Social groups in the digital world

This course is part of the BA Online Culture: Art, Media and Society or the MA Online Culture at Tilburg University. Click on the link for more info on the courses and the programme.

In this international program Online Culture: Art, Media and Society (Culture Studies) the focus is on digital culture and (new) media. From disciplines such as cultural studies and media studies you study how digitalization and globalization influence our way of living. You discuss new ways of communication, art expressions as well as (social) media expressions like memes and trolls. You research how such ways of communication and expressions are established and how they manifest in, and have influence on a society that increasingly takes place online. Additionally, you actively contribute to digital culture by writing papers and opinion pieces for our own online platform Diggit Magazine.

“Gentlemen, Here We Invest With Balls”: Cryptos and the Celebration of Unfettered Hegemonic Masculinity

Paper
Wessel Joosten
29/01/2024
16 minutes to read

This paper analyzes various texts from social media concerning the displays of hegemonic masculinity in the crypto world. Through the analysis in this paper, we will explain the subculture created by crypto bros and their ideology.

Deviating from the mainstream: Amish or Uber-Hipsters?

Paper
Femke van Bree
17/10/2022
8 minutes to read

In this paper, we intend to find out if the hipster subculture is inspired by the Amish subculture. We will investigate this by analyzing two typical cultural features: appearance (fashion) and food. 

Designers rethink social boundaries with gender-neutral fashion

Paper
Stefan Immens
12/09/2022
14 minutes to read

Society is in constant change adapting to what is happening in the global environment. The fashion industry is getting stronger every day because it has been adapting in unique ways to society such as gender-neutral fashion.

Being black and queer: TikTok analysis

Paper
Eline Klaessens
18/05/2022
13 minutes to read

Black queer people have different experiences than White queer people. On TikTok, Black queer creators have made videos concerning three topics surrounding the black queer identity: representation, different gender norms and White privilege.

A white planetary symbol for Venus - used as a gender symbol for women - with a target on it.

Incel communities: an online renewal of the patriarchy

Paper
Jamie Demers
25/03/2022
10 minutes to read

This paper is an exploration of the anti-feminism of the incel community through digital discourse analysis of incel forums.

Screenshots from party bus footage Vindicat

The deviant image of student association Vindicat

Paper
Ruben den Boer
16/03/2022
16 minutes to read

How student association Vindicat tried to restore its own image by labeling individual members as 'deviants' (and failed). 

Activision Blizzard lawsuit

Misogyny: A Gaming Company against the Community

Article
Clara Daniels
11/01/2022
17 minutes to read

The gamer stereotype is slowly changing which is shown through the community's response to the misogynic activities that the gaming company Blizzard-Activision engaged in.

RuPaul Selling Out: Undermining the Diversity of Drag Culture

Article
Michelle Saris
03/05/2023
12 minutes to read

RuPaul's Drag Race brought lots of attention to drag outside of the drag community. This paper looks at how RuPaul's Drag Race takes its place in mainstream media.