ABSTRACT

Information has come to be regarded as a symbol of the age in which we live. Talk nowadays is of an `information technology' revolution, even of an `information society'. But just what does this mean? In Theories of the Information Society Frank Webster sets out to make sense of the information explosion. He examines and assesses a variety of `images of the information society', and takes a sceptical look at what thinkers mean when they do refer to an `information society'. He looks closely at different approaches to informational developments, and provides critical commentaries on all the major post-war theories.

chapter 1|7 pages

Introduction

chapter 2|21 pages

The idea of an information society

part |1 pages

Conclusion

chapter |10 pages

Services and manufacture

chapter |33 pages

Fordist regime of accumulation, 194573

chapter 5|3 pages

Informational capitalism

Manuel Castells

part |1 pages

Continuity or change?

chapter |20 pages

The network society

chapter |3 pages

Epochal change

chapter 6|37 pages

Information and advanced capitalism

Herbert Schiller

part 7|2 pages

Information management and manipulation

chapter |6 pages

The public sphere

chapter |33 pages

Public service institutions

part 8|1 pages

Information, reflexivity and surveillance: Anthony

chapter |15 pages

The theoretical legacy

chapter |9 pages

Human rights regimes

chapter |21 pages

Postmodernism and information

chapter 10|11 pages

Conclusion: is there an information society?