Jack Linchuan Qiu - Böcker

Welcome to a brave new world of capitalism propelled by high tech, guarded by enterprising authority, and carried forward by millions of laborers being robbed of their souls. Gathered into mammoth factory complexes and terrified into obedience, these workers feed the world's addiction to iPhones and other commodities--a generation of iSlaves trapped in a global economic system that relies upon and studiously ignores their oppression. Focusing on the alliance between Apple and the notorious Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn, Jack Linchuan Qiu examines how corporations and governments everywhere collude to build systems of domination, exploitation, and alienation. His interviews, news analysis, and first-hand observation show the circumstances faced by Foxconn workers--circumstances with vivid parallels in the Atlantic slave trade. Ironically, the fanatic consumption of digital media also creates compulsive free labor that constitutes a form of bondage for the user. Arguing as a digital abolitionist, Qiu draws inspiration from transborder activist groups and incidents of grassroots resistance to make a passionate plea aimed at uniting--and liberating--the forgotten workers who make our twenty-first-century lives possible.

Welcome to a brave new world of capitalism propelled by high tech, guarded by enterprising authority, and carried forward by millions of laborers being robbed of their souls. Gathered into mammoth factory complexes and terrified into obedience, these workers feed the world's addiction to iPhones and other commodities--a generation of iSlaves trapped in a global economic system that relies upon and studiously ignores their oppression. Focusing on the alliance between Apple and the notorious Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn, Jack Linchuan Qiu examines how corporations and governments everywhere collude to build systems of domination, exploitation, and alienation. His interviews, news analysis, and first-hand observation show the circumstances faced by Foxconn workers--circumstances with vivid parallels in the Atlantic slave trade. Ironically, the fanatic consumption of digital media also creates compulsive free labor that constitutes a form of bondage for the user. Arguing as a digital abolitionist, Qiu draws inspiration from transborder activist groups and incidents of grassroots resistance to make a passionate plea aimed at uniting--and liberating--the forgotten workers who make our twenty-first-century lives possible.

This volume puts together the works of a group of distinguished scholars and active researchers in the field of media and communication studies to reflect upon the past, present, and future of new media research. The chapters examine the implications of new media technologies on everyday life, existing social institutions, and the society at large at various levels of analysis. Macro-level analyses of changing techno-social formation – such as discussions of the rise of surveillance society and the "fifth estate" – are combined with studies on concrete and specific new media phenomena, such as the rise of Pro-Am collaboration and "fan labor" online. In the process, prominent concepts in the field of new media studies, such as social capital, displacement, and convergence, are critically examined, while new theoretical perspectives are proposed and explicated. Reflecting the inter-disciplinary nature of the field of new media studies and communication research in general, the chapters interrogate into the problematic through a range of theoretical and methodological approaches. The book should offer students and researchers who are interested in the social impact of new media both critical reviews of the existing literature and inspirations for developing new research questions.

Featuring leading scholars on ‘Chinese internets’ – in the plural – from around the world, this interdisciplinary book explores the changing digital landscape in China and provides insight into contemporary Chinese techno-geopolitics.Policymakers, commentators and the mass media have widely viewed ‘Chinese tech’ as a unitary and statist monolith. This predominant view, however, is not only incomplete but has become increasingly obsolete. Using a pluralist and multilayered approach to analysing Chinese techno-geopolitics, this volume addresses the following important questions:Who are the key players in ‘Chinese internets’ today?What role do government agencies, state-owned enterprises, private companies and individual netizens play?How do ‘Chinese internets’ operate at the global, regional, national or local levels?How are external world or regional events influencing or being influenced by geopolitical patterns within China?The Geopolitics of Chinese Internets will be a key resource for policymakers, scholars, researchers and practitioners interested in Chinese techno-geopolitics and the changing digital landscape in China. This book was originally published as a special issue of Information, Communication & Society.

Featuring leading scholars on ‘Chinese internets’ – in the plural – from around the world, this interdisciplinary book explores the changing digital landscape in China and provides insight into contemporary Chinese techno-geopolitics.Policymakers, commentators and the mass media have widely viewed ‘Chinese tech’ as a unitary and statist monolith. This predominant view, however, is not only incomplete but has become increasingly obsolete. Using a pluralist and multilayered approach to analysing Chinese techno-geopolitics, this volume addresses the following important questions:Who are the key players in ‘Chinese internets’ today?What role do government agencies, state-owned enterprises, private companies and individual netizens play?How do ‘Chinese internets’ operate at the global, regional, national or local levels?How are external world or regional events influencing or being influenced by geopolitical patterns within China?The Geopolitics of Chinese Internets will be a key resource for policymakers, scholars, researchers and practitioners interested in Chinese techno-geopolitics and the changing digital landscape in China. This book was originally published as a special issue of Information, Communication & Society.

Provides a global perspective on labor and technology, exploring resistance, solidarity, and alternatives in digital capitalismThe Handbook of Digital Labor critically examines how digital technologies are reshaping work and employment around the globe. Bridging historical and contemporary perspectives, this timely volume explores the dynamics of labor within digital capitalism using a critical framework that illuminates the systemic challenges faced by workers across diverse sectors. Dozens of contributing authors address key challenges including surveillance, inequality, and environmental exploitation, while highlighting innovative forms of resistance and organizing.Organized into four sections—Working-Class Resistance, Digital Capitalism and Alternatives, Laboring under Digital Capitalism, and Theorizing Digital Labor—the Handbook offers a nuanced understanding of how workers navigate the intersection of technological advancement and capitalist development. In-depth chapters cover topics ranging from platform work to AI-driven labor processes—shedding light on the realities of digital labor.Equipping readers with the tools to critically engage with labor struggles across diverse industries and geographies, the Handbook of Digital Labor: Offers interdisciplinary insights from leading scholars in media, communication, labor studies, political economy, as well as unionists, activists, and other on-the-ground practitionersPresents both historical and contemporary analyses of labor conditions under digital capitalismAdvocates for actionable strategies to empower labor movements and build equitable and sustainable alternativesFeatures real-world case studies of worker resistance and solidarity across platforms and industriesEmphasizing both theory and praxis, the Handbook of Digital Labor is ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, junior faculty, and researchers in media studies, labor sociology, and public policy. It is a vital resource for courses on digital labor, political economy, and social change within communications and technology programs. Labor organizers, policymakers, and industry professionals will find it an indispensable guide to navigating the complexities of work in the digital age.

This volume puts together the works of a group of distinguished scholars and active researchers in the field of media and communication studies to reflect upon the past, present, and future of new media research. The chapters examine the implications of new media technologies on everyday life, existing social institutions, and the society at large at various levels of analysis. Macro-level analyses of changing techno-social formation – such as discussions of the rise of surveillance society and the "fifth estate" – are combined with studies on concrete and specific new media phenomena, such as the rise of Pro-Am collaboration and "fan labor" online. In the process, prominent concepts in the field of new media studies, such as social capital, displacement, and convergence, are critically examined, while new theoretical perspectives are proposed and explicated. Reflecting the inter-disciplinary nature of the field of new media studies and communication research in general, the chapters interrogate into the problematic through a range of theoretical and methodological approaches. The book should offer students and researchers who are interested in the social impact of new media both critical reviews of the existing literature and inspirations for developing new research questions.