prior to the rise of digital cultures and will then explore the ways these have been changed. Part of this change is the increasing advancement of digital technologies and rise of platforms, leading to new shapes of political communication and the mediation of politics. In this module, digital politics will be be examined through some of its key political manifestations: for example, through changes in election campaigns globally, including in the Global South, through piracy and the Pirate Party; online censorship in the UK, China and other parts of the world; privacy and ownership in Facebook and other social media platforms.

Assessment details

Coursework 2000 word essay x 100%

Educational aims & objectives

Over the course of the semester, the module will:

1. Introduce students to different understandings of politics prior to the rise of digital cultures and the ways these have been changed.
2. Introduce students to online political communication in the age of platforms.
3. Train students to identify different forms of politics – whether in terms of governmental systems, political ideology, and/or everyday political struggles – and how they are mediated.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this module, students will be able to: 1. Describe the disruption of politics by digital cultures 2. Demonstrate awareness of debates over politics and digital culture in the areas of government, exploitation and everyday life 3. Outline specific case studies in each of the areas of politics and digital culture (government, exploitation, everyday life) examined.

Module description disclaimer

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Please note that the module descriptions above are related to the current academic year and are subject to change.