This volume addresses these key issues through an analysis of important theoretical debates on issues such as digital democracy, cultural politics and transnational communities.
Featuring contributors from both sides of the Atlantic, the book contains a series of case studies on new social movements including campaigns on the environment, gender, animal rights and human rights. It combines cutting edge research with theoretical material and makes an important contribution to this highly topical and rapidly growing area.
This book will be invaluable reading for students in areas including Politics, Communications and IT, Sociology and Cultural Studies.

There has been much debate over the idea of 'the information society'. Some thinkers have argued that information is becoming the key ordering principle in society, whereas others suggest that the rise of information has been overstated. Whatever the case, though, it cannot be denied that 'informization' has produced vast changes in advanced societies. The Information Society Reader pulls together the main contributions to this debate from some of the key figures in the field. Major topics addressed include:

· post-industrialism
· surveillance
· transformations
· the network society
· democracy
· digital divisions
· virtual relations.

With a comprehensive introduction from Frank Webster, and section introductions contextualising the readings, The Information Society Reader will be an invaluable resource for students and academics studying contemporary society and all things cyber.

Includes selections from Manuel Castells, Daniel Bell, Anthony Giddens, Michel Foucault and Christopher Lasch, amongst others.

Information is regarded as a distinguishing feature of our world. Where once economies were built on industry and conquest, we are now part of a global information economy. Pervasive media, expanding information occupations and the development of the internet convince many that living in an Information Society is the destiny of us all. Coping in an era of information flows, of virtual relationships and breakneck change poses challenges to one and all. In Theories of the Information Society Frank Webster sets out to make sense of the information explosion, taking a sceptical look at what thinkers mean when they refer to the Information Society, and critically examining the major post-war approaches to informational development. The fourth edition of this classic study brings it up to date with new research and with social and technological changes - from the 'Twitter Revolutions' of North Africa, to financial crises that introduced the worst recession in a life time, to the emergence of social media and blogging - and reassesses the work of key theorists in the light of these changes. More outspoken than in previous editions, Webster urges abandonment of Information Society scenarios, preferring analysis of the informatization of long-established relationships. This interdisciplinary book is essential reading for those trying to make sense of social and technological change in the post-war era. It addresses issues of central concern to students of sociology, politics, geography, communications, information science, cultural studies, computing and librarianship.

Information is regarded as a distinguishing feature of our world. Where once economies were built on industry and conquest, we are now part of a global information economy. Pervasive media, expanding information occupations and the development of the internet convince many that living in an Information Society is the destiny of us all. Coping in an era of information flows, of virtual relationships and breakneck change poses challenges to one and all. In Theories of the Information Society Frank Webster sets out to make sense of the information explosion, taking a sceptical look at what thinkers mean when they refer to the Information Society, and critically examining the major post-war approaches to informational development. The fourth edition of this classic study brings it up to date with new research and with social and technological changes - from the 'Twitter Revolutions' of North Africa, to financial crises that introduced the worst recession in a life time, to the emergence of social media and blogging - and reassesses the work of key theorists in the light of these changes. More outspoken than in previous editions, Webster urges abandonment of Information Society scenarios, preferring analysis of the informatization of long-established relationships. This interdisciplinary book is essential reading for those trying to make sense of social and technological change in the post-war era. It addresses issues of central concern to students of sociology, politics, geography, communications, information science, cultural studies, computing and librarianship.

Contents:
Frank Webster Introduction: Information Society Studies Part 1: The Information Society Frank Webster Introduction Advocates 1. Yoneji Masuda Image of the Future Information Society 2. Charles Leadbeater Living on Thin Air 3. Esther Dyson, George Gilder, George Keyworth and Alvin Toffler Cyberspace and the American Dream Critics 4. Langdon Winner Who Will We Be in Cyberspace? 5. Theodore Roszak The Cult of Information 6. Kevin Robins and Frank Webster The Long History of the Information Revolution Part 2: Post-Industrial Society Harri Melin Introduction 7. Daniel Bell Post-Industrial Society 8. Krishan Kumar From Post-Industrial to Post-Modern Society 9. John Urry Is Britain the First Post-Industrial Society? Part 3: The Network Society Frank Webster Introduction 10. Manuel Castells An Introduction to the Information Age 11. Manuel Castells The Information City, the New Economy, and the Network Society 12. Nicholas Garnham Information Society Theory as Ideology Part 4: Transformations Frank Webster Introduction 13. John Urry Mobile Sociology 14. Robert B. Reich The Three Jobs of the Future 15. Nico Stehr The Economic Structure of Knowledge Societies 16. Anne Balsamo Forms of Technological Embodiment Part 5: Divisions Kaarle Nordenstreng Introduction 17. Herbert Schiller Data Deprivation 18. Pippa Norris The Digital Divide 19. Christopher Lasch The Degradation of the Practical Arts Part 6: Surveillance Raimo Blom Introduction 20. Michel Foucault Panopticism 21. Shoshana Zuboff Managing the Informated Organization 22. David Lyon New Directions in Theory Part 7: Democracy Erkki Karvonen Introduction 23. Jurgen Habermas The Public Sphere 24. Nicholas Garnham The Media and the Public Sphere 25. John Keane Structural Transformations of the Public Sphere 26. Zizi Papacharissi The Virtual Sphere: The Internet as a Public Sphere Part 8: Virtualities Ensio Puoskari Introduction 27. Mark Poster The Mode of Information and Postmodernity 28. Eric Michaels For a Cultural Future 29. Sadie Plant The Future Looms: Weaving Women and Cybernetics

Times of the Technoculture explores the social and cultural impact of new technologies, tracing the origins of the information society from the coming of the machine with the industrial revolution to the development of mass production techniques in the early twentieth century.
The authors look at how the military has controlled the development of the information society, and consider the centrality of education in government attempts to create a knowledge society. Engaging in contemporary debates surrounding the internet, Robins and Webster question whether it can really offer us a new world of virtual communities, and suggest more radical alternatives to the corporate agenda of contemporary technologies.

Exploring the debates surrounding technological change, from the politics of education to questions of identity centred around the figure of the cyborg, this text scrutinizes the unfettered optimism of corporate figures such as Bill Gates. Authors Robins and Webster question whether new technologies justify the utopian rhetoric with which they are promoted, and distinguish genuine innovations from technologies which simply reproduce conservative social practices in a new guise. The text explores the social and cultural impact of new technologies, tracing the origins of the information society from the coming of the machine with the industrial revolution to the development of mass production techniques in the early 20th century. The authors look at how the military has controlled the development of the information society, and consider the centrality of education in government attempts to create a knowledge society.;Engaging in contemporary debates surrounding the Internet, Robins and Webster question whether it can really offer us a new world of virtual communities, and suggest more radical alternatives to the corporate agenda of contemporary technologies.

Modern environmentalism is now over fifty years old. This five volume set provides wide-ranging coverage of the state and scope of environmentalism from its science-driven, physical geography-focused roots to its spread to social science and cultural studies. The articles and accompanying commentaries provide insight into the critical areas of debate in the field's fifty-year development. A detailed index is provided to guide the reader through the material.

This volume addresses these key issues through an analysis of important theoretical debates on issues such as digital democracy, cultural politics and transnational communities.
Featuring contributors from both sides of the Atlantic, the book contains a series of case studies on new social movements including campaigns on the environment, gender, animal rights and human rights. It combines cutting edge research with theoretical material and makes an important contribution to this highly topical and rapidly growing area.
This book will be invaluable reading for students in areas including Politics, Communications and IT, Sociology and Cultural Studies.

Understanding Contemporary Society: Theories of the Present is a comprehensive textbook to guide students through the complexities of social theory today. Over 30 chapters, written by an international team of contributors, demonstrate clearly the practical applications of social theory in making sense of the modern world. Students are both introduced to the most significant theories and guided through the major social developments which shape our lives. Key features of the book are: clearly structured and readable prose; bullet pointed summaries and annotated further reading for each topic; makes complex issues accessible to undergraduates; focuses on relevance and practicality; chapter lay-out which is ideal for teaching and seminar readings.

'...it will appeal not only to students of journalism and media but also to anyone interested in the world around them' - Marie Kinsey, Times Higher Education Supplement 'Professor Tumber weaves together traditional and topical themes to produce a comprehensive overview of the media's role at times of conflict' - Stewart Purvis, City University London 'Presents a vivid picture of what it's like to be working as a journalist on the front line during a 'modern' war. Through the eyes of leading correspondents in the field the authors examine their experience and its impact on the audience, their profession and their own lives' - The Information Centre about Asylum and Refugees in the UK (ICAR) Journalists Under Fire is the first book to combine a conceptually audacious analysis of the changing nature of war with an empirically rich critical analysis of journalists who cover conflict. In Journalists Under Fire, authors Howard Tumber and Frank Webster explore questions about the information war and journalistic practices. Frontline correspondents play a key role in information war, but their position is considerably more ambiguous and ambivalent than in the epoch of industrial war. They play a central role in the presentation of what is often spectacle to audiences around the world whose actual experience of war is far removed from combat. In the era of multi-national journalism, of the internet and satellite videophone, the book highlights central features of media reporting in contemporary conflict. Drawing on over fifty lengthy interviews with frontline correspondents, the authors shed light on the motivations, fears and practices of those who work under conditions of journalism under fire. Journalists Under Fire is designed for undergraduate and postgraduate students and for scholars, academics and researchers in the fields of journalism, media and communication, Media Studies, sociology, international relations and war studies.

Our public and private lives are under surveillance as never before. Whether we are shopping with a credit card, walking down the street or emailing a colleague at work, our activities are closely monitored. Since September 11th 2001, surveillance has intensified further. Yet although individuals, groups, governments and states are more closely monitored, our security is not assured. This book explores the vast range of issues related to increased surveillance. What is going on in an area clouded by secrecy from the state and complacent reassurances from corporations? How do we track suspects and combat crime without also eroding our civil liberties and sacrificing our rights to privacy? Does electronic tagging of prisoners work? What are retailers up to with 'lifestyle profiling'? Focusing on these and other issues such as paedophilia, money-laundering, information warfare, cybercrime, and related legislation, this book spotlights benefits and costs of surveillance, and suggests how it is likely to develop in the future.

Drawing widely on sociological, economic, and political theory cominbined with detailed attention to technical, business, and sociological evidence, this critical scholarly work offers a comprehensive analysis both of the significance of computing and communications technologies and the nature of contemporary society. This study argues that information technology, in association with the spread of corporate capitalism and the modern state, represents the extension and consolidation of control within the workplace and out into the wider society. The book includes detailed historical, empirical, and theoretical analysis which are crucial for an understaning of the new information technologies.

'...it will appeal not only to students of journalism and media but also to anyone interested in the world around them' - Marie Kinsey, Times Higher Education Supplement 'Professor Tumber weaves together traditional and topical themes to produce a comprehensive overview of the media's role at times of conflict' - Stewart Purvis, City University London 'Presents a vivid picture of what it's like to be working as a journalist on the front line during a 'modern' war. Through the eyes of leading correspondents in the field the authors examine their experience and its impact on the audience, their profession and their own lives' - The Information Centre about Asylum and Refugees in the UK (ICAR) Journalists Under Fire is the first book to combine a conceptually audacious analysis of the changing nature of war with an empirically rich critical analysis of journalists who cover conflict. In Journalists Under Fire, authors Howard Tumber and Frank Webster explore questions about the information war and journalistic practices. Frontline correspondents play a key role in information war, but their position is considerably more ambiguous and ambivalent than in the epoch of industrial war. They play a central role in the presentation of what is often spectacle to audiences around the world whose actual experience of war is far removed from combat. In the era of multi-national journalism, of the internet and satellite videophone, the book highlights central features of media reporting in contemporary conflict. Drawing on over fifty lengthy interviews with frontline correspondents, the authors shed light on the motivations, fears and practices of those who work under conditions of journalism under fire. Journalists Under Fire is designed for undergraduate and postgraduate students and for scholars, academics and researchers in the fields of journalism, media and communication, Media Studies, sociology, international relations and war studies.