Inside the Politics of Technology

Inside the Politics of Technology PDF

Author: Hans Harbers

Publisher: Amsterdam University Press

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 313

ISBN-13: 9053567569

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Though the old saying claims that man is the measure of all things, the authors of Inside the Politics of Technology argue that the distinction implied between autonomous humans and neutral instruments of technology is an illusion. On the contrary, the technologies humans create simultaneously shape humans themselves. By means of case studies of technologies as diverse as video cameras, electric cars, pregnancy tests, and genetic screenings, this volume considers the implications of this "co-production" of technology and society for our philosophical and political ideas. Are only humans endowed with social, political, and moral agency, or does our technology share those qualities? And if so, how should we understand—or practice—a politics of technology?

Future Politics

Future Politics PDF

Author: Jamie Susskind

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2018-09-04

Total Pages: 400

ISBN-13: 0192559494

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Politics in the Twentieth Century was dominated by a single question: how much of our collective life should be determined by the state, and what should be left to the market and civil society? Now the debate is different: to what extent should our lives be directed and controlled by powerful digital systems - and on what terms? Digital technologies - from artificial intelligence to blockchain, from robotics to virtual reality - are transforming the way we live together. Those who control the most powerful technologies are increasingly able to control the rest of us. As time goes on, these powerful entities - usually big tech firms and the state - will set the limits of our liberty, decreeing what may be done and what is forbidden. Their algorithms will determine vital questions of social justice. In their hands, democracy will flourish or decay. A landmark work of political theory, Future Politics challenges readers to rethink what it means to be free or equal, what it means to have power or property, and what it means for a political system to be just or democratic. In a time of rapid and relentless changes, it is a book about how we can - and must - regain control. Winner of the Estoril Global Issues Distinguished Book Prize.

Technology and World Politics

Technology and World Politics PDF

Author: Daniel R. McCarthy

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-08-03

Total Pages: 331

ISBN-13: 1317353838

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This edited volume provides a convenient entry point to the cutting-edge field of the international politics of technology, in an interesting and informative manner. Technology and World Politics introduces its readers to different approaches to technology in global politics through a survey of emerging fusions of Science and Technology Studies and International Relations. The theoretical approaches to the subject include the Social Construction of Technology, Actor-Network Theory, the Critical Theory of Technology, and New Materialist and Posthumanist approaches. Considering how such theoretical approaches can be used to analyse concrete political issues such as the politics of nuclear weapons, Internet governance, shipping containers, the revolution in military affairs, space technologies, and the geopolitics of the Anthropocene, the volume stresses the socially constructed and inherently political nature of technological objects. Providing the theoretical background to approach the politics of technology in a sophisticated manner alongside a glossary and guide to further reading for newcomers, this volume is a vital resource for both students and scholars focusing on politics and international relations.

Politics and Popular Culture

Politics and Popular Culture PDF

Author: John Street

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2013-05-08

Total Pages: 259

ISBN-13: 0745668682

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

In an age where film stars become presidents and politicians appear in pop videos, politics and popular culture have become inextricably interlinked. In this exciting new book, John Street provides a broad survey and analysis of this relationship.

Information Technologies and Global Politics

Information Technologies and Global Politics PDF

Author: James N. Rosenau

Publisher: State University of New York Press

Published: 2012-02-01

Total Pages: 329

ISBN-13: 0791489450

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Returning to the fundamentals of political science, namely power and governance, this book studies the relationship between information technologies and global politics. Key issue-areas are carefully examined: security (including information warfare and terrorism); global consumption and production; international telecommunications; culture and identity formation; human rights; humanitarian assistance; the environment; and biotechnology. Each demonstrates the validity of the view now prevalent within international relations research—the shifting of power and the locus of authority away from the state. Three major conclusions are offered. First, the nation-state must now confront, support, or coexist with other international actors: non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations; multinational corporations; transnational social movements; and individuals. Second, our understanding of instrumental and structural powers must be reconfigured to account for digital information technologies. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, information technologies are now reconstituting actor identities and issues.

War and the Engineers

War and the Engineers PDF

Author: Keir A. Lieber

Publisher: Cornell University Press

Published: 2018-09-05

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 1501724460

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Do some technologies provoke war? Do others promote peace? Offense-defense theory contends that technological change is an important cause of conflict: leaders will be tempted to launch wars when they believe innovation favors attackers over defenders. Offense-defense theory is perhaps best known from the passionate and intricate debates about first-strike capability and deterrence stability during the cold war, but it has deeper historical roots, remains a staple in international relations theorizing, and drives modern arms control policymaking. In War and the Engineers, the first book systematically to test the logical and empirical validity of offense-defense theory, Keir A. Lieber examines the relationships among politics, technology, and the causes of war. Lieber's cases explore the military and political implications of the spread of railroads, the emergence of rifled small arms and artillery, the introduction of battle tanks, and the nuclear revolution. Lieber incorporates the new historiography of World War I, which draws on archival materials that only recently became available, to challenge many common beliefs about the conflict. The author's central conclusion is that technology is neither a cause of international conflict nor a panacea; instead, power politics remains paramount.

Politics and Technology

Politics and Technology PDF

Author: John Street

Publisher: Guilford Press

Published: 1992-09-25

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 9780898620191

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This volume provides a broad-ranging acount of the relationship between politics and technology in the modern world. It shows how political processes and values shape the developmentof technology and, in turn , how new technologies influence the conduct of politics. The core concern of the book is how democratic control can be exercised in all aspects of technological decision- making and how technology can be used to extend demmocracy. Street shows that much publicized 'natural' disasters from the explosions at Chernobyl and Bhopal to the erosion of the ozone layer have politicalas well as technologicalcauses and examines the way in which telecomunications, biotechnology and other technologies are used both to serve and subvert politcal aspirations.

Algorithms and the End of Politics

Algorithms and the End of Politics PDF

Author: Timcke, Scott

Publisher: Bristol University Press

Published: 2021-02-15

Total Pages: 198

ISBN-13: 1529215315

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

As the US contends with issues of populism and de-democratization, this timely study considers the impacts of digital technologies on the country’s politics and society. Timcke provides a Marxist analysis of the rise of digital media, social networks and technology giants like Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft. He looks at the impact of these new platforms and technologies on their users who have made them among the most valuable firms in the world. Offering bold new thinking across data politics and digital and economic sociology, this is a powerful demonstration of how algorithms have come to shape everyday life and political legitimacy in the US and beyond.

Transforming Politics and Policy in the Digital Age

Transforming Politics and Policy in the Digital Age PDF

Author: Bishop, Jonathan

Publisher: IGI Global

Published: 2014-04-30

Total Pages: 332

ISBN-13: 1466660392

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Digital technology and the Internet have greatly affected the political realm in recent years, allowing citizens greater input and interaction in government processes. The mainstream media no longer holds all the power in political commentary. Transforming Politics and Policy in the Digital Age provides an updated assessment of the implications of technology for society and the realm of politics. The book covers issues presented by the technological changes on policy making and offers a wide array of perspectives. This publication will appeal to researchers, politicians, policy analysts, and academics working in e-government and politics.