Programme

Swansea University

Year 2 Specialism

  • Module 2: New Technology and Social Conflict
  • Location: Swansea Univeristy
  • Professor: Panayiota Tsatsou
  • Duration: 10 weeks
  • Credits: 10 ECTS

Course Aims & Objectives

This course aims to examine cases of social conflict in local and global contexts. It accounts for the role of media technologies in social movement, activity and conflict, drawing on globalisation, sociological and cultural discourses in modern times. Also, it highlights recent cases of social conflict, accounting for the role of media coverage, journalism, civil society and politics. It problematises the role of media and other new technologies in periods of change and social conflict, raising questions of power, participation and politics of representation.

Learning Outcomes

The successful student will be able to:

  • Demonstrate in-depth understanding of the role of new technology in various cases and domains of social conflict, as well as critical thinking about the particular role of media and new media technologies in formation of social movements.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the theoretical approaches to globalisation and social and cultural change, thus being aware of the problems and issues involved in reporting social change.
  • Discuss issues of power and politics of representation through media and other technologies and with respect to particular local or cross-national cases of social conflict.
  • Successfully meet a series of assessment requirements – essay, blog presentation and exam – employing both offline and online means of study and interaction.
  • Demonstrate a range of relevant study skills, including taking concise and relevant notes on reading; researching bibliography on a set topic; work on specific case-studies of relevance; participating in online forum; and developing advanced writing, analytic and presentation skills.

Methods of Assessment

The module is assessed by two pieces of work and an exam.

  • ESSAY: 3000 Word (30%)
  • BLOG PRESENTATION (30%)
  • EXAM (40%)

Indicative Reading List

There are a vast number of texts for New Technology and Social Conflict The following books covers parts of the course:

  1. Cottle. S., (2006) Mediatized Conflict. New Developments in Media and Conflict Studies. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Chapter 1 & 2.
  2. Cottle. S., (2006) Mediatized Conflict. New Developments in Media and Conflict Studies. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Chapter 3.
  3. Chris Atton, C. (2002) ‘News Cultures and New Social Movements: radical journalism and the mainstream media’. Journalism Studies 3(4): 491 – 505.
  4. Huntington, S.P. (1996) The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. New York: Simon & Schuster.
  5. Dai, X. (2003) ‘ICTs in China’s development strategy’, in Hughes, C. R. and Wacker, G. (2003) China and the Internet: Politics of the Digital Leap forward. RoutledgeCurzon. Pp. 8-29.
  6. C. Carter and L. Steiner (Eds.) Critical Readings: Media and Gender. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Chapter 12 & 17.
  7. Putnam, L.L. 2007. News Coverage of Environmental Issues, in D. Graber (ed.) Media Power in Politics. Washington: CO Press, pp. 66-75.
  8. Bauer, M. (1997). Resistance to New Technology: Nuclear Power, Information Technology and Biotechnology. Cambridge University Press.
  9. Please contact the university for more sources.
Go to Top

Swansea University

Year 1

Year 2 Specialisms

Study Abroad