Books in the SocietyNow series

This book examines the convergence of Cloud Computing, Big Data, and the Internet of Things to forge the Next Internet. Ubiquitous computing enables universal communication, concentration of power, privacy erosion, environmental degradation, and massive automation and this title explores solving these issues to create a democratic digital world.

Corbynism as a political movement is now in the ascendency, and, conceivably, is also on the verge of power. This book provides a critical overview of what Corbynism is, above and beyond Jeremy Corbyn himself, placing it within the context of populist left and right movements that have taken hold across the globe.

Against a backdrop of increasingly intrusive technologies, Trine Syvertsen explores the digital detox phenomenon and the politics of disconnection from invasive media. With a wealth of examples, the book demonstrates how self-regulation online is practiced and delves into how it has also become an expression of resistance in the 21st century.

Using the royal family of celebrity culture, the Kardashians, as a lens through which to scrutinize early 21st century culture, this book examines the worlds of business, politics, technology and entertainment, to show how celebrity has fundamentally changed the way we live.

On November 8, 2016, American voters elected Donald J. Trump to become the 45th President of the United States. Peter Kivisto analyses how this happened, focusing on who Trump is, who his supporters are, and the role of the media, right-wing Christians, and the Republican Party in making Trump's victory possible.

This book presents a rich and nuanced analysis of selfie culture. It shows how selfies gain their meanings, illustrates different selfie practices, explores how selfies make us feel and why they have the power to make us feel anything, and unpacks how selfie practices and selfie related norms have changed or might change in the future.

Delving into philosophical discussions about the implications of drone technology, Andy Miah delivers in this book a comprehensive analysis of the wide-reaching applications of drones, as well as a critical interrogation of the social, cultural, and moral issues that they provoke.

What makes a city smart? The Smart City in a Digital World takes on this question by describing, challenging, and offering democratic alternatives to the view that the answer begins and ends with technology. In the wake of the 2008 global financial meltdown, corporations converged on cities around the world to sell technology, harvest valuable data, and deepen the private governance of urban life. They partnered with governments to promise what on the surface look like unalloyed benefits to city dwellers: safer streets, cleaner air, more efficient transportation, instant communication for all, and algorithms that take governance out of the hands of flawed human beings. Another story lies beneath that surface. Technology-driven smart cities deepen surveillance, shift urban governance to private companies, shrink democracy, create a hacker's paradise, and hasten the coming of catastrophic climate change. The Smart City insists that people make cities smart, that human governance still matters, and that genuinely intelligent cities start with a vibrant democracy, a commitment to public space, and to citizen control over technology. To make this happen, we need to understand the technologies, the organizations, and the mythologies that power the global smart cities movement, as well as the growing resistance to the technology-driven city. Drawing on case studies from around the world that document the redevelopment of old cities and the creation of entirely new ones, The Smart City provides an essential guide to the future of urban life in a digital world.

Sex and Social Media offers a curious reader an academically informed yet accessible discussion of the nuances of sexual social media and socially mediated sex, giving a much-deserved space to explore the multiplicity and richness of sexual practices online.

Goodley draws on decades of research to argue that disability has much to offer when we contemplate what it means to be human in the 21st Century. He addresses questions such as 'who's allowed to be human?'; 'are human beings dependent?'; and 'what does it mean to be human in the digital age?'

The Politicization of Mumsnet investigates the growing politicization of this parenting discussion forum and its use by politicians to influence middle-class women in the UK.

The rise of tattoos into the mainstream has been a defining aspect of 21st century western culture. Tattoos and Popular Culture showcases how tattoos have been catapulted from 'deviant' and 'alternative' subculture, into a popular culture, becoming a potent signifier of 'difference' for the millennial generation.