Power, Politics and the Internet
PostgraduateCUR-MIC5032021
Course information for 2021 intake View information for 2025 course intake
Understand the ways in which people try to exert, and resist, power online. Explore why algorithms, censorship, surveillance, and infrastructure matter, and how they might be reshaped.
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- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Entry requirements
- Part of a degree
- Duration
- 13 weeks
- Loan available
- FEE-HELP available
Power, Politics and the Internet
About this subject
At the completion of this subject students will be able to:
- evaluate the relationship between sources of authority (public, commercial, political, expert, users) in Internet governance and the outcomes of decision-making about the Internet
- make conceptual contributions to the development of policy and regulation for effective Internet governance
- analyse the Internet as a network of both freedom and control with reference both to social and technical aspects of the Internet, referring specifically to the experience of marginalised groups.
- Introduction: Internet Politics and Power
- 'Who wants Control?'
- Political Censorship vs Freedom of Speech
- Moral Censorship vs Freedom of Speech
- Privacy and `Terms of Use'
- A right to privacy?
- Harassment on the Net
- Introduction to Regulation
- The Architecture of Connection
- Digital Property and the Network
- Governing the Net
- Politics and Power
The Internet has had a massive impact on our political systems, from grassroots activism through to global politics. This subject helps you to understand how and why this has happened, and why it matters. It explores the new challenges and possibilities for governance created by the Internet, as well as attempts to control the Internet by governments and others. Ultimately, you will come to understand how networked communications are intertwined with long-running political struggles around control and resistance.
Please Note: If it’s your first time studying a Curtin University subject you’ll need to complete their compulsory ‘Academic Integrity Program’. It only takes two hours to complete online, and provides you with vital information about studying with Curtin University. The Academic Integrity Program is compulsory, so if it’s not completed your subject grades will be withheld.
Find out more about the Academic Integrity module.
- Learning reflection (25%)
- Policy primer (35%)
- Essay (40%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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Entry requirements
To enrol in this subject, you must be admitted into a degree.
Equivalent subjects
You should not enrol in this subject if you have successfully completed any of the following subject(s) because they are considered academically equivalent:
Additional requirements
No additional requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.