Cyberspace, Distance Learning, and Higher Education In Developing Countries: Old and Emergent Issues Of Access, Pedagogy, and Knowledge Production (International ... in Sociology and Social Anthropology) (Paperback) (June 15, 2004)
by N'Dri T. Assie-Lumumba (Editor)

Communities in Cyberspace
by Marc A. Smith (Editor), Peter Kollock (Editor)
Editors Smith and Kollock have gathered contributors with a variety of viewpoints to examine both the "legitimacy" of community in cyberspace and to question how it operates. While the authors do conclude that communities in cyberspace are real communities, they explore the sometimes surprising ways in which cybercommunities differ from their geographically based counterparts.
There are four primary issues probed here: the question of online identity in an environment where individuals cannot be seen; the question of social order and control in what is, at least on the surface, a largely anarchic environment; the structure and dynamics of online communities; and the cybercommunity as a foundation for collective action.
There's much here to provoke long discussions both online and off, such as the argument that the screen doesn't eliminate the consideration of racial identity so much as it allows for the development of nonvisual criteria for people to judge (or misjudge) the races of others. This book was compiled to be used in the college classroom, although it's not jargon laden or difficult to read. It will appeal to anyone who is professionally or individually involved with virtual communities. --Elizabeth Lewis

Shaping the Network Society : The New Role of Civil Society in Cyberspace (June 1, 2004)
by Douglas Schuler (Editor), Peter Day (Editor)
Information and computer technologies are used every day by real people with real needs. The authors contributing to Shaping the Network Society describe how technology can be used effectively by communities, activists, and citizens to meet society's challenges. In their vision, computer professionals are concerned less with bits, bytes, and algorithms and more with productive partnerships that engage both researchers and community activists. These collaborations are producing important sociotechnical work that will affect the future of the network society.
Traditionally, academic research on real-world users of technology has been neglected or even discouraged. The authors contributing to this book are working to fill this gap; their theoretical and practical discussions illustrate a new orientation -- research that works with people in their natural social environments, uses common language rather than rarefied academic discourse, and takes a pragmatic perspective. The topics they consider are key to democratization and social change. They include human rights in the "global billboard society"; public computing in Toledo, Ohio; public digital culture in Amsterdam; "civil networking" in the former Yugoslavia; information technology and the international public sphere; "historical archaeologies" of community networks; "technobiographical" reflections on the future; libraries as information commons; and globalization and media democracy, as illustrated by Indymedia, a global collective of independent media organizations.
From the Inside Flap
"Doug Schuler and Peter Day have done it again! This book challenges us to ensure that the benefits of a network society flow to all, not just the rich or well-educated. Activists, educators, academics, students, and citizens alike will all find inspiration here."
--Jenny Preece, Professor, Information Systems Department, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
"*Shaping the Network Society* documents and analyzes the emergence of civil society in cyberspace. Based on contributions by some of the best experts in the world, it is essential reading for students and practitioners of the new forms of democracy in the Information Age."
--Manuel Castells, Wallis Annenberg Chair of Communication Technology and Society, University of Southern California
"This book adds two important concerns to an urgent agenda for research and action in the field of network technologies: How can we raise the profile of social responsibility in a field dominated by business interests? And how can we make this a genuinely international project, rather than one dominated by nation-specific interests?"
--Saskia Sassen, Ralph Lewis Professor of Sociology, University of Chicago, author of *The Global City*

Virtual Politics : Identity and Community in Cyberspace (Politics and Culture) by David Holmes (Editor)
Virtual Politics is a critical overview of the newùdigitalùbody politic, with new technologies framing the discussion of key themes in social theory. This book shows how these new technologies are altering the nature of identity and agency, the relation of self to other, and the structure of community and political representation. The principal theme of Virtual Politics is that electronically and digitally simulated environments offer an important metaphor for understanding social relations. This volume focuses on how virtual realities effectively extend space, time, and the body, showing how technologies such as the automobile and environments such as the movie theater and the shopping mall prefigure cyberspace. It also examines the loss of political identity and agency in cyberspace and identifies a disembodied consumer in anonymous control of a simulated reality. Virtual Politics will be required reading for students of sociology, social theory, and cultural studies.

Communicating Across Cultures In Cyberspace: A Bibliographical Review Of Intercultural Communication Online (Kommunikation Und Kulturen / Cultures and Communication, Feb, 2005
by Jorg Roche (Editor), Leah P. Macfadyen (Editor)

The Governance of Cyberspace: Politics, Technology and Global Restructuring Brian Loader (Editor), Brian D. Loader (Editor)
Organizing and governing cyberspace is a lot like herding cats. Even the concept of governance itself is a source of frenzied debate. Some see the online world as a nascent utopia that should be free of regulation, where the only rule should be the rule of technology itself. Others view the present state of online anarchy with alarm, as a threat to either vested power or perceived morality. And there are the so-called neo-Luddites who see humanity itself threatened by this new mode of interaction.
The essays in The Governance of Cyberspace: Politics, Technology and Global Restructuring attempt to steer a reasonable course between these extremes. A repeated premise is that governance is not necessarily a matter of imposed regulatory control but that it can arise naturally out of long-term interactions among groups and individuals. Contributors to this book include political theorists, computer scientists, social theorists, science fiction writers, psychologists, and sociologists. There are no attempts at easy answers here. Instead, the writers examine tradeoffs involved in difficult issues: the right to privacy versus protection from criminal activity; freedom of speech versus use of the Internet by hate groups; and the use of individually controlled technology versus the increase in cost that such solutions could mean for large numbers of Internet users. Given the increasing size, commercialization, and polarization of the Net, this careful exploration of the ramifications of governance is a welcome contribution.
Future Survey
"Raises some interesting questions."

Cyborgs@cyberspace? An Ethnographer Looks to the Future
by David Hakken
Langdon Winner, author of The Whale and the Reactor
"A path-breaking work in anthropology and social theory, Hakken's study of our emerging online culture offers new ways of understanding human identities and interactions. Richly documented and powerfully argued, the book's provocative exploration moves beyond all the shabby platitudes about computers and society, placing the debate about cyberspace--its promise and pitfalls--on more solid foundations." --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.
Gary Downey, author of The Machine in Me, Routledge, 1998
"Challenging the pervasive image of a computer revolution, Hakken insightfully demonstrates that information technology is better viewed as a new terrain of contestation than an ineluctable force. What's important is how the technology is perceived and which potentials people actually appropriate. Hakken's great strength lies in using interesting examples to map continuities in broader networks of social relations. He builds these into a sustained effort to reinvigorate general anthropology, uniquely extending the cyborg metaphor to link biological with cultural perspectives and treat technology and humanity in a unified frame." --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

Women@Internet : Creating New Cultures in Cyberspace
by Wendy Harcourt (Editor)
A provocative exploration of the emerging trends in women's activities on the Internet, primarily in the Third and Fourth Worlds, this anthology brings together the voices of anthropologists, communications experts, media analysts and women's rights activists who are uninhibited about using techno-speak and the occasionally impenetrable language of social science. An outgrowth of the Women on the Net (WoN) project, originally organized by the Society of International Development where Harcourt is a program director, the collection begins with a particularly analytical section on the different cybercultures women are creating on the Net and their inherent dangers and advantages. Gillian Youngs considers whether we are entering a new phase of feminist politics "characterized by the possibilities of geographical, social and cultural transcendence," while Sohail Inayatullah and Ivana Milojevic remind us that "far more is required for cultural pluralism than a fast modem" and caution that "by promoting, enhancing and cementing current ways of communicating the Internet silences billions of people." The second section provides examples of how women's groups have used information and communication technologies (ICTs) for global networking, for advocacy and for lobbying policymakers. In the final section, WoN's members consider more specific applications: Laura Agustin considers how ICTs could empower migrant sex workers, while others explore the possibilities they offer for indigenous cultures, isolated rural women and the silent women of the Arab world, among others. (Aug.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
A provacative exploration of the emerging trends in women’s activities on the Internet, primarily in the Third and Fourth Worlds, this anthology brings together the voices of anthropologists, communications experts, media analysts and women’s rights activists. Publishers Weekly.

Lessons from the Cyberspace Classroom: The Realities of Online Teaching (Jossey Bass Higher and Adult Education Series) by Rena M. Palloff, Keith Pratt, Keith Pratt
Palloff and Pratt (Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace), experienced college instructors and experts in the field of developing online learning communities, have written a handy, well-structured, and commonsense guide for setting up and delivering a course for college-age students and above. The authors offer practical advice on all aspects of the online learning and teaching experience, from planning and conducting a course to choosing software and hardware and dealing with students in the unique online learning environment. Packed with useful examples, along with actual course outlines, lists of additional resources, and a well-constructed index, this thorough reference is highly recommended for academic and public libraries serving communities with institutions offering online courses, as well as for students and faculty developing them. Mark Bay Indiana Univ.
Purdue Univ. Lib., Indianapolis
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
"A comprehensive and concise description of key issues faced by every online educator, administrator, and developer. Following the tips provided by Palloff and Pratt will move online instruction beyond being merely electronic correspondence education." (Rita-Marie Conrad, online instructor, Florida State University)
"Gives comfort and aid to online teachers not by giving easy answers to hard questions, but by raising all the questions and issues that online faculty are concerned with and by showing where the research and national discussion is on these important issues." (Donald B. Hart, assistant director for faculty development, Thomas Edison State College)
"Will resonate with professional development staff who are seeking guidance in preparing faculty to be effective online teachers and students to be successful online learners. . . .the 'bible' for online course development." (Jessica A. Somers, director, Academic Innovation, Advanced Learning Technologies, University System of Georgia Board of Regents)
"Very practical and applicable . . .an invaluable tool for any faculty preparing to teach in the virtual world." (Gary A. Girard, director, off-campus programs, University of South Dakota).

Cyberpower: The Culture and Politics of Cyberspace and the Internet
by Tim Jordan
If knowledge is power, then what kind of knowledge leads to cyberpower? Written around a clear and simple theoretical framework, Cyberpower covers key concepts such as power and cyberspace, the virtual individual, society in cyberspace, and imagination and the internet.
Tim Jordan surfs through a wealth of material, including original research in interviews and statistical analysis, to provide a complete analysis of the politics and culture of cyberspace. Drawing on examples from cross-gendered virtual selves to the meaning of Bill Gates, he questions who actually governs cyberspace and what powers the individual can control while there. Using case studies from the rich mythology of the electronic frontier, from cyberrape to total surveillance, Cyberpower shows how cyberspace is remaking global society.
Tim Jordan works at the Open University. He is co-editor of Storming the Millennium: The New Politics of Change (1998) and author of Reinventing Revolution: Value and Difference in New Social Movements and the Left (1994).

Communication and Cyberspace: Social Interaction in an Electronic Environment (The Hampton Press Communication Series. Communication and Public Space) (Hardcover) 2nd edition (November, 2002)
by Lance Strate (Editor), Ron L. Jacobson (Editor), Stephonie B. Gibson (Editor), Ronald L. Jacobson (Editor), Stephanie B. Gibson (Editor)

The Internet : A Historical Encyclopedia (September 15, 2005)
by Moschovitis Group

The Role of Information And Communication Technologies in Global Development: Analyses And Policy Recommendations (Ict Task Force) (Paperback) (July 31, 2005)
by Abdul Basit Haqqani (Editor)
This publication, which is a reflection and synthesis of the dialogue among the Task Force community, illustrates the importance placed on understanding, exploring and integrating the myriad applications of ICT with the Millennium Development Goals, a framework agreed to by member governments of the United Nations at the Millennium Summit in 2000. The MDGs are a set of time-bound and measurable goals and targets to combat poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy and discrimination against women, thus strengthening the foundation that enables human endeavour.

No Room for Bullies: From the Classroom to Cyberspace Teaching Respect, Stopping Abuse, and Rewarding Kindness (July 15, 2005)
by Jose Bolton (Editor), Stan Graeve
This book shatters popular myths about bullying to reveal its stark realities. You’ll learn who’s playing the intimidation game, and how they play it… from social exclusion, physical violence, and emotional backstabbing to sexual sleaze and cyberspace cruelty. But No Room for Bullies takes you beyond problem recognition to proven solutions.
Parents will find… · How to advocate for a child and work with the school when bullying is a problem · Safe Internet-Surfing Contract for kids that lays down the law on Internet use at home · Helpful strategies on what to do when a child acts like a bully, is a victim, or suffers from "bystander silence"
School administrators will find… · Suggestions on how to measure the social climate of schools, including sample surveys to give to students, staff, and parents · A 12-point checklist on preventing problems in hallways, classrooms, and common areas
Teachers will find… · Advice for creating and enforcing classroom rules, including an "Airport Rule" that gives students a sense of safety · Ideas to minimize the chaos that occurs during passing periods and in "unowned" areas like restrooms and hallways
The contributing authors include child psychologists, parent trainers, and teachers. Drawing on their years of experience, they tackle bullying from all the angles: the bully, the victim, the bystander, the teacher, the parent, and the environment.

Perspectives and Policies on ICT in Society : An IFIP TC9 (Computers and Society) Handbook (IFIP International Federation for Information Processing) (Hardcover) (June 9, 2005)
by Jacques Berleur (Editor), Chrisanthi Avgerou (Editor)
Governments, the media, the information technology industry and scientists publicly argue that information and communication technologies (ICT) will bring about an inevitable transition from "industrial" to "information" or "knowledge-based" economies and societies. It is assumed that all aspects of our economic and social lives, in both the public and private spheres, will be radically different from what they are today. The World Summit on the Information Society (Geneva 2003 - Tunis 2005) shows the importance of a worldwide reflection on those topics. Perspectives and Policies on ICT in Society explores the ICT policies of different nations and regions such as Africa, China, Europe, and India. The authors assess the arguments surrounding the impending new age, as well as some of the more sensitive issues of its developments. This progress will signal an expansion of ICT in many domains - the so-called ubiquity - such as in the workplace, the home, government, and education and it will affect privacy and professional ethics. The expansion will also encompass all parts of the earth, particularly developing countries. Such growth must take place in the context of historical dimensions and should underscore the accountability of professionals in the field. The intent of this book is to address these issues and to serve as a handbook of IFIP's TC9 "Computers and Society" committee. Thirty authors from twelve countries consider the ICT policies with their associated perspectives and they explore what may be the information age and the digital society of tomorrow. The book provides reflection on today's complex society and addresses the uncertain developments rising from an increasingly global and technologically connected world. Jacques Berleur is at the University of Namur, Belgium, and Chrisanthi Avgerou at the London School of Economics, United Kingdom.

Cyberspace Divide: Equality, Agency and Policy in the Information Society by Brian D. Loader (Editor), Brian Loader (Editor)
Politicians, policy makers and business gurus are all encouraging us to join the information superhighway at the nearest junction or risk being excluded from the social and economic benefits of the information revolution. Cyberspace Divide critically considers the complex relationship between technological change, its effect upon social divisions, its consequences for social action an the emerging strategies for social inclusion in the Information Age. The contributors cover such themes as human interaction, ethical behavior, and the growing disparity between the information rich and the information poor.
Brian D. Loader is Co-Director of the Community Informatics Research and Applications United, University of Teesside. He is editor of The Governance of Cyberspace (1997) and co-editor of Towards a Post-Fordist Welfare State (1994), both published by Routledge.

Aliens in America: Conspiracy Cultures from Outerspace to Cyberspace by Jodi Dean
Is paranoia the defining feature of American life at the close of the 20th century? Jodi Dean thinks so, and she doesn't think we should be too worried about it. Aliens in America is her attempt to map the role of conspiracy theories in society, and although the book sometimes has problems negotiating the fine line between academic and popular discourse, it provides some fascinating insights. Dean suggests that paranoia is the only possible response to a fragmented culture. Multiplying TV channels and the publishing free-for-all of the Internet provide so many points of view, so many opportunities for contradictory meanings to coexist that "there isn't enough common reality to justify judgement." In the face of this info-maelstrom, conspiracy theorists and alien abductees are actively creating their own meanings, piecing together an ideology from the mass of unverifiable "facts." For Dean, these creative acts are powerful, positive engagements with the world as it has become, contrasting sharply with the attitudes of those who are trying to hang on to a vanished consensus. By bringing the apparatus of cultural theory to bear on this subject, Dean gives a provocative new interpretation of our premillennium tension. --Simon Leake
From Publishers Weekly
If you believe what you read on the Internet, aliens surround us these days?and 65% of the respondents in one poll agreed that the government had hidden a crashed UFO since 1947. But political scientist Dean (The Solidarity of Strangers) is less interested in the credibility of such stories than in their embodiment of a contemporary political culture (networked, televisual, cyber-linked) in which the problem is "that if the knowledge we need to make a judgment stems from shared experiences, what do we do when experiences are reconstituted so radically that we can't tell if we, or anyone else, actually has them or not?" Do words like "truth" and "authority" mean anything when no one agrees how, much less whom, to believe? Writing spry, acerbic prose that only rarely stumbles into jargon, Dean guides her readers soberly through strange terrain in which rationality itself gets upended: in view of radiation experiments on developmentally disabled patients and the Tuskegee syphilis experiment, is it more sensible to credit a government in cahoots with alien beings, or not to? While the book grows somewhat repetitive toward its conclusion, Dean compellingly traces our national loss of faith in formerly attractive notions like outer space and the "Final Frontier." The author offers no answers, but no reader will leave this intriguing book without pondering the unavoidable question she raises: "What happens to our everyday approaches to truth when reality isn't?"
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Mapping Cyberspace  (Nov, 2000)
Martin Dodge, Rob Kitchin
A ground-breaking book, Mapping Cyberspace provides an understanding of what cyberspace looks like and the social interactions that take place there. Written by and inter-disciplinary team of scholars this study explores the impacts of cyberspace on cultural, political and economic relations. Information on a companion website is also included.
(Taylor and Francis) A highly illustrated text drawing together the findings and theories of a multitude of disciplines on cyberspace. Provides an understanding of what cyberspace looks like and what takes place there, explores the impacts of cyberspace on cultural, political, and economic relations, and more. Softcover, hardcover also available. DLC: Computers and civilization.

Cyberspace/Cyberbodies/Cyberpunk: Cultures of Technological Embodiment (Theory, Culture and Society Series) Mike Featherstone (Editor), Roger Burrows (Editor)
How can we interpret cyberspace? What is the place of the embodied human agent in the virtual world? This innovative collection explores the emerging arena of cyberspace and the challenges it presents for the social and cultural forms of the human body. Cyberspace/Cyberbodies/Cyberpunk shows how changing relationships between body and technology offer new arenas for cultural representations. At the same time, the contributors consider the realities of human embodiment and the limits of virtual worlds. Topics examined include technological body modifications, replacements and prosthetics, bodies in cyberspace, virtual environments and cyborg culture, cultural representations of technological embodiment in visual and literary productions, and cyberpunk science fiction as a prefigurative social and cultural theory. Academics and students in cultural studies, popular culture, communication, sociology of culture, philosophy will appreciate this intriguing volume, as will general readers with an interest in the Internet.

Religion And Cyberspace (Sep, 2005)
Morten T. Hojsgaard (Editor), Margit Warburg (Editor)

From Celluloid to Cyberspace: The Media Arts and the Changing Arts World Dec, 2002 Kevin F. McCarthy, Elizabeth H. Ondaatje
The media arts are the newest and most technologically intensive of the arts. Consisting of narrative, documentary and avant garde film and video, digital art, and installation art using media, they represent a mix of the performing and visual arts. Despite their short history, they are also marked by many of the trends that characterize the arts sector as a whole. This report discusses the origins and developments of the media arts and component disciplines, their distinguishing features, and the key challenges they face in the future. The authors also compare the issues facing the media arts to those facing other artistic disciplines.
The arts in America are entering a new era that will pose many challenges for the arts community. However, our current knowledge of the operation of the arts world and its underlying dynamics is limited. These limits are particularly pronounced with regard to the newest and most dynamic component of the arts world: the media arts. Defined as art that is produced using or combining film, video, and computers, the media arts encompass a diverse array of artistic work that includes narrative, documentary, and experimental films; videos and digital products; and installation art using media. This report examines the organizational features of the media arts, placing them in the context of the broader arts environment and identifying the major challenges they face. Rather than discussing aesthetics or individual artists or works, the authors take a structural point of view, discussing audiences, media artists as a group, arts organizations, and funding for the media arts. They conclude that the media arts need both greater public visibility and a clearer sense of their own identity. They should become more attuned and responsive to the policy context in which they operate and should address the lack of systematic, quantitative information about the field. Finally, the media arts need to become actively involved in building greater public involvement in their work. (MP).

Living With Cyberspace: Technology & Society in the 21st Century (Hardcover) (December, 2002)
by John Armitage (Editor), Joanne Roberts (Editor)

War of the Worlds: Cyberspace and the High-Tech Assault on Reality
by Mark Slouka
Mark Slouka is Neil Postman's kindred spirit. These essays offer a critique of how cyberspace effects and changes the rest of reality. With an acerbic tongue, Slouka examines what he considers to be the dark side of the net. Slouka can get quite melodramatic, as when he compares Wired editor Kevin Kelly to Nazi propaganda filmmaker Leni Rienfenstahl. War of the Worlds is well worth reading, though, because it's important to critically review the critics, especially those who argue their point this well.--This text refers to the Paperback edition.
From Publishers Weekly
As millions of computer users plug into the Internet, access online services, play computer simulation games and explore virtual realities, abstract communication replaces firsthand experience, entertainment becomes mere spectatorship and ordinary human contact is devalued, declares Slouka. His thoughtful, provocative critique deflates the giddy, messianic claims of digital-revolution proponents. A lecturer in English and popular culture at UC San Diego, Slouka deftly skewers the notion that universal access to an information superhighway will empower the weak and foster community. Attacking cyberspace enthusiasts who envisage a "digital hive" wiring together countless computer buffs into a "global mind," Slouka argues that such fantasies betray a collectivist mentality and a deep distrust of the individual. His withering broadside makes a compelling case that the so-called digital revolution is distraction on a grand scale. $25,000 ad/promo; author tour. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The Knowledge Landscapes of Cyberspace Oct, 2003 David Hakken
How is knowledge produced and used in cyberspace? David Hakken-a key figure in the anthropology of science and technology studies-approaches the study of cyberculture through the venue of knowledge production, drawing on critical theory from anthropology, philosophy and informatics (computer science) to examine how the character and social functions of knowledge change profoundly in computer-saturated environments. He looks at what informational technologies offer, how they are being employed, and how they are tied to various agendas and forms of power. This book will be essential for both social scientists and cultural studies scholars doing research on cyberculture.
David Hakken is Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Policy Center at the State University of New York Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome. His book Cyborgs@Cyberspace: An Ethnographer Looks to the Future, also published by Routledge, was awarded 1999 American Anthropological Association Textor Prize for Excellence in Anticipatory Anthropology.

Writing the Public in Cyberspace: Redefining Inclusion on the Net (Garland Studies in American Popular History and Culture) (Hardcover)
by Ann Travers
Popular claims that new information technology will expand democratic and public spaces are problematic given the exclusive history of the "public" and the restriction of access to computer technology to elites. This book investigates patterns of behavior in a cybercommunity consisting of Americans and Canadians, and discusses the ways in which these so-called public spaces are likely to reshape the boundaries between social insiders and outsiders rather than eliminate them. Traverse analyses the ways in which the norms for participation within cyberspaces often play a role in undermining public tendencies, but notes that new information technologies provide educators, feminists, and other social groups concerned with broadening the inclusive nature of public spaces with unique opportunities. The book's final section explores current efforts by feminists on-line to expand public access for women and suggests further strategies for developing more genuinely inclusive public spaces.
(Ph.D. dissertation, University of Oregon,1996; revised with new introduction, bibliography, and index).