Dr Denise M. Carter - Internet Studies

A Social Anthropologist:

My particular interests are in the transformative effects of the Internet and its increasing embeddedness in everyday lives. My doctoral research was an ethnographic account of my three years living and working in a virtual community. This research, among other things looked at friendship and community, sociability and social capital, new theories of space and place, the ways in which the challenges of online ethnography informs contemporary ethnographic practices and the writing of postmodern ethnography.

Internet Safety: SimSafety

I’m working on a new EU project called SimSafety - "Flight Simulator" for Internet Safety out of the University of Hull. The project is developing an Online Virtual Game Environment where the users (children/teachers/family members) will develop skills in recognising safety pitfalls and dealing with them. There are seven partner countries including the University of Hull, UK. More information is available from the SimSafety website

Internet Safety: InSafe

I have worked in Research on a number of e-safety projects over the last four years, including the EU InSafe project. This has involved working at European, national and local levels to research, design and deliver child e-safety materials to a range of audiences. I have extensive experience of speaking at European Commission training events and national education conferences, as well as to children and young people, parents, teachers, educationalists, children’s safeguarding boards and out of school service providers etc. I was a member of the DCSF cyberbullying taskforce, advising on policy and best practice guidelines. I continue to work with both government and mobile and internet industry advising on e-safety, and have recently been involved in a number of projects producing a range of educational materials for use in schools. My book, ‘The Sociology of Cyberbullying’ is due for release in 2010.

Teaching experience

Several years experience of teaching specialist modules in my own research has given me a broader knowledge of literature and debates around social, cultural and media theory about the changing role of digital technologies and research. Fully committed to excellence in teaching and learning, my experience includes contributing to teaching, curriculum design and module development and leadership at both postgraduate and undergraduate levels. Most recently, my teaching relates to core social theory, social policy and research methodology. Previously I have offered specialist modules in internet research methodologies, sociology of the Internet, and media and technology in society. For the sixth year running I continue to teach research methodology and communications skills to postgraduates across all disciplines at the University of Hull.