Technology and Social Theory (Themes in Social Theory, 14) - Hardcover

Matthewman, Steve

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0230577563 ISBN 13: 9780230577565

Publisher: Red Globe Press, 2011

Synopsis

From the everyday and unnoticed to the newsworthy and cutting edge, technology is undoubtedly a fundamental element of our daily lives. While saving us time and effort, it can also shape our environment, mediate our relationships, and simultaneously solve problems and create new ones. In studying technology we gain an insight into how society
is constructed, maintained and transformed.

Unravelling and explaining the complex connections between technology and the social contexts in which it is used, Technology and Social Theory guides the reader through 150 years of thinking in this ever evolving field. The chapters critically evaluate a broad range of theorists, from Marx to Foucault, Orwell to Elias, alongside empirical examples which show theory in action. The significance of technology is assessed within both public spheres and intimate spaces, shedding light on its integral role in society.

Showing how theory maps the way for further research, and in turn how new advances in research can inform theory, this book is invaluable reading for students and researchers in Sociology, Social theory, Science and Technology Studies and the Media.

About this title

About the Author

STEVE MATTHEWMAN is Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Department of Sociology, University of Auckland, New Zealand. He is an established writer and teacher in Sociology, with specific interests in science and technology, social theory, cultural studies and modernity and its discontents. His most recent publications include (with Bell) 'Cultural Studies in Aotearoa New Zealand: Identity, Space and Place (Oxford University Press, 2004) and 'Being Sociological' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2007).
STEVE MATTHEWMAN is Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Department of Sociology, University of Auckland, New Zealand. He is an established writer and teacher in Sociology, with specific interests in science and technology, social theory, cultural studies and modernity and its discontents. His most recent publications include (with Bell) 'Cultural Studies in Aotearoa New Zealand: Identity, Space and Place (Oxford University Press, 2004) and 'Being Sociological' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2007).

From the Back Cover

From the everyday and unnoticed to the newsworthy and cutting edge, technology is undoubtedly a fundamental element of our daily lives. While saving us time and effort, it can also shape our environment, mediate our relationships, and simultaneously solve problems and create new ones. In studying technology we gain an insight into how society
is constructed, maintained and transformed.

Unravelling and explaining the complex connections between technology and the social contexts in which it is used, Technology and Social Theory guides the reader through 150 years of thinking in this ever evolving field. The chapters critically evaluate a broad range of theorists, from Marx to Foucault, Orwell to Elias, alongside empirical examples which show theory in action. The significance of technology is assessed within both public spheres and intimate spaces, shedding light on its integral
role in society.

Showing how theory maps the way for further research, and in turn how new advances in research can inform theory, this book is invaluable reading for students and researchers in Sociology, Social theory, Science and Technology Studies and the Media.

Edition details

• Publisher: Red Globe Press
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0230577563
• ISBN 13: 9780230577565
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 224