cover of The Information Society Reader

The Information Society Reader

Edited by with Raimo Blom, Erkki Karvonen, Harri Melin, Kaarle Nordenstreng, Ensio Puoskari, Frank Webster, Professor Frank Webster

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About the Book

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, 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, selections from Manuel Castells, Anthony Giddens, Michel Foucault and Christopher Lasch amongst others, and section introductions contextualising the readings, this book will be an invaluable resource for students and academics studying contemporary society and all things cyber.

Table of Contents

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