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Politics Online

Module description

This module has been designed to explore how online tools have affected modern political engagement. The motivating question is: has the internet or social media changed political participation or not? What is different about politics conducted online from offline? To do this, we focus on the lenses of participation, governance, and revolt. We will explore who participates in politics and how? How do the mechanics of online government affect the governed? And finally revolt – has social media changed the nature of political protest? While we will start exploring these questions in the UK, we will quickly move to international examples as well. We will also use a variety of texts from within Politics but also drawing on the social sciences more generally. The second half of the course will allow us to delve more deeply into some of the topics introduced in the first term. Many readings will include quantitative data analysis so you will be able to develop and refine your skills reading and evaluating this type of work. There are no quantitative prerequisites (the instructors will give all relevant training to perform well in the course, but you should be prepared to engage with quantitative work).

No pre-requisite or co-requisite modules are required to take this module.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module will strengthen your critical thinking and analysis skills by examining how the internet and social media has – or has not – changed politics around the world.  We will try and answer this question by exploring multiple theoretical approaches. By the end of the course, you will be able to articulate similarities and differences of these competing approaches. There is a strong emphasis on being able to synthesize readings – distil them down to their core elements – and compare these across different scholars. The module also has a strong comparativist element and will look at online political engagement across a variety of cultures and political institutions.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Evaluate quantitative evidence of how online tools have and have not changed political behaviour
• 2. Critically assess theories of political engagement in online spaces

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. Synthesize readings to compare and contrast academic work
• 4. Apply competing social science theories to novel questions

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Demonstrate critical thinking skills, particularly as they relate to evaluating empirical (quantitative) evidence;
• 6. Work independently, within a limited time frame, to complete a specified task.

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

• How online access and the digital divide affects political inequalities
• How political discussions online differ from those offline
• How political engagement online differs from engagement offline
• Whether online tools have changed how political protest works
• How (mis)information spreads online and how this is different from offline (mis)information

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

•  Bjola, Corneliu, and Ilan Manor, eds. The Oxford Handbook of Digital Diplomacy. Oxford University Press, 2024.
• Van Dijk, Jan. The digital divide. John Wiley & Sons, 2020.
• Nabi, Robin L., and Jessica Gall Myrick, eds. Emotions in the digital world: Exploring affective experience and expression in online interactions. Oxford University Press, 2023.
• Gainous, Jason, et al. Directed Digital Dissidence in Autocracies: How China Wins Online. 2023.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE – Faculty to provide hyperlink to appropriate pages

Key words search

Internet, Social Media, Online, Political Engagement, Political Behaviour