Principal Lecturer in Creative Technologies
School of Games Computing and Creative Technologies

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University of Bolton

r.mclean@bolton.ac.uk

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01204 903 829

I joined the University of Bolton as a Principal Lecturer (Creative Technologies and Teaching & Learning) in December 2008. Prior to this I was at Manchester Metropolitan University Business School (Senior Lecturer in Business Information Technology and more recently Acting Chair of Doctoral Programmes). Before joining MMU I was a full time PhD student (awarded the United Utilities eBusiness Research Studentship) at the 6* rated CNTR at Salford University. My PhD thesis "Consumer Knowledge, Empowerment & The Internet: Critical Research Into The Provision And Use Of eCommerce" takes a Critical Social Theory approach to consumer adoption of the internet in commercial activity.

My current research interests lie in the area of sociology of information communication technologies and new media or social technologies in a range of contexts including home, work and society. In my research I draw upon communication studies, media studies, cultural studies, literary theory and sociology. Starting with my PhD research into customer experiences of online shopping. I extended this work to focus on experiences of citizens of the digital society and inclusion / exclusion, uses of technology in healthcare, experiences and use of technology in older age and the implications of an ageing population in an increasingly technological society. More recently my research has focused on social networking (including a study of football supporters, and research into issues relating to children who are growing up in an increasingly technological society). I have been successful in securing research council funding and have bids currently under review. I have an interest in research methods and seek to make both methodological as well as practical and theoretical contributions in my research.