Sociology: Digital Social Life

Digital communication shapes how we form relationships, share experiences and navigate everyday life. This course helps you understand what these ways of interacting mean – for individuals, for groups and for society at large.

You explore key themes and concepts from current research on digital social life and learn how human behaviour, digital structures and different stakeholders shape online environments. Through real-world case studies and sociological theories, you develop tools to critically analyse how digital environments, in turn, influence human behaviour and social relationships.

We compare different perspectives, analyse empirical examples and discuss digital phenomena. We also work with ethical, epistemological and methodological questions – that is, questions about what is right to do, how knowledge is created, and how researchers can study digital society and create new theories.

The course examines the complexities of digital interactions and how they affect society. By combining theory with real-world examples, you gain tools to understand and navigate today’s digital social landscape. You develop analytical skills to examine digital interactions and apply theoretical perspectives to concrete cases.

The course is taught in English and can be taken as a stand-alone course or as part of the Master’s Programme in Sociology. 

The Department of Sociology

The course is offered by the Department of Sociology in the picturesque Paradiset campus area in Lund. The building combines modern lecture halls, group rooms, and study spaces – just a short walk from the Social Sciences Library (Sambib) and the University Library (UB), several popular cafés and the city centre.

At the Department of Sociology in Lund, you will meet dedicated teachers who are also active researchers in the field, giving you valuable insights into the latest research.

Teaching includes lectures and interactive seminars where you engage actively with theoretical perspectives and realworld case studies. Assessment is based on an individually written takehome exam.

The course is taught in English.  

After completing the course, you will have a deeper understanding of digital social life from a sociological perspective. You will be able to analyse how people, technologies and institutions shape digital environments, and why digital interactions matter for social relations, power and everyday practices.

Your analytical skills will be strengthened through work with theories, case studies and empirical examples, enabling you to critically assess digital communication, identify underlying social dynamics and evaluate the societal implications of digital technologies.

The course is valuable if you are interested in contemporary social change, digital cultures, media and communication, or technology‑related social issues. The knowledge and skills you develop can support further studies in sociology and related fields, and can serve as a useful foundation if you wish to explore issues related to digital communication, policy, organisational development or social analysis in future studies or projects.

The course can be part of a master’s degree or support further studies within sociology and related fields. 

Prerequisites

Admission to the course requires 90 credits in a social sciences subject comprising sequential courses. English 6.

Selection criteria

Seats are allocated according to: ECTS (HPAV): 100 %.

Tuition fees for non-EU/EEA citizens

Citizens of countries outside:

• The European Union (EU)
• The European Economic Area (EEA) and
• Switzerland

are required to pay tuition fees. You pay an instalment of the tuition fee in advance of each
semester.

Tuition fees, payments and exemptions

Full programme/course tuition fee: SEK 16,875
First payment: SEK 16,875

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Note that you may also need to pay an application fee, or provide proof of exemption.

Application fee

No tuition fees for citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland

There are no tuition fees for citizens of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.