Information Technology and Society: A Reader / Edition 1

by Nick Heap, Ray Thomas, Geoff Einon, Robin Mason, Hugh Mackay

Overview

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 into everyday life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780803979819
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	07/19/1995
Series:	Published in association with The Open University
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	448
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.89(d)

About the Author

Dr Hugh Mackay is an Honorary Associate of the Faculty of Sociology at Open University

Table of Contents

Introduction - Nick Heap
PART ONE: DIFFERING PERSPECTIVES
Introduction - Ray Thomas
The Social Shaping of Technology - David Edge
The Hacker Crackdown - Bruce Sterling
Evolution of the US Telephone Network
Theorising the IT/Society Relationship - Hugh Mackay
The Roots of the Information Society Idea - David Lyon
A Gendered Socio-Technical Construction - Anne-Jorun Berg
The Smart House
Access and Inequality - Ray Thomas
PART TWO: IT IN THE WORKPLACE
Introduction - Geoff Einon
Robotics, Automation and a New Industrial Revolution - Paul Kennedy
The Pursuit of Flexible Specialization in Britain and West Germany - Christel Lane
Computerized Machine Tools, Manpower Consequences and Skill Utilization - Gert Hartmann, Ian Nicholas, Arndt Sorge and Malcolm Warner
A Study of British and West German Manufacturing Firms
Technological Change and the Future of Work - Peter Senker
Technological Change at Work - Ian Mc Loughlin and Jon Clark
PART THREE: IT AND LEARNING
Introduction - Robin Mason
Do Companies Need Technology-Based Training? - David Hawkridge
Computer Supported Collaborative Learning - Anthony Kaye
The Educational Value of ISDN - Robin Mason
Access to Books for Visually Impaired Learners - Tom Vincent and Mary Taylor
An Investigation into the Use of Compact Disc Technology (CD-ROM)
Supporting Resource Based Learning - Josie Taylor and Diana Laurillard
Constructivist Learning Theories and IT - Ann Jones
PART FOUR: IT AND THE HOME
Introduction - Hughie Mackay
Conceptualizing Home Computing - Graham Murdock, Paul Hartmann and Peggy Gray
Resources and Practices
The Feminine Culture of the Telephone - Ann Moyal
People, Patterns and Policy
Patterns of Ownership of IT Devices in the Home - Hughie Mackay
PART FIVE: IT FUTURES
Introduction - Nick Heap
Extra Terrestrial Relays - Arthur C Clarke
Can Rockets Give World-Wide Radio Coverage?
Iridium - Lawrence W Lockwood
A High Flying Phone System
No Silver Bullet - Frederick P Brooks, JR
Essence and Accidents of Software Engineering
There Is a Silver Bullet - Brad J Cox
Virtual Reality in the Real World - Ralph Schroeder
History, Applications and Projections
Telework and the Changing Relation of Home and Work - Leslie Haddon and Roger Silverstone
The New Space Race - David B Crosbie
Satellite Mobile Communications

Editorial Reviews

‘Compiled with care.... One aspect of information technology which is growing fast... is electronic mail. Professor Palme has been working on computer-mediated-communication since 1977 and is well qualified to write on the subject of e-mail which he does concisely and with clarity' - Intermedia

‘Providing a complete overview of the issues that inform any discussion about the impact of information technology, this book is an invaluable resource for teaching and research' - Current Literature on Science of Science

From the Publisher