Congratulations to Dr Robert Dorschel who has received the Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) Annual Dissertation Award 2024.
His winning PhD thesis is titled “The Social Codes of Tech Workers: On the Quest to be Middle-Class Wealthy and Morally Worthy”. Dr Dorschel completed his PhD in Sociology at the University of Cambridge in 2023. He is now Assistant Professor in Digital Sociology here at the Department of Sociology.
His work addresses a wide range of pressing issues related to digital labour, class dynamics, ethical considerations in technology, diversity and inclusion, and the broader impacts of digital capitalism on society.
The judging committee particularly praised his well-structured work and clear methodology for being both theoretically grounded and easily replicated. They also said that by focusing on digital content creators and technologies, his research contributes to a deeper understanding of internet research’s cultural and social dimensions.
Dr Dorschel said that he was honoured to receive the award from such an inspiring community of scholars.
The Association of Internet Researchers is a member-based, academic association dedicated to the promotion of critical and scholarly Internet research independent from traditional disciplines and existing across academic borders.