Undergraduate CUR-NET204-2021

Social Media, Communities and Networks

Surf online worlds, communities and sub-cultures. Explore the relationship between technology and social bonding. Plug into gaming, social and Indigenous online networks. Analyse how on and offline ways of communicating are beginning to blur.

Start your career with Curtin’s globally recognised courses and extensive industry connections. Through OUA, our online courses offer an interactive and collaborative learning experience that gets you the same degree as if you studied on campus. Curtin is a global university with a vibrant culture of innovation and collaboration and is ranked in the top one per cent of universities worldwide.

QS RANKING 2021

Times Higher Education Ranking 2021

2021

Subject details

What you'll learn

At the completion of this subject students will be able to:

critique the operation, nature, purpose and origin of Internet-mediated communities and online networks of social interaction
analyse specific examples of Internet-mediated social media communities and networks in terms of theories of broader interaction and identity within society
interpret the complex relationship between technological forms of connectivity and social practices of connectivity
use conceptual knowledge of Internet-mediated social media communities and networks to be an effective participant in diverse forms of online interaction.

Topics covered

- Communities and Web 2.0
- Social Networks
- Identity in Communities and Networks
- Communities and Online Gaming
- Indigenous People, Virtual Communities and Social Networks
- The difference between communities and networks

Entry requirements

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-MIC504-Social Media, Communities and Networks
CUR-NET24 (Not currently available)

Additional requirements

No additional requirements

Description

This subject was previously known as Internet Communities and Social Networks.

Digital and social media offers many opportunities for people to share their lives with others and engage in social interaction and dialogue. Initially digital and social media seemed to be about 'virtual' community; but these days, online and offline networking and community practices merge. Social media now plays a major role in 'being together' - whether to maintain relations with friends and family, to advance political causes, to escape into fantasy worlds, or to strengthen communal belonging. In this unit, you will investigate the excitement, the scepticism, the possibilities and the pitfalls of communities, networks and digital and online social interaction and become more effective in managing and facilitating them.

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.

Assessments