Maintaining Community in the Information Age

By exploring the experiences of community activists and organizations working with information and communication technology (ICT) to build communities, this book offers a grounded and informed study of the role ICT plays in people's lives. The author emphasizes the importance of networks built around trust, shared spaces and local knowledge bases in the formation of significant relationships in contemporary Western societies.

Karen F. Vans is a Lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work Studies, University of Liverpool, UK. Her research has addressed the following areas: city spaces; crime; community; and cyberspace. Her recent publications include Zero Tolerance or Community Tolerance; Managing Crime in High Crime Areas (co-author with S.Walklate), and A Tale of Two Cities; Global Change, Local Feeling and Everyday Life in the North of England (co-authored with I.Taylor & P.Fraser).

Acknowledgements

vii

Globalisation, Technology and Community

1

(26)

The crisis in community

2

(2)

The rise of the information age

4

(7)

Information society: the dawning of a new era?

11

(7)

Questioning the impact of information on society

18

(4)

Technology and community

22

(2)

Technology as saviour

24

(3)

The Social Impact of Information and Communication Technologies

27

(26)

Globalisation: the information age?

27

(7)

Social relations and the Internet

34

(4)

Specialisation in Internet relationships

38

(9)

The democratic potential of cyberspace

47

(6)

From the Global to the Local: Building Community Spaces on the Internet

53

(30)

Community in cyberspace

53

(1)

Virtual communities

54

(1)

What does community mean?

55

(3)

Selling the dream: using ICT to make a difference

58

(3)

The `civic model' of technology application

61

(4)

Policymakers as ICT-enthusiasts

65

(6)

Promoting community uses of ICT

71

(10)

ICT for all?

81

(2)

Engaging with the Information Age: Questioning the Notion of a `Digital Underclass'

83

(23)

Linking community and computing across the UK

83

(2)

Constructing the `digital underclass'

85

(2)

Building community computing in Salford, UK: the Gemisis project; a case-study of `technology push'

87

(13)

Constructing a `digital underclass'

100

(6)

Exploring the Digital Divide

106

(26)

The significance of virtual communities

106

(2)

The adoption of technology in the research areas

108

(15)

Key factors in the construction of information and communication requirements

123

(9)

Bridging the Digital Divide: What Works?

132

(27)

Introducing communities to ICT: the textbook scenario

133

(1)

Communities of interest on the web

134

(3)

Communities of attachment on the web

137

(2)

Communities of place on the web

139

(1)

Community networks as social experimentation

140

(2)

What do community networks do?

142

(2)

Have community networks supported communication?

144

(1)

Have community networks reflected local or global cultures?

145

(1)

Have community networks helped build civic society?

146

(1)

Motivations and connections: a discussion of the ICT `champion'

147

(8)

Keeping cyberspace communities relevant

155

(2)

Moving beyond the Digital Divide

157

(2)

Conclusion: Against the Flow . . .

159

(18)

Labelling the `information poor'

161

(1)

Against the notion of an information poor . . .

162

(3)

A Digital Divide?

165

(3)

Re-embedding the debates

168

(5)

Concluding remarks

173

(4)

Notes

177

(9)

Bibliography

186

(15)

Index

201

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

FREE SHIPPING

Rent More, Save More! Use code: BBRENTAL

5% off 1 book, 7% off 2 books, 10% off 3+ books

Maintaining Community in the Information Age The Importance of Trust, Place and Situated Knowledge

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

FREE SHIPPING

Rent More, Save More! Use code: BBRENTAL

5% off 1 book, 7% off 2 books, 10% off 3+ books

Maintaining Community in the Information Age The Importance of Trust, Place and Situated Knowledge

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

Digital License