Tom Brock

Dr. Tom Brock is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Manchester Met where he researches digital games and consumer behaviour. He has published widely on this topic in journals including The Sociological Review, Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, Information, Communication and Society, Games and Culture, and the Journal of Critical Realism. Tom is the Reviews Editor of the Journal of Consumer Culture and sits on the editorial boards of the Journal of Gaming and Virtual Worlds, Critical Gambling Studies, International Journal of Esports, and the Journal of Electronic Gaming and Esports. Tom has worked as an Expert Reviewer for the ESRC, EU Commission and other European grant agencies and has expertise external examining undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes and MA/MSc/PhD students nationally and overseas. Tom is currently working on two books with Routledge - Consuming Video Games: Understanding Video Game Consumption and Cultures and The Routledge Handbook of Esports. Tom is currently the President of the British Digital Games Research Association.

Tom’s research features widely in the press and online media, including in Wired Magazine, BBC World News, BBC Radio 4, and The Conversation.

As well as research, Tom is passionate about teaching, particularly about social theory and digital games. He is the author of a forthcoming textbook ‘Welcome to Social Theory’ (Sage, 2023) which teaches complex and challenging theoretical ideas in an engaging and clear way. On his courses, Tom deploys innovative ways to teach ‘hard-to-learn/teach’ subject areas drawing, in particular, on ideas from playful learning to lead in the development of a rewarding student experience. Examples including the use of LEGO Serious Play® to support students in maximising their critical thinking. Other examples include the use of HTC Virtual Reality headsets and Ketso Kits to create enjoyable and engaging learning environments. Tom’s expertise in this area has been recognised across Manchester Met, notably through awards, nominations and student endorsements of his teaching.

Tom teaches ‘Social Theory’ and ‘Digital Society’ to level 4 students on the BA Sociology and Criminology Programme. He also teaches ‘Principles and Debates in Social Research’ on the White Rose DTC MA Social Research and MSc Digital Society Programmes. Tom is the Programme Leader of the MSc Digital Society, which specialises in teaching students key digital skills and methods to research digital cultures.