464 Pages
    by Routledge

    464 Pages
    by Routledge

    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.

    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

    Biography

    Frank Webster is Professor of Sociology at City University, London. He is author of Theories of the Information Society, 2nd edition (Routledge, 2002).