Communication, Technology and Society / Edition 1

by Lelia R Green

Overview

Technology was once something we thought of only in relation to manufacturing or the military. Now it is a constant theme in everyday interaction.

In Communication, Technology and Society, Lelia Green focuses on the technologies of communication, from things we don't even think of as technology, like the alphabet or electricity, through to the rapidly developing world of cyberspace. She argues that technology is never neutral, rather, it is closely linked to culture, society and government policy.

Green looks at what drives technological change, showing that the adoption of new technologies is never inevitable. She also explores how a variety of technology cultures co-exist and interact: industrial culture, media culture, information culture, and now 'technoculture'. Some communities benefit from technocultures, while others are left out or even damaged.

This book offers a broad and accessible introduction to the complex issues surrounding technology, communications, culture and society for students and anyone else interested in making sense of one of the key issues of the 21st century.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761947097
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	05/24/2002
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.43(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

What Fuels Technology Change?
Technology Adoption and Diffusion
Domestication of Technologies
Fragmenting Mass Media in the Postmodern Information Society
Information Policy in the Information Society
The Public Interest, and the Information Divide
Mass Media and the Public Sphere
Communication Policy and Regulation
Popular Culture in Technoculture
Gender, Power and Technology
Making Sense of Being in Cyberspace
Technoculture and Social Organization

Editorial Reviews

Green (communications and multimedia, Edith Cowan University, Australia) examines the technologies of communication, from the alphabet to cyberspace, arguing that technology is never neutral, rather, that it is closely linked to culture, society, and government policy. She looks at what drives technological change, showing that the adoption of new technologies is never inevitable, and explores how a variety of technology cultures coexist and interact, including industrial culture, media culture, and information culture. The book can be used in undergraduate courses on technology and society. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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