Austin Jones

I began studying for my PhD in Sociology in September 2026 under the supervision of Prof. David Beer and Dr. Benjamin Jacobsen. My research is part of the Leverhulme Centre for Algorithmic Life, which is based at Durham but has its data cluster in York, led by Prof. David Beer. Prior to this, I completed a BSc in Film & Television Production and and MA (by Research) in Interactive Media, both in The School of ACT at York. 

Due to my background in media production and media studies, I am interested in the ways that culture and society are mediated by digital technologies, and vice versa. My work applies varied perspectives from social and critical theory to analyse digital technology and media within their social contexts. I particularly enjoy applying my research to diverse and unique case studies, such as rogue genres of social media content or the Mission: Impossible franchise, to show the wide reach of the technologies in question. My MA engaged with critical algorithm studies, exploring how 'the algorithm' as a concept can be read as a symptom of broader shifts in society. 

My PhD research will investigate data as a practice, positioning data not as static objects, but ongoing actions whose meanings and power are defined contextually. My research will involve working with people who work with data, in order to understand how data function as practices and actions in a variety of contexts. I am also interested in understanding these practices within the broader history of data, statistics and measurement, as well as in newer data practices such as the use of synthetic data to train generative AI.