Foundations Of Critical Media And Information Studies

Download or read book Foundations of Critical Media and Information Studies written by Christian Fuchs and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2011-03-01 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Foundations of Critical Media and Information Studies lays down foundations for the analysis of media, information, and information technology in 21st century information society, as well as introducing the theoretical and empirical tools necessary for the critical study of media and information. Christian Fuchs shows the role classical critical theory can play for analyzing the information society and the information economy, as well as analyzing the role of the media and the information economy in economic development, the new imperialism, and the new economic crisis. The book critically discusses transformations of the Internet (‘web 2.0’), introduces the notion of alternative media as critical media, and shows the critical role media and information technology can play in contemporary society. This book provides an excellent introduction to the study of media, information technology, and information society, making it a valuable reference tool for both undergraduate and postgraduate students of subjects such as Media Studies, Sociology of Media, Social Theory, and New Media.

Download or read book Critical Theory and Social Media written by Thomas Allmer and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-04-10 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter are enormously popular: they are continuously ranked among the most frequently accessed websites worldwide. However there are as yet few studies which combine critical theoretical and empirical research in the context of digital and social media. The aim of this book is to study the constraints and emancipatory potentials of new media and to assess to what extent digital and social media can contribute to strengthen the idea of the communication and network commons, and a commons-based information society. Based on a critical theory and political economy approach, this book explores: the foundational concepts of a critical theory of media, technology, and society users’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards the antagonistic character and the potentials and risks of social media whether technological and/or social changes are required in order to bring about real social media and human liberation. Critical Theory and Social Media examines both academic discourse on, and users’ responses to, new media, making it a valuable tool for international scholars and students of sociology, media and communication studies, social theory, new media, and information society studies. Its clear and interesting insights into corporate practices of the global new media sector will mean that it appeals to critical social media users around the world.

Download or read book Sociological Theory in the Digital Age written by Gabe Ignatow and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-02-20 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is the role of sociological theory in the information age? What kinds of theories are best suited to analyzing the social uses of digital technologies, and for using digital technologies in new ways to study the social? This book contributes to several ongoing conversations on how the social sciences can best adapt to contemporary information technologies and information societies. Focusing on practical or ‘usable theory,’ it surveys the challenges and opportunities of conducting social science in the information age, as well as the theoretical solutions that sociologists have developed and applied over the last two decades. With specific attention to three theoretical approaches in digital social research—critical theory, forensic theory and Bourdieusian theory—the author provides an overview of the history and main tenets of each, surveys its use in sociological research, and evaluates its successes and limitations. Taking a long-term view of theoretical development in evaluating schools of thought and considering their productivity in analyzing and using contemporary digital communication technologies, this book thus treats theory as a tool for empirical research and the development of theory as inseparable from research practice. As such, it will appeal to scholars of sociology and social theory with interests in research methods, the development of theory and digital technologies.

Download or read book Handbook of Media and Communication Economics written by Jan Krone and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on with total page 1497 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book From Corporate to Social Media written by Marisol Sandoval and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-03-05 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The corporate and the social are crucial themes of our times. In the first decade of the twenty-first century, both individual lives and society were shaped by capitalist crisis and the rise of social media. But what marks the distinctively social character of "social media"? And how does it relate to the wider social and economic context of contemporary capitalism? The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is based on the idea that a socially responsible capitalism is possible; this suggests that capitalist media corporations can not only enable social interaction and cooperation but also be socially responsible. This book provides a critical and provocative perspective on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in media and communication industries. It examines both the academic discourse on CSR and actual corporate practices in the media sector, offering a double critique that reveals contradictions between corporate interests and social responsibilities. Marisol Sandoval’s political economic analysis of Apple, AT&T, Google, HP, Microsoft, News Corp, The Walt Disney Company and Vivendi shows that media and communication in the twenty-first century are confronted with fundamental social responsibility challenges. From software patents and intellectual property rights to privacy on the Internet, from working conditions in electronics manufacturing to hidden flows of eWaste – this book encourages the reader to explore the multifaceted social (ir)responsibilities that shape commercial media landscapes today. It makes a compelling argument for thinking beyond the corporate in order to envision and bring about truly social media. It will interest students and scholars of media studies, cultural industry studies, sociology, information society studies, organization studies, political economy, business and management.

Download or read book Media and Left written by and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2014-09-11 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The recent economic crisis, and the challenges to democracy in an increasingly globalized world, brings into sharp relief the importance of mass communication. This volume explores a range of issues, from the nature of communication, to the role of the media industry, to the way that mass communication has facilitated social movements in many parts of the world. Revisiting the works of Karl Marx and others, the essays bring a new perspective and a renewed interest in critical analyses of communication practices globally. This collection represents the cutting edge of communication research introducing a new generation of scholars to understanding changes in the way we learn about our society. Contributors are: Arthur Asa Berger, Oliver Boyd-Barrett, Savaş Çoban, John Bellamy Foster, Christian Fuchs, Douglas Kellner, Robert W. McChesney, David Miller, Marisol Sandoval, Nick Stevenson, Gerald Sussman, Mandy Tröger, and Michael Wayne.

Download or read book Digital Labour and Karl Marx written by Christian Fuchs and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-01-03 with total page 421 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How is labour changing in the age of computers, the Internet, and "social media" such as Facebook, Google, YouTube and Twitter? In Digital Labour and Karl Marx, Christian Fuchs attempts to answer that question, crafting a systematic critical theorisation of labour as performed in the capitalist ICT industry. Relying on a range of global case studies--from unpaid social media prosumers or Chinese hardware assemblers at Foxconn to miners in the Democratic Republic of Congo--Fuchs sheds light on the labour costs of digital media, examining the way ICT corporations exploit human labour and the impact of this exploitation on the lives, bodies, and minds of workers.