This ninth volume is one of the most arnbitious in the Philosophy and Technology series. Edited by technopolitical philosopher Langdon Winner, it assembles an impressive collection of philosophers and political theorists to discuss one of the most important topics of the end of the twentieth century - the bearing of technology, in all its rarnifica tions, on the practice of democratic politics in the developed world. When set beside the previous volume in the series - Europe, America, and Teehnology - the two together open a philosophical dialogue of great significance about the ways technology challenges democracy at its very roots. Some philosophers think the attack is fatal. Others are optimistic that democratic means can be discovered, or invented, for the control of technology. Still others object to an optimism-versus-pes simism formulation of the issue. But alI agree that the issue is highly significant, one that demands serious philosophical inquiry. The Society for Philosophy and Technology was fortunate in being able to draw this group of writers to Bordeaux, France, in 1989, along with a large number of others whose contributions to the debate could not be included here. It is equally fortunate to have chosen Langdon Winner as president when the time carne to select the best of the papers to fashion this volume. University of Delaware PAUL T.

What are the chief challenges posed to contemporary democracy by modern technology, and how can democratic theory best respond to, or at least reflect on, those challenges? Inhabiting the kind of technologically advanced era in which we live, what sources are available within political theory for theoretical insight concerning the problem of democratic engagement with technology? The purpose of this volume is to canvas a broad range of theorists and theoretical traditions in order to address these questions, including Hegel and Marx, Rousseau and John Dewey, Heidegger and Simone Weil, Habermas and Walter Benjamin, Hannah Arendt and Hans Jonas. Commentaries on all these important thinkers -- focused on the issue of contemporary technology as posing unique social and political challenges for democratic political life -- yields rich and ambitious resources for theoretical reflection.

This Handbook explores the relationship between digitisation, social organisation and social transformation at macro and micro levels, making this a valuable resource those conducting research across the social sciences.

This sixth volume in Christian Fuchs' Media, Communication and Society series draws on radical Humanist theory to address questions around the digital public sphere and the challenges and opportunities for digital democracy today. The book discusses topics such as digital democracy, the digital public sphere, digital alienation, sustainability in digital democracy, journalism and democracy, public service media, the public service Internet, and democratic communications. Fuchs argues for the creation of a public service Internet run by public serviceMedia that consists of platforms such as a public service YouTube and Club 2.0, a renewed digital democracy and digital public sphere version of the legendary debate programme formats Club 2 and After Dark. Overall, the book presents foundations and analyses of digital democracy that are interesting for both students and researchers in media studies, cultural studies, communication studies, political science, sociology, Internet research, information science, as well as related disciplines.

This book provides insights on how emerging technosciences come together with new forms of governance and ethical questioning. Combining science and technologies and ethics approaches, it looks at the emergence of three key technoscientific domains - body enhancement technologies, biometrics and technologies for the production of space -exploring how human bodies and minds, the movement of citizens and space become matters of technoscientific governance. The emergence of new and digital technologies pose new challenges for representative democracy and existing forms of citizenship. As citizens encounter and have to adapt to technological change in their everyday life, new forms of conviviality and contestation emerge. This book is a key reference for scholars interested in the governance of emerging technosciences in the fields of science and technology studies and ethics. ​

This is an open access book. Faculty of Social and Political Science, State Islamic University Walisongo Semarang, has been playing significant roles in building global peace and justice by conducting scientific research and creating a space for academic dialogue and discussion. This goal is in line with our vision to be a Research Faculty based on the unity of sciences for humanity and civilization. As part of the efforts to create a space for academic dialogue at a global level, we organize an international conference which aims to develop scientific knowledge, build institutional capacity, and strengthen international networking. The conference is also held to support State Islamic University Walisongo Semarang in achieving its vision to be an Islamic world-class university. The conference raises the issue of democracy and social transformation to capture the social and political dynamics. The selection of this topic is based on the idea that technological development is becoming a crucial issue within modern society in which people tend to experience alienation within the rapid social and political transformation. Democracy as a political system that ensures transparency, citizen participation, and human rights protection is now under threat. Having the fact that there is a growing tendency of using transactional politics to win political interests such as the use of money and identity in political processes, therefore, political analysts consider this situation as the regression of democracy. Rapid social and cultural transformation as a consequence of advanced technology creates problems in modern society. On one hand, technology has made the life of people easier. However, on the other hand, the sense of humanity’s values and principles is declining. This situation can be observed in the decrease in social solidarity and the rise of individualism. Modernity that values productivity and economic growth has brought a negative impact on the life of human being and nature. The exploitative character of industrialization has created an ecological crisis. Advanced information technology has loosened social cohesivity and the rise of instrumental rationality has removed local genius or local wisdom from the life of society. Since the ultimate goal of humanity is respecting the dignity of human beings, hence, bringing back humanity to the center of the development program is crucial, especially in the current social and political dynamics. In the political context, humanity means respecting the basic rights of the citizen and putting them as a subject of political development and not perceiving citizens as only an instrument to win political power. Based on the above background, this conference is organized. The overall goal of the conference is to mainstream humanity in the current social and political change. The conference is also expected to be an arena for scholars and experts in social and political science as well as practitioners and policymakers to meet and exchange ideas and perspectives for a better future of our society.

This volume explores one of the central issues that has been debated in internet studies in recent years: locality, and the extent to which cultural production online can be embedded in a specific place. The particular focus of the book is on the practices of net artists in Latin America, and how their work interrogates some of the central place-based concerns of Latin(o) American identity through their on- and offline cultural practice. Six particular works by artists of different countries in Latin America and within Latina/o communities in the US are studied in detail, with one each from Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, the US-Mexico border, and the US. Each chapter explores how each artist represents place in their works, and, in particular how traditional place-based affiliations, or notions of territorial identity, end up reproduced, re-affirmed, or even transformed online. At the same time, the book explores how these net.artists make use of new media technologies to express alternative viewpoints about the locations they represent, and use the internet as a space for the recuperation of cultural memory.

Intended for anyone interested in democracy and public policy, social justice and empowerment, political economy and business or the social consequences of technology and architecture.

When the Internet began to emerge as a popular new mode of communication, many political scientists and social commentators believed that it would revolutionize our democratic institutions. Today, voter turnout is at an historic low and Internet usage is at an all-time high. Can we still make the claim that new information and communication technologies (ICTs) enhance democratic life in Canada? What effect does the technological mediation of political communication have on the practice of Canadian politics? How have such technologies affected the distribution of power in society?

Everything you need to know about new media in one accessible, easy to navigate volume! From Facebook to the iPhone, from YouTube to Wikipedia, from Grand Theft Auto to Second Life - this book explores new media’s most important issues and debates in an accessible and engaging text for newcomers to the field. With technological change continuing to unfold at an incredible rate, Digital Cultures rounds-up major events in the media’s recent past to help develop a clear understanding of the theoretical and practical debates that surround this emerging discipline. It addresses issues such as: What is new media? How is new media changing our lives? Is new media having a positive or negative effect on culture and human communication? Each chapter contains case studies which provide an interesting and lively balance between the well-trodden and the newly emerging themes in the field. Topics covered include digital television, digital cinema, gaming, digital democracy, mobile phones, the World Wide Web, digital news, online social networking, music and multimedia, virtual communities and the digital divide. Digital Cultures is an essential introductory guide for all media and communication studies students, as well as those with a general interest in new media and its impact on the world around us.