Transformation of Social and Political Realities through Smartphones
| Module title | Transformation of Social and Political Realities through Smartphones |
|---|---|
| Module code | POL3318 |
| Academic year | 2025/6 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Sandra Kroger (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 30 |
|---|
Module description
Smartphones have truly changed the ways people look at themselves and at the world, and how the world looks at them; how they interact with each other as well as with governing institutions, service providers and businesses. They have changed the way politicians interact with their constituencies as well as how citizens organise themselves in political struggles. In this module we will look at some of the different ways in which smartphones transform political and social realities, and how these changes are situated within wider trends of digitalisation. You do not need any prior knowledge or skills to take this module, apart from the ability and willingness to critically evaluate the ways in which smartphones are transforming our lives (including your own) and societies and to work constructively in a group with other students. This module is suitable for non-specialist students and is recommended for interdisciplinary pathways.
Module aims - intentions of the module
Smartphones are a cross-cutting issue that requires knowledge and input from a variety of literatures. This module will equip you with the latest knowledge on how smartphones transform our social and political realities. You will learn about how smartphones transform the ways different political actors mobilise and relate to their constituencies; how they embolden populism and polarisation; to which degree they limit your privacy; how they change the way we interact with one another, both as friends and as sex or love partners; how they affect self-esteem, and how they create addictive behaviour. A good understanding of these issues is critical for a smart usage of smartphones. We will look at these issues both by looking at key theoretical concepts as well as applying the latter to a range of case studies. You will also acquire key transferable skills through working in a group to prepare and moderate part of a class. With its applied focus, the module will also provide you with an opportunity to get involved in debates surrounding smartphones by means of creating a podcast.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Understand and evaluate contemporary political debates on how smartphones and accompanying digitalisation processes transform our lives and societies
- 2. Critically reflect on the usage of your smartphone
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Deploy theoretical arguments and apply them to empirical cases
- 4. Construct rigorous arguments
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Critically evaluate ideas, debates and practices and communicate this effectively through written and verbal forms
- 6. Develop and demonstrate skills required to present information and analysis through a podcast
Syllabus plan
Datafication and Dataethics
Data Privacy
Surveillance Capitalism and Platform Power
Democracy I: Democracy, Algocracy, and Accountability
Democracy II: Public Sphere and Polarization
Democracy III: Participation and Mobilization
Discrimination and Hate Speech
The Self and Permanent Connectivity
Wellbeing I: Fear of Missing out, Addiction, and Sleep Deprivation
Wellbeing II: Social Comparison, Self-Esteem, and Body Image
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 22 | 11 x two-hour seminars. These will be a mix of lectures led by the module convenor, student presentations, and group work. The emphasis is on weekly seminar presentations and active seminar participation. |
| Guided Independent Study | 30 | Reading and preparing for seminars |
| Guided Independent Study | 20 | Preparation of presentation |
| Guided Independent Study | 78 | Preparation and drafting of essay |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay plan | 400 words | 1-6 | Written feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 60 | 2,500 words | 1-5 | Written |
| Podcast in teams of 2 and individual report | 40 | 10 minutes, individual report 350 words | 1-2, 4-6 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay, 2,500 words | 1-5 | August/September re-assessment period |
| Podcast and individual report | 5 minute individual podcast and individual report of 350 words | 1-2, 4-6 | August/September re-assessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Fullwood, C. (2019) Impression Management and Self-Presentation Online. The Oxford Handbook of Cyberpsychology , pp. 34-56.
Howard, N. (2020) Lie machines. How to save democracy from troll armies, deceitful robots, junk news operations, and political operatives. Grand Rapids: Yale University Press.
Keep, M., Janssen, A. and Amon, K. (2019) Image Sharing on Social Networking Sites: Who, What, Why, and So What? The Oxford Handbook of Cyberpsychology , pp. 348-369.
Larnier, J. (2019) Ten arguments for deleting your social media accounts right now. London: Vintage.
Veliz, C. (2020) Privacy is power. Why and how you should take back control of your data. London: Bantam Press.
Vogel, E. A., Rose, J. P., Roberts, L. R., & Eckles, K., 2014. Social comparison, social media, and self-esteem. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 3 (4), pp. 206–222.
Zuboff, S. (2019) The age of surveillance capitalism. The fight for a human future at the new frontier of power. London: Profile books.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 15/01/2025 |
| Last revision date | 10/02/2025 |
