Thomas Rodgers

Thomas Rodgers is a Lecturer in Criminology and Sociology at the University of Sunderland’s School of Social Sciences, part of the Faculty of Education and Society. He holds a PhD titled 'Into the Social Factory: an Investigation into Labour and Value in the Video-Games Industry' (2017), granted after completing an ESRC-funded MA in Social Research. His research focuses on political economy, digital media, and social harm, with a particular emphasis on valorisation processes in the video-games industry and the role of media in shaping social value systems.

Teaching responsibilities include leading undergraduate modules such as Criminological Theory, Sociological Theory, and Punishment and Society, alongside supervising dissertations for Sociology, Criminology, and MSc Inequality and Society students. He is actively involved in the Centre for Applied Social Sciences (CASS), contributing to interdisciplinary research and teaching.

Key research projects include preparing sections of his doctoral thesis for publication, exploring valorisation strategies in video-games and revisiting Isaak Rubin’s theories. Earlier work with Prof. Rowland Atkinson on media and social harm was published in the British Journal of Criminology (2016). His scholarship bridges critical theory, digital culture, and labor studies.