Uni Reading List
Index / 001 EN
Social Media: A Critical Introduction cover

Sociology

Sociology

Social Media: A Critical Introduction

Christian Fuchs

A critical study of social media as a social, economic, and political system, covering digital labor, surveillance, data, ideology, and power.

Difficulty Level
Intermediate
Academic Level
Undergraduate
digital sociologysocial mediapolitical economysurveillancemedia studies

01 / Classic Textbook Recommendation

Classic Textbook Recommendation

Citation

Fuchs, C. (2017). Social Media: A Critical Introduction (2nd ed.). SAGE.

Why it belongs

Digital platforms are now central sites of social interaction, work, and political communication. Fuchs gives students concepts for examining ownership, data extraction, labor, and ideology rather than treating social media as neutral technology.

Core coverage

Focus on the relationship between platform business models and everyday participation. Pair the theory with a small case study of a platform so that abstract claims can be tested against interface design and user practice.

Selection note

This title appears on the University of Cambridge’s Sociology reading list for offer holders: Cambridge sociology reading list.