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Synopsis
Product description The Internet and Society explores the impact of the internet on modern culture. Review 'By far the most sophisticated historical and theoretical treatment of the Internet to appear so far, yet a real pleasure to read. Enormously comprehensive and tough minded, The Internet and Society dramatically raises the level of discussion about a phenomenon that is radically changing the way we live.' James Lull, Professor of Communication Studies, San Jose State University, California 'Slevin sets out to challenge traditional ways of looking at the internet and he achieves this. His book is challenging and thought-provoking, and a first step towards an understanding of the cultural impact of the internet. His work is well informed and well based in previous scholarship.' Business History 'An insightful analysis into the interplay between communication and culture.' Sunday Tribune (Dublin) 'This book deserves much praise. Slevin provides a well reasoned and systematic account that illuminates the social situatedness and significance of the internet within contemporary society.' Lincoln Dahlberg, Convergence From the Back Cover The Internet and Society explores the impact of the internet on modern culture beyond the fashionable celebration of 'anything goes' online culture or the overly pessimistic conceptions tainted by the logic of domination. In this major new work, James Slevin develops an original account of the internet and relates it to the analysis of culture and communication in late modern societies. Slevin offers a critical appraisal of contributions to the study of the internet and its related networks such as intranets and extranets. He argues that these studies fail to deal adequately with the nature of communication and its role in an increasingly uncertain world. Slevin addresses this deficiency by elaborating a distinctive social theory of the internet and its impact. He develops his argument by offering an in-depth examination of the connections between the rise of the internet and new issues concerning the state, political and economic organization, the process of self-formation, globalization, publicness, regulation and, above all, the management of risk and uncertainty. Throughout the book, James Slevin relates his analysis of the internet to a variety of substantive examples of internet use from around the world and sets out and redefines the tasks for further study. This book will be of interest to second-year undergraduates and above in media and communications studies, cultural studies, sociology and social theory and students and academics across the social sciences who are interested in the impact of new communication technologies. About the Author Professor James Slevin , University of RoskildeBook Details
Published
June 17, 2026
Publisher
Polity
Pages
265
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9780745620862