Frank Webster – författare

Higher education is changing - in scope, style, technology and objectives. This text looks at the impact of information technologies on higher education and the reorganization of universities in more managerial and business directions. It combines empirical and analytical chapters from scholars on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Virtual University? brings together some of the best-known writers on contemporary social change to reflect on the radical transformations going on in higher education.Expansion, technology, and changing financial and performance structures have altered universities, affecting the way they are managed, their relations with the corporate world, their employees, and their users/customers/students. Has a culture of collegiality been replaced by one of managerialism? Has the liberal/national university been replaced by the global/virtual one? What changes does the digital world bring to the practice and experience of education?The book refuses to adopt a narrow focus towards its subject, rejecting technology-centred and education policy-focused approaches. Arguing for a need to situate changes in higher education in the broad contexts of globalization, the political economy, and historical trends, the book combines close attention to the complexities of on-the-ground changes in higher education with sensitivity towards the most consequential contextual pressures.The book lifts consideration of higher education into the mainstream of social transformations in the twenty-first century, arguing that a wide debate about changes in knowledge, markets, and management is demanded since the 'virtual university' concerns the character of intellectual culture itself.

Times of the Technoculture explores the social and cultural impact of new technologies, tracing the origins of the information society from the coming of the machine with the industrial revolution to the development of mass production techniques in the early twentieth century.The authors look at how the military has controlled the development of the information society, and consider the centrality of education in government attempts to create a knowledge society. Engaging in contemporary debates surrounding the internet, Robins and Webster question whether it can really offer us a new world of virtual communities, and suggest more radical alternatives to the corporate agenda of contemporary technologies.

Times of the Technoculture explores the social and cultural impact of new technologies, tracing the origins of the information society from the coming of the machine with the industrial revolution to the development of mass production techniques in the early twentieth century.The authors look at how the military has controlled the development of the information society, and consider the centrality of education in government attempts to create a knowledge society. Engaging in contemporary debates surrounding the internet, Robins and Webster question whether it can really offer us a new world of virtual communities, and suggest more radical alternatives to the corporate agenda of contemporary technologies.

Modern environmentalism is now over fifty years old. This five volume set provides wide-ranging coverage of the state and scope of environmentalism from its science-driven, physical geography-focused roots to its spread to social science and cultural studies. The articles and accompanying commentaries provide insight into the critical areas of debate in the field's fifty-year development. A detailed index is provided to guide the reader through the material.

This volume addresses these key issues through an analysis of important theoretical debates on issues such as digital democracy, cultural politics and transnational communities.Featuring contributors from both sides of the Atlantic, the book contains a series of case studies on new social movements including campaigns on the environment, gender, animal rights and human rights. It combines cutting edge research with theoretical material and makes an important contribution to this highly topical and rapidly growing area.This book will be invaluable reading for students in areas including Politics, Communications and IT, Sociology and Cultural Studies.

This volume addresses these key issues through an analysis of important theoretical debates on issues such as digital democracy, cultural politics and transnational communities.Featuring contributors from both sides of the Atlantic, the book contains a series of case studies on new social movements including campaigns on the environment, gender, animal rights and human rights. It combines cutting edge research with theoretical material and makes an important contribution to this highly topical and rapidly growing area.This book will be invaluable reading for students in areas including Politics, Communications and IT, Sociology and Cultural Studies.

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.

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.

Information is regarded as a distinguishing feature of our world. Where once economies were built on industry and conquest, we are now part of a global information economy. Pervasive media, expanding information occupations and the development of the internet convince many that living in an Information Society is the destiny of us all. Coping in an era of information flows, of virtual relationships and breakneck change poses challenges to one and all. In Theories of the Information Society Frank Webster sets out to make sense of the information explosion, taking a sceptical look at what thinkers mean when they refer to the Information Society, and critically examining the major post-war approaches to informational development. The fourth edition of this classic study brings it up to date with new research and with social and technological changes – from the ‘Twitter Revolutions’ of North Africa, to financial crises that introduced the worst recession in a life time, to the emergence of social media and blogging – and reassesses the work of key theorists in the light of these changes.More outspoken than in previous editions, Webster urges abandonment of Information Society scenarios, preferring analysis of the informatization of long-established relationships. This interdisciplinary book is essential reading for those trying to make sense of social and technological change in the post-war era. It addresses issues of central concern to students of sociology, politics, geography, communications, information science, cultural studies, computing and librarianship.

Information is regarded as a distinguishing feature of our world. Where once economies were built on industry and conquest, we are now part of a global information economy. Pervasive media, expanding information occupations and the development of the internet convince many that living in an Information Society is the destiny of us all. Coping in an era of information flows, of virtual relationships and breakneck change poses challenges to one and all. In Theories of the Information Society Frank Webster sets out to make sense of the information explosion, taking a sceptical look at what thinkers mean when they refer to the Information Society, and critically examining the major post-war approaches to informational development. The fourth edition of this classic study brings it up to date with new research and with social and technological changes – from the ‘Twitter Revolutions’ of North Africa, to financial crises that introduced the worst recession in a life time, to the emergence of social media and blogging – and reassesses the work of key theorists in the light of these changes.More outspoken than in previous editions, Webster urges abandonment of Information Society scenarios, preferring analysis of the informatization of long-established relationships. This interdisciplinary book is essential reading for those trying to make sense of social and technological change in the post-war era. It addresses issues of central concern to students of sociology, politics, geography, communications, information science, cultural studies, computing and librarianship.

Our public and private lives are under surveillance as never before. Whether we are shopping with a credit card, walking down the street or emailing a colleague at work, our activities are closely monitored.Since September 11th 2001, surveillance has intensified further. Yet although individuals, groups, governments and states are more closely monitored, our security is not assured.This book explores the vast range of issues related to increased surveillance. What is going on in an area clouded by secrecy from the state and complacent reassurances from corporations? How do we track suspects and combat crime without also eroding our civil liberties and sacrificing our rights to privacy? Does electronic tagging of prisoners work? What are retailers up to with 'lifestyle profiling'?Focusing on these and other issues such as paedophilia, money-laundering, information warfare, cybercrime, and related legislation, this book spotlights benefits and costs of surveillance, and suggests how it is likely to develop in the future.

Understanding Contemporary Society: Theories of the Present is a comprehensive textbook to guide students through the complexities of social theory today. Over 30 chapters, written by an international team of contributors, demonstrate clearly the practical applications of social theory in making sense of the modern world. Students are both introduced to the most significant theories and guided through the major social developments which shape our lives.

Key features of the book are: clearly structured and readable prose; bullet pointed summaries and annotated further reading for each topic; makes complex issues accessible to undergraduates; focuses on relevance and practicality; chapter lay-out which is ideal for teaching and seminar readings.

Understanding Contemporary Society: Theories of the Present is a comprehensive textbook to guide students through the complexities of social theory today. Over 30 chapters, written by an international team of contributors, demonstrate clearly the practical applications of social theory in making sense of the modern world. Students are both introduced to the most significant theories and guided through the major social developments which shape our lives.

Key features of the book are: clearly structured and readable prose; bullet pointed summaries and annotated further reading for each topic; makes complex issues accessible to undergraduates; focuses on relevance and practicality; chapter lay-out which is ideal for teaching and seminar readings.

Drawing widely on sociological, economic, and political theory cominbined with detailed attention to technical, business, and sociological evidence, this critical scholarly work offers a comprehensive analysis both of the significance of computing and communications technologies and the nature of contemporary society. This study argues that information technology, in association with the spread of corporate capitalism and the modern state, represents the extension and consolidation of control within the workplace and out into the wider society. The book includes detailed historical, empirical, and theoretical analysis which are crucial for an understaning of the new information technologies.

'...it will appeal not only to students of journalism and media but also to anyone interested in the world around them' - Marie Kinsey, Times Higher Education Supplement

'Professor Tumber weaves together traditional and topical themes to produce a comprehensive overview of the media's role at times of conflict' - Stewart Purvis, City University London

'Presents a vivid picture of what it’s like to be working as a journalist on the front line during a ‘modern’ war. Through the eyes of leading correspondents in the field the authors examine their experience and its impact on the audience, their profession and their own lives' - The Information Centre about Asylum and Refugees in the UK (ICAR)

Journalists Under Fire is the first book to combine a conceptually audacious analysis of the changing nature of war with an empirically rich critical analysis of journalists who cover conflict.

In Journalists Under Fire, authors Howard Tumber and Frank Webster explore questions about the information war and journalistic practices.

Frontline correspondents play a key role in information war, but their position is considerably more ambiguous and ambivalent than in the epoch of industrial war. They play a central role in the presentation of what is often spectacle to audiences around the world whose actual experience of war is far removed from combat.

In the era of multi-national journalism, of the internet and satellite videophone, the book highlights central features of media reporting in contemporary conflict. Drawing on over fifty lengthy interviews with frontline correspondents, the authors shed light on the motivations, fears and practices of those who work under conditions of journalism under fire.

Journalists Under Fire is designed for undergraduate and postgraduate students and for scholars, academics and researchers in the fields of journalism, media and communication, Media Studies, sociology, international relations and war studies.

These volumes bring together major critical responses to, and engagement with, the work of Manuel Castells. Arguably the leading analyst of the current age, Castells′ magnum opus, The Information Age, has been compared to the work of Karl Marx and Max Weber. His concept of `the network society′ has influenced much recent social science and his ideas have been adopted in political and policy circles.The volumes provide an unparalleled guide to the work of Castells. They demonstrate the roots of his thinking in Marxism and the shifts in his perspective. The selection if based along two principles: the chronological development of his thought and the sequence of his major publications.Included here are critical engagements with Castells′ work on the urban question, the city and grassroots; Marxism; the Information Age; the network society; power and identity; the new economy; and the sociology of social movements.Volume 1: Marxism, France and `The Urban Question′ to `The City and the Grassroots′This volume addresses Castells′ engagement with the study of urban social movements; protest in urban politics; collective consumption; states, markets and welfare; urban sociology; and classVolume 2: From the Informational City to the Information AgeThis volume examines the theorizing of new industrial-urban space; the dynamics of urban change; the roots of the network society; the failure of social theory; resisting globalization; the development of global thinking; globalization and identity.Volume 3: The Information AgeThis volume addresses the character of information technologies; the political economy of network society; inequality and modernization in the information age; the self and the net; space flows and timeless space; contested power; grassroots environmental movements; cognitions, emotions and identities; digital commerce; and technology and cultural power.The collection provides the best available concentration of writings on the work of Manuel Castells. It will be of interest to readers in sociology, urban studies, political science and affiliated fields.