DIGITALE MEDIA SOCIOLOGY
HOORCOLLEGE 1: WHAT IS IT ABOUT
The Digital Media Sociology course focuses on how digital media have transformed society at both the
micro-level (our daily lives) and macro-level (social institutions and societal structure). The course helps
students analyze the social impact of digitalization, encouraging them to think critically about the
positive and negative effects of 24/7 connectivity, social media, and datafication (turning aspects of life
into data).
KEY TOPICS:
1. Micro-level: How digital media influence our everyday practices.
2. Macro-level: Broader societal changes and impacts on social institutions.
3. Socio-historical change: How digital media have evolved and shaped society over time.
CENTRAL QUESTIONS:
1. Is 24/7 connectivity a blessing or a burden? (Network logic)
2. Do social media make us more or less social? (Social logic)
3. Does datafication empower or disempower individuals? (Personal logic)
COURSE GOALS:
• Knowledge: Gain a deep understanding of how digital media shape society.
• Skills: Develop critical thinking and use theory to analyze everyday media practices.
• Attitude: Learn to form informed opinions on current societal issues related to digital media.
Assessment:
• 100% Written Exam (Open-ended questions)
o Analyze how digital media have changed the role of media users.
o Explain theories and risks associated with digital media.
o Apply these concepts to real-life digital media issues.
o Formulate your own judgments as a critical digital citizen.
What This Course is Not About:
• Marketing, design, or technical aspects of digital media
THEME 1: IS 24/7 CONNECTIVITY A BLISS OR A BURDEN?
(THE NETWORK LOGIC)
HOORCOLLEGE 1: INTRODUCTION
Movie: The Matrix → what is real?
SOCIOLOGY
Sociology: The study of the social organization of society
, • Main focus: How do people live together?
• What opportunities and problems arise from this?
KEY QUESTIONS IN SOCIOLOGY:
• Social order: How is social cohesion maintained?
• Social inequality: In both material and symbolic ways
• Identity: How do people define themselves as individuals and in groups?
COMPARISON WITH PSYCHOLOGY:
• Sociology: Focuses on group dynamics and society as a whole.
• Psychology: Focuses on individual cognition, emotions, and behavior.
A DIGITAL MEDIA SOCIETY: HOW DO DIGITAL MEDIA AFFECT SOCIETY?
• Social order: Influence how we live and act.
• Social inequality: Can disrupt or reinforce existing power structures.
• Identity: Help shape the meaning and perception of things.
Micro-level changes in our everyday practices
Macro-level changes to our societal institutions
MEDIA PSYCHOLOGY VS MEDIA SOCIOLOGY
• Media Sociology: Examines how media impact the social organization of society.
• Media Psychology: Focuses on how media affect individual cognition, emotions, and
behavior.
• Media Studies: Analyzes the media industry and how it delivers messages to the audience.
CHILD OBESITY EXPLANATIONS
• Sociological explanation: Children are often home alone, which affects their eating habits.
• Media Psychological explanation: Some argue that TV makes children addicted due to its
design, or that fast-food advertising encourages unhealthy eating.
MICRO-LEVEL QUESTIONS
Why do we order food through delivery services?
• Impact on everyday life (micro-level of society): How does ordering take-out change
family dynamics?
o Do families eat more in front of the TV instead of at the dinner table?
o Does this reduce family communication?
,MACRO-LEVEL QUESTIONS
• Platform Work in the European Union:
o Platform work has come under scrutiny for precarious and exploitative working
conditions and limited social-security coverage.
o A recent EU Platform-Work Directive created a framework to classify the employment
status of platform workers, but poor working conditions remain an issue.
SOCIAL STRUCTURE, SOCIAL POSITIONS, AND SOCIAL ROLES
Social structure: Organized patterns of relationships, rules, and "rule arrangements" that govern how
people live and interact.
Note: Organized ≠ formal.
• Established systems of rules → Social institutions
• Arrangements of relationships → Social positions
A New Social Institution (Platform Economy)
• The platform economy operates with its own logics, rules, and arrangements.
• Not all rules are explicit—many are implicit.
• These relational structures are held together by rule arrangements (e.g., rules for parents differ
from those for children).
Platform Economy as a Social Institution
• Social Position: Self-employed or employee?
• Social Identity: Brand ambassadors or algorithmic slaves?
SOCIAL STRUCTURE & CULTURE
Culture and social order are closely linked:
• Culture: Values and beliefs that shape the social order.
• Social roles: Specific behaviors expected for certain positions in society.
Example: Gig Economy (Food Delivery)
• Conflicting values: Entrepreneurism vs. social protection and care for others.
• Ritualistic behaviors: New habits and symbolic behaviors arise within the job.
Culture = Shared set of beliefs, norms, values, symbols, and rituals
• Values and beliefs shape the social order.
• Norms: Expected behaviors for social roles.
• Social roles: Patterns of behavior expected for particular social positions.
• Rituals: Symbolic, habitual behaviors and objects that carry meaning.
GIG ECONOMY EXAMPLE: DELIVEROO
• Self-employed contracts: Deliveroo riders do not receive holiday pay.
, • Riders' statistics (performance ratings) can be affected when they return to work.
• Some riders rent or borrow accounts to maintain good statistics:
“Anyone want my 11:30–13:00 or 13:00–14:00 shift in Salford on my account? Need to keep my stats up
but can’t attend.” (February 2019)
SOCIAL STRUCTURE: WHY DO WE DO THE THINGS WE DO?
Our daily actions and habits show how we, as individuals, interact with the social order.
WHAT IS THE SOCIAL ORDER?
• The social order is made up of rules that organize society.
• Individuals can either follow or break these rules:
o By following them, they keep the current social order in place.
o By breaking them, they can challenge and change it.
• SOCIAL PRACTICES are:
o Relational (social): Our actions are connected to other people.
o Persistent (historical): Practices often last a long time and are shaped by history.
o Cultural (contextual): They are influenced by the culture we live in.
DOING THINGS A CERTAIN WAY: SOCIAL STRUCTURE AS A SET OF 'LOGICS'
The way we act follows the logic of the social structure.
HOW DOES SOCIAL CHANGE HAPPEN?
• When people collectively break the old rules and create new ways of doing things, a new social
order emerges.
GIDDENS' STRUCTURATION THEORY (1984)
DUALITY OF STRUCTURE: Structure and human action influence each other.
• Social Structures: They provide rules and resources for meaningful action, but also limit
possibilities.
• Agency (Individual Action): People have the power to maintain or change social
structures.
• They are knowledgeable, rational actors with
o Reflexivity: They can reflect on the social structure and their role in it.
o Intentionality: They can act consciously to reach specific, well-justified
goals.
EXEMPLE: Harry Styles: wore a dress to challenge traditional gender norms and promote
self-expression.
What elements of social order allowed for this to happen?
SOCIAL CHANGE... OR NOT
HOORCOLLEGE 1: WHAT IS IT ABOUT
The Digital Media Sociology course focuses on how digital media have transformed society at both the
micro-level (our daily lives) and macro-level (social institutions and societal structure). The course helps
students analyze the social impact of digitalization, encouraging them to think critically about the
positive and negative effects of 24/7 connectivity, social media, and datafication (turning aspects of life
into data).
KEY TOPICS:
1. Micro-level: How digital media influence our everyday practices.
2. Macro-level: Broader societal changes and impacts on social institutions.
3. Socio-historical change: How digital media have evolved and shaped society over time.
CENTRAL QUESTIONS:
1. Is 24/7 connectivity a blessing or a burden? (Network logic)
2. Do social media make us more or less social? (Social logic)
3. Does datafication empower or disempower individuals? (Personal logic)
COURSE GOALS:
• Knowledge: Gain a deep understanding of how digital media shape society.
• Skills: Develop critical thinking and use theory to analyze everyday media practices.
• Attitude: Learn to form informed opinions on current societal issues related to digital media.
Assessment:
• 100% Written Exam (Open-ended questions)
o Analyze how digital media have changed the role of media users.
o Explain theories and risks associated with digital media.
o Apply these concepts to real-life digital media issues.
o Formulate your own judgments as a critical digital citizen.
What This Course is Not About:
• Marketing, design, or technical aspects of digital media
THEME 1: IS 24/7 CONNECTIVITY A BLISS OR A BURDEN?
(THE NETWORK LOGIC)
HOORCOLLEGE 1: INTRODUCTION
Movie: The Matrix → what is real?
SOCIOLOGY
Sociology: The study of the social organization of society
, • Main focus: How do people live together?
• What opportunities and problems arise from this?
KEY QUESTIONS IN SOCIOLOGY:
• Social order: How is social cohesion maintained?
• Social inequality: In both material and symbolic ways
• Identity: How do people define themselves as individuals and in groups?
COMPARISON WITH PSYCHOLOGY:
• Sociology: Focuses on group dynamics and society as a whole.
• Psychology: Focuses on individual cognition, emotions, and behavior.
A DIGITAL MEDIA SOCIETY: HOW DO DIGITAL MEDIA AFFECT SOCIETY?
• Social order: Influence how we live and act.
• Social inequality: Can disrupt or reinforce existing power structures.
• Identity: Help shape the meaning and perception of things.
Micro-level changes in our everyday practices
Macro-level changes to our societal institutions
MEDIA PSYCHOLOGY VS MEDIA SOCIOLOGY
• Media Sociology: Examines how media impact the social organization of society.
• Media Psychology: Focuses on how media affect individual cognition, emotions, and
behavior.
• Media Studies: Analyzes the media industry and how it delivers messages to the audience.
CHILD OBESITY EXPLANATIONS
• Sociological explanation: Children are often home alone, which affects their eating habits.
• Media Psychological explanation: Some argue that TV makes children addicted due to its
design, or that fast-food advertising encourages unhealthy eating.
MICRO-LEVEL QUESTIONS
Why do we order food through delivery services?
• Impact on everyday life (micro-level of society): How does ordering take-out change
family dynamics?
o Do families eat more in front of the TV instead of at the dinner table?
o Does this reduce family communication?
,MACRO-LEVEL QUESTIONS
• Platform Work in the European Union:
o Platform work has come under scrutiny for precarious and exploitative working
conditions and limited social-security coverage.
o A recent EU Platform-Work Directive created a framework to classify the employment
status of platform workers, but poor working conditions remain an issue.
SOCIAL STRUCTURE, SOCIAL POSITIONS, AND SOCIAL ROLES
Social structure: Organized patterns of relationships, rules, and "rule arrangements" that govern how
people live and interact.
Note: Organized ≠ formal.
• Established systems of rules → Social institutions
• Arrangements of relationships → Social positions
A New Social Institution (Platform Economy)
• The platform economy operates with its own logics, rules, and arrangements.
• Not all rules are explicit—many are implicit.
• These relational structures are held together by rule arrangements (e.g., rules for parents differ
from those for children).
Platform Economy as a Social Institution
• Social Position: Self-employed or employee?
• Social Identity: Brand ambassadors or algorithmic slaves?
SOCIAL STRUCTURE & CULTURE
Culture and social order are closely linked:
• Culture: Values and beliefs that shape the social order.
• Social roles: Specific behaviors expected for certain positions in society.
Example: Gig Economy (Food Delivery)
• Conflicting values: Entrepreneurism vs. social protection and care for others.
• Ritualistic behaviors: New habits and symbolic behaviors arise within the job.
Culture = Shared set of beliefs, norms, values, symbols, and rituals
• Values and beliefs shape the social order.
• Norms: Expected behaviors for social roles.
• Social roles: Patterns of behavior expected for particular social positions.
• Rituals: Symbolic, habitual behaviors and objects that carry meaning.
GIG ECONOMY EXAMPLE: DELIVEROO
• Self-employed contracts: Deliveroo riders do not receive holiday pay.
, • Riders' statistics (performance ratings) can be affected when they return to work.
• Some riders rent or borrow accounts to maintain good statistics:
“Anyone want my 11:30–13:00 or 13:00–14:00 shift in Salford on my account? Need to keep my stats up
but can’t attend.” (February 2019)
SOCIAL STRUCTURE: WHY DO WE DO THE THINGS WE DO?
Our daily actions and habits show how we, as individuals, interact with the social order.
WHAT IS THE SOCIAL ORDER?
• The social order is made up of rules that organize society.
• Individuals can either follow or break these rules:
o By following them, they keep the current social order in place.
o By breaking them, they can challenge and change it.
• SOCIAL PRACTICES are:
o Relational (social): Our actions are connected to other people.
o Persistent (historical): Practices often last a long time and are shaped by history.
o Cultural (contextual): They are influenced by the culture we live in.
DOING THINGS A CERTAIN WAY: SOCIAL STRUCTURE AS A SET OF 'LOGICS'
The way we act follows the logic of the social structure.
HOW DOES SOCIAL CHANGE HAPPEN?
• When people collectively break the old rules and create new ways of doing things, a new social
order emerges.
GIDDENS' STRUCTURATION THEORY (1984)
DUALITY OF STRUCTURE: Structure and human action influence each other.
• Social Structures: They provide rules and resources for meaningful action, but also limit
possibilities.
• Agency (Individual Action): People have the power to maintain or change social
structures.
• They are knowledgeable, rational actors with
o Reflexivity: They can reflect on the social structure and their role in it.
o Intentionality: They can act consciously to reach specific, well-justified
goals.
EXEMPLE: Harry Styles: wore a dress to challenge traditional gender norms and promote
self-expression.
What elements of social order allowed for this to happen?
SOCIAL CHANGE... OR NOT
