Communication, Technology and Society

Technology was once something we thought of only in relation to manufacturing or the military. Now it is a constant theme in everyday interaction. In Communication, Technology and Society, Lelia Green focuses on the technologies of communication, from things we don't even think of as technology, like the alphabet or electricity, through to the rapidly developing world of cyberspace. She argues that technology is never neutral, rather, it is closely linked to culture, society and government policy. Green looks at what drives technological change, showing that the adoption of new technologies is never inevitable. She also explores how a variety of technology cultures co-exist and interact: industrial culture, media culture, information culture, and now 'technoculture'. Some communities benefit from technocultures, while others are left out or even damaged. This book offers a broad and accessible introduction to the complex issues surrounding technology, communications, culture and society for students and anyone else interested in making sense of one of the key issues of the 21st century.

Lelia Green is senior lecturer in the School of Communications and Multimedia at Edith Cowan University, Perth