Enrolments for 2019 have closed.
Power, Politics and the Internet
Undergraduate | CUR-NET303 | 2019
Course information for 2019 intake View information for 2024 course intake
Map the legal, technical and economic boundaries of cyberspace. Search out information on internet censorship, privacy and security and ascertain the challenges they present. Find out what role politics, power and regulations play in the online space.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Entry requirements
- Prior study needed
- Duration
- 13 weeks
HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Power, Politics and the Internet
About this subject
At the completion of this subject students will be able to:
- demonstrate understanding of the way the internet is experienced as a network of both freedom and control with reference both to social and technical aspects of the internet
- analyse specific internet events and occurrences to gain broader insights into the operation of power and politics in internet governance in a global society
- demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between sources of authority (public, commercial, political, expert, users) in internet governance and the outcomes of decision-making about the internet
- present arguments concerning the socio-technological character of internet politics
- make conceptual contributions to the development of policy and regulation for effective internet governance.
- Introduction: '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 summary
This subject was previously known as Internet Politics and Power.
One enduring myth of the internet is that what we do there cannot be controlled. While this is not true, the internet does present new challenges and possibilities for regulation, producing new forms of freedom and constraint. In this subject you focus on the politics of internet power, via topics on censorship, privacy, security and harassment. You will explore how the internet is 'governed', considering technical, legal and economic reasons for regulatory decisions. Ultimately, you will come to understand how networked communications both create and challenge long-running political contests of freedom and control.
Further Information: List of topics is indicative and subject to minor change prior to the start of each Study Period.
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.
- Essay 1 (20%)
- Essay 2 (40%)
- Policy primer and commentary (40%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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Entry requirements
Prior study
You must have successfully completed the following subject(s) before starting this subject:
one of
- CUR-NET204-Social Media, Communities and Networks
- CUR-NET205-The Digital Economy
CUR-NET24 (Not currently available)
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:
CUR-NET23 (Not currently available)
Others
NET24 is the same as NET204 and NET25 is the same as NET205.
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.
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