Tom Brock

Dr. Tom Brock is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Manchester Metropolitan University, serving as Programme Leader for the MSc Digital Society and Co-Director of the Digital Society Research Group. He holds leadership roles including President of the British Digital Games Research Association and membership on editorial boards for the Journal of Consumer Culture, Journal of Gaming and Virtual Worlds, Critical Gambling Studies, International Journal of Esports, and Journal of Electronic Gaming and Esports.

His academic credentials include a PhD in Sociology from Durham University (2008-2011, ESRC-funded), MA in Social Research Methods (2007-2008), and BA in Combined Honours Social Sciences (2004-2007). He achieved Senior Fellowship with the Higher Education Academy in 2024.

Brock's research specializes in digital games consumption through sociological and phenomenological lenses, examining craft-like experiences in gameplay, esports psychology, gambling behaviors, and the apophatic dimensions of failure. His methodological approach combines ethnography, interviews, discourse analysis, app walkthroughs, and quantitative techniques to analyze how virtual environments shape consumer behavior and digital economies. He critically investigates neoliberal subjectivity in competitive gaming metrics and the sociological implications of treating play as work.

His publication trajectory reveals an evolution from foundational craft consumption studies toward contemporary critiques of esports ontology and the conceptualization of fun, demonstrating increasing interdisciplinary engagement with philosophy, economics, and digital labor studies. This progression highlights his commitment to addressing emerging challenges in digital culture through rigorous theoretical frameworks.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2024)

He supervises six PhD candidates researching games and class, design education, digital craft, race/gender criminalization, social theory in education, and social theory in care. Brock serves as an Expert Reviewer for ESRC, EU Commission, and European grant agencies while holding external examiner roles at Sheffield Hallam, Winchester, and Plymouth Universities. His teaching innovations using LEGO Serious Play® and VR technologies have earned institutional awards and student endorsements.

As Co-Director of the Digital Society Research Group and Executive Board Member of the Digital Games Research Association, Brock fosters collaborative networks advancing critical scholarship in digital cultures. His leadership in the MSc Digital Society programme develops student expertise in digital research methods while connecting academic work to real-world societal challenges.