An anthology of writings by thinkers ranging from Freeman Dyson to Bruno Latour that focuses on the interconnections of technology, society, and values and how these may affect the future. Technological change does not happen in a vacuum; decisions about which technologies to develop, fund, market, and use engage ideas about values as well as calculations of costs and benefits. This anthology focuses on the interconnections of technology, society, and values. It offers writings by authorities as varied as Freeman Dyson, Laurence Lessig, Bruno Latour, and Judy Wajcman that will introduce readers to recent thinking about technology and provide them with conceptual tools, a theoretical framework, and knowledge to help understand how technology shapes society and how society shapes technology. It offers readers a new perspective on such current issues as globalization, the balance between security and privacy, environmental justice, and poverty in the developing world. The careful ordering of the selections and the editors' introductions give Technology and Society a coherence and flow that is unusual in anthologies. The book is suitable for use in undergraduate courses in STS and other disciplines. The selections begin with predictions of the future that range from forecasts of technological utopia to cautionary tales. These are followed by writings that explore the complexity of sociotechnical systems, presenting a picture of how technology and society work in step, shaping and being shaped by one another. Finally, the book goes back to considerations of the future, discussing twenty-first-century challenges that include nanotechnology, the role of citizens in technological decisions, and the technologies of human enhancement.

These case studies illustrate the mutual, reciprocal impact of technology on one hand and the social sciences, including government policy, on the other. The text suggests that advanced technology is not always compatible with the different settings in emerging societies with other geographic, economic, social, cultural, and political environments.

Challenging the popular myth of a present-day 'information revolution', Media Technology and Society is essential reading for anyone interested in the social impact of technological change. Winston argues that the development of new media forms, from the telegraph and the telephone to computers, satellite and virtual reality, is the product of a constant play-off between social necessity and suppression: the unwritten law by which new technologies are introduced into society only insofar as their disruptive potential is limited.

Over the last decade or so, the field of science and technology studies (STS) has become an intellectually dynamic interdisciplinary arena. Concepts, methods, and theoretical perspectives are being drawn both from long-established and relatively young disciplines. From its origins in philosophical and political debates about the creation and use of scientific knowledge, STS has become a wide and deep space for the consideration of the place of science and technology in the world, past and present. The Routledge Handbook of Science, Technology and Society seeks to capture the dynamism and breadth of the field by presenting work that pushes the reader to think about science and technology and their intersections with social life in new ways. The interdisciplinary contributions by international experts in this handbook are organized around six topic areas: embodiment consuming technoscience digitization environments science as work rules and standards This volume highlights a range of theoretical and empirical approaches to some of the persistent – and new – questions in the field. It will be useful for students and scholars throughout the social sciences and humanities, including in science and technology studies, history, geography, critical race studies, sociology, communications, women’s and gender studies, anthropology, and political science.

Provides a comprehensive introduction to the human, social and economic aspects of science and technology. It is broad, interdisciplinary and international, with a focus on Australia. The authors present complex issues in an accessible and engaging form. Invaluable for both students and teachers.

The social, political and technological implications of the information revolution are the focus of this textbook. It explores the major social and technological issues surrounding the introduction of information technology (IT) into everyday life; presents historical and comparative perspectives on the social and technological processes involved in the uses of, control of and access to IT; and critically examines the assumptions underpinning technological development. Divided into five sections, each with a detailed introduction, the book provides a comprehensive overview of information technology, and its implications for all of us. Contributors place the debates around IT in an international context, illustrating the imp

In this volume Drucker has collected twelve essays on technology and management and their relationship to, and interaction with, human society. In these essays the reader is able to grasp and savour some of the essential ideas and philosophy that have been expanded into Drucker's various books. In this volume Drucker has collected twelve essays on technology and management and their relationship to, and interaction with, human society. In these essays the reader is able to grasp and savour some of the essential ideas and philosophy that have been expanded into Drucker's various books.

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.

This book explores the dynamic relationship between science, technology and Japanese society, examining how it has contributed to economic growth and national well-being. It presents a synthesis of recent debates by juxtaposing competing views about the role and direction of science, technology and medical care in Japan. Topics discussed include government policy, the private sector and community responses; computers and communication; the automobile industry, the aerospace industry and quality control; the environment; consumer electronics; medical care; and the role of gender. This is an ideal introductory text for students in the sociology of science and technology, the history and philosophy of science, and Japanese studies. Up-to-date research and case studies make this an invaluable resource for readers interested in the nature of science and technology in the twenty-first century.

Technology has loaded our lives with tons of things we love, but is it harming us or making our lives better? This book presents a sequence of for-or-against essays that debate several issues relating to technology and society. Across four chapters, readers will analyze what technology's impact is on society, whether technology impacts education, whether the government should regulate technology, and whether future technology will improve humanity.