Digital cultures, social networks and political change

Digital devices, practices and networks have entered nearly every domain of our lives – from the most intimate private spheres to the most public and political, and blurring the boundaries between. At the OU we have been researching the cross-cultural and international political dimensions of digital society for over a decade. We have experience of gathering and analysing digital data to shed insights into how organisations and institutions, as well as individual and social groups are responding to the challenges of the digital. Our recent work has included digital diasporas, refugee social networks and smartphone use, social media networks, political protests and change, social media and religious change.

Entry requirements

Minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent). If you are not a UK citizen, you may need to prove your knowledge of English. 

Potential research projects

• Social media, political protest and change
• Social media and religious change
• Digital cultures and the public sphere/s
• Digital media audiences and interactivity
• Digital transformation and public policy
• Disinformation and Fake news on social networks

Current/recent research projects

• Digital migration: refugee social networks and smartphone use
• Digital diplomacy and / or political propaganda

Potential supervisors

• Professor Marie Gillespie
• Dr Umut Erel

Links

• Tuning in: Researching diasporas at the BBC World Service
• Centre for Research on Socio-Cultural Change

Fees and funding

Some of our research students are funded via The Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership; others are self-funded.

For detailed information about fees and funding, visit Fees and studentships.

To see current funded studentship vacancies across all research areas, see Current studentships.