From Silicon Valley to the World: A Critical History of Social Media - MA Seminar 1 3301-KBS1LUT

Learning outcomes applicable to students beginning their studies in the academic year 2025/26

Knowledge
The graduate has in-depth familiarity with:
K_W01 advanced terminology, theory and research methods corresponding to the state of the art in the disciplines of literary studies and culture and region studies, in accordance with their chosen specialization (and educational path), specifically in the field of digital culture and social media.
K_W02 – in an advanced manner, the principles of designing cultural studies research, particularly the rules for selecting methods and tools in formulating research problems and testing hypotheses within the field of digital culture and social media.
K_W05 – the economic, legal, ethical, and other conditions influencing the development of entrepreneurship in the context of a career path related to the field of study.

Abilities
The graduate is able to:
K_U01 – apply the advanced terminology, theories and research methods of culture and religion studies to solve complex and original research problems in accordance with his/her chosen specialization (and educational path), specifically in the field of digital culture and social media.
K_U02 – apply advanced principles of designing cultural studies research, and in particular are able to:
select appropriate sources, methods, and tools;
critically analyse and synthesise the current state of research in the discipline;
interpret and present the results obtained using advanced information and communication technologies.
K_U03 – use appropriate structures, vocabulary, and language conventions suited to the communicative situation (e.g. participating in a public debate, delivering an academic presentation, etc.) in spoken and written English at a minimum of C2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
K_U04 – apply the concepts and principles of intellectual property protection and copyright law
K_U05 – apply knowledge of economic, legal, and ethical conditions, as well as other aspects of professional activity related to their field of study.
K_U07 – use modern technologies in the process of acquiring knowledge and communicate using various channels and communication techniques.
K_U09 – design their own development path and guide others in this area.

Social competences
The graduate is ready to:
K_K01 critically appraise their knowledge and content obtained from various sources
K_K02 recognize the importance of knowledge in solving cognitive and practical problems; consult experts when required.
Depending on the specific course; methods regarded as most suitable for verifying learning
outcomes will be determined in the course syllabus: W, U, K.

Learning outcomes applicable to students in the years 2022-2024

Knowledge
Students know and understand:
K_W04 in-depth principles of designing cultural studies, in particular the use of methods and tools in formulating research problems in the field of digital culture and social media;
K_W05 at an advanced level of grammar, syntax, phonology, phonetics, morphology, pragmatics of the English language;
K_W06 economic, legal and ethical and other conditions for various types of professional activity related to the field of study.

Skills
Students can:
K_U01 use the terminology and conceptual apparatus in the field of cultural studies, in particular digital culture and social media;
K_U02 to use the methodology of cultural studies on British visual culture within the English philology, respecting the standards of scientific ethics and copyright law;
K_U03 to use the acquired knowledge to describe and solve the problem and to carry out a research project on topics in the field of science about culture and religion, in particular in the field of digital culture and social media;
K_U04 use the acquired knowledge to describe and solve problems and perform tasks related to the discipline of culture and religion sciences;
K_U06 independently search for information in various sources and evaluate their suitability for research work on the subject of the master's seminar related to digital culture and social media;
K_U07 use modern technologies in the process of acquiring knowledge and communicate (e.g. with lecturers, tutors, mentors, etc. and with participants in classes and projects) using various communication channels and techniques;
K_U11 design your own development path.

Social competence
Students are ready to:
K_K02 lifelong learning and personal development, using the skills to select subjects and projects corresponding to the interests of a given person

Language education at the B2+ level.

Presentations, analytical essays, individual and group research.
Active participation in the New Media in Contemporary Culture series.
To pass the first year of the seminar it is necessary to prepare a developed outline of the dissertation with an attached bibliography of 5000-7000 words.
Evaluation criteria:
- clear structure
- clear presentation of the research problem and the subject literature
- in-depth knowledge of the subject
- use of appropriate research sources
- correct formatting (MLA)

Boyd, Danah. It’s Complicated. The Social Lives of Networked Teens. New Haven, Yale, 2014.
Dijck, Jose van. The Culture of Connectivity: A Critical History of Social Media. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2013.
Donovan, Joan, Emily Dreyfuss, Brian Friedberg. Meme Wars: The Untold Story of the Online Battles Upending Democracy in America. Bloomsbury, 2022.
Durham, Meenakshi Gigi, Dougles M. Kellner (eds.). Media and Cultural Studies: Keyworks. 2nd edition, Wiley Blackwell, 2012.
Fisher, Max. The Chaos Machine. The Inside Story of How Social Media Rewired Our Minds and Our World. Little, Brown and Company, 2022.
Levinson, Paul. New New Media. Pearson, 2016.
Page, Ruth. Narratives Online. Cambridge, Cambridge UP, 2018.
Page, Ruth, Stories and Social Media: Identities and Interaction. London and New York, Routledge, 2013.
Langmia, Kehbuma, Tia C.M. Tyree. Social Media. Culture and Identity. London, Lexington Books, 2017.
Shifman, Limor. Memes in Digital Culture. Cambridge, MA, and London, MIT Press, 2014.
Thomas, Bronwen, Julia Round. Real Lives, Celebrity Stories. New York, Bloomsbury, 2014.
Tierney, Thérèse F., The Public Space of Social Media. Connected Cultures of the Network Society. London and New York, Routledge, 2013.
Varoufakis, Yanis. Technofeudalism. The Bodley Head Ltd., 2023.
Wiggins, Bradley, The Discursive Power of Memes in Digital Culture. Ideology, Semiotics, and Intertextuality. London and New York, Routledge, 2019.
White, Andrew. Digital Media and Society. Houndsmills, Palgrave Macmillan, 2014.

The Digital Media and Society Series available in the Institute of English Studies Library; e.g. about TikTok, YouTube, Instagram etc.

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

• Description of 3301-KBS1LUT in USOSweb