Internet and Society: Social Theory in the Information Age (Routledge Research in Information Technology and Society)

In this exceptional study, Christian Fuchs discusses how the internet has transformed the lives of human beings and social relationships in contemporary society. By outlining a social theory of the internet and the information society, he demonstrates how the ecological, economic, political, and cultural systems of contemporary society have been transformed by new ICTs. Fuchs highlights how new forms of cooperation and competition are advanced and supported by the internet in subsystems of society and also discusses opportunities and risks of the information society. Introduction -- Self-organization And Cooperation -- Society And Dynamic Social Theory -- The Rise Of Transnational Informational Capitalism -- Social Internet Dynamics -- Competition And Cooperation In The Informational Ecology -- Competition And Cooperation In The Internet Economy -- Competition And Cooperation In Online Politics -- Competition And Cooperation In Cyberculture -- Conclusion. Christian Fuchs. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [357]-379) And Index.