Understanding Contemporary Society


Book Description

Understanding Contemporary Society: Theories of the Present is a comprehensive textbook to guide students through the complexities of social theory today. Over 30 chapters, written by an international team of contributors, demonstrate clearly the practical applications of social theory in making sense of the modern world. Students are both introduced to the most significant theories and guided through the major social developments which shape our lives. Key features of the book are: clearly structured and readable prose; bullet pointed summaries and annotated further reading for each topic; makes complex issues accessible to undergraduates; focuses on relevance and practicality; chapter lay-out which is ideal for t




Contemporary Society


Book Description

This best-selling text emphasizes that social and cultural changes are the pervasive realities of our era. One of the main themes of Contemporary Society is that the transition from an industrial to a post-industrial order in the modern world is fraught with difficulties, as was the transition from an agricultural to an industrial order in an earlier era. Within this framework, we can observe the increasing fragmentation of the social order, which tends to lead people away from community and a common purpose and often invites conflict and disunity. At the same time, countervailing social forces are also at work, providing some stability, some shelter in the storm. Finally, societies are faced with the rapid and transformative power of information technology, a fact that propels separate groups of people into a global entity.




Information in Contemporary Society


Book Description

This book constitutes the proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Information in Contemporary Society, iConference 2019, held in Washington, DC, USA, in March/April 2019. The 44 full papers and 33 short papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 133 submitted full papers and 88 submitted short papers. The papers are organized in the following topical sections: Scientific work and data practices; methodological concerns in (big) data research; concerns about “smart” interactions and privacy; identity questions in online communities; measuring and tracking scientific literature; limits and affordances of automation; collecting data about vulnerable populations; supporting communities through public libraries and infrastructure; information behaviors in academic environments; data-driven storytelling and modeling; online activism; digital libraries, curation and preservation; social-media text mining and sentiment analysis; data and information in the public sphere; engaging with multi-media content; understanding online behaviors and experiences; algorithms at work; innovation and professionalization in technology communities; information behaviors on Twitter; data mining and NLP; informing technology design through offline experiences; digital tools for health management; environmental and visual literacy; and addressing social problems in iSchool research.




Trust in Contemporary Society


Book Description

Trust in Contemporary Society, by well-known trust researchers, deals with conceptual, theoretical and social interaction analyses, historical data on societies, national surveys or cross-national comparative studies, and methodological issues related to trust. The authors are from a variety of disciplines: psychology, sociology, political science, organizational studies, history, and philosophy, and from Britain, the United States, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Australia, Germany, and Japan. They bring their vast knowledge from different historical and cultural backgrounds to illuminate contemporary issues of trust and distrust. The socio-cultural perspective of trust is important and increasingly acknowledged as central to trust research. Accordingly, future directions for comparative trust research are also discussed. Contributors include: Jack Barbalet, John Brehm, Geoffrey Hosking, Robert Marsh, Barbara A. Misztal, Guido Möllering, Bart Nooteboom, Ken J. Rotenberg, Jiří Šafr, Masamichi Sasaki, Meg Savel, Markéta Sedláčková, Jörg Sydow, Piotr Sztompka.




Heritage Values in Contemporary Society


Book Description

What do we value about the past? In formulating policies about heritage preservation, that is the inevitable question, and deals not only with economic value but also the intangible value to individuals, communities and society as a whole. This interdisciplinary group of scholars—anthropologists, archaeologists, architects, educators, lawyers, heritage administrators, policy analysts, and consultants—make the first attempt to define and assess heritage values on a local, national and global level. Chapters range from the theoretical to policy frameworks to case studies of heritage practice, written by scholars from eight countries.




Language, Identity and Contemporary Society


Book Description

This book explores the instrumentality of language in constructing identity in contemporary society. The processes of globalization, hyper-mobility, rapid urbanization, and the increasing desire of local populations to be linked to the global community have created a pressing need to reconfigure identity in this new world order. Following the digital revolution, both traditional and new media are dissolving linguistic boundaries. The centrality of language in organizing communities and groups cannot be overstated: our social order is developed alongside our linguistic allegiance, shared narratives, collective memories, and common social history. Keeping in mind the fluidity of identity, the book brings together fourteen chapters providing cultural and social perspectives. The ideas reflected here draw on a range of disciplines, such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, cultural studies, the politics of language, and linguistic identity.




Well-Being in Contemporary Society


Book Description

This anthology examines the practical role of well-being in contemporary society. It discusses developments such as globalization, consumerism and the rapid innovation and use of new and emerging technologies and focuses on the significant impact of these developments on the well-being of people living today. The anthology brings together researchers from various disciplines, including psychology, economics, sociology, philosophy and development studies. It provides concrete insight on the role and importance of well-being in contemporary society, using a mix of empirical grounding, philosophical rigour and an emphasis on real-world applications. It is unique in that it seeks to understand the relation between well-being research and its application towards real problems.




Cultural Resource Management in Contemporary Society


Book Description

This innovative collection of essays from an international range of contributors describes various means of preserving, protecting and presenting vital cultural resources within the context of economic development, competing claims of "ownership" of particular cultural resources, modern uses of structures and space, and other aspects of late twentieth-century life.




Impacts of Mobile Use and Experience on Contemporary Society


Book Description

As a popular and powerful medium, mobile use has increased significantly across the world. The effects of these communication devices have not only transformed how we communicate but also how we gather and distribute information in a variety of industries including healthcare, business, and education. Impacts of Mobile Use and Experience on Contemporary Society provides cross-disciplinary research that ties together use and experience examining the transformative influence of mobile technology and how it is reshaping who we are and what we do. Featuring research that investigates the impacts on both actors and activities with topic coverage that includes academic application, economic value, and mobile learning, scholars from different disciplines from all over the world identify the crucial implications behind mobile technology. Included amongst the targeted audience are educators, policymakers, healthcare professionals, managers, academicians, researchers, and practitioners.




Contemporary China


Book Description

China's rapid economic growth, modernization and globalization have led to astounding social changes. Contemporary China provides a fascinating portrayal of society and social change in the contemporary People's Republic of China. This book introduces readers to key sociological perspectives, themes and debates about Chinese society. It explores topics such as family life, citizenship, gender, ethnicity, labour, religion, education, class and rural/urban inequalities. It considers China's imperial past, the social and institutional legacies of the Maoist era, and the momentous forces shaping it in the present. It also emphasises diversity and multiplicity, encouraging readers to consider new perspectives and rethink Western stereotypes about China and its people. Real-life case studies illustrate the key features of social relations and change in China. Definitions of key terms, discussion questions and lists of further reading help consolidate learning. Including full-colour maps and photographs, this book offers remarkable insight into Chinese society and social change.