Does the internet reduce or accelerate inequalities? In this new textbook, authors James C. Witte, George Mason University, and Susan E. Mannon, Utah State University, explore how the internet, oftentimes thought of as a "social leveler" is actually accelerating social inequalities in our society.
View all Sociology Book of the Month articles.
The Internet and Social Inequalities uses relatable subject matter to teach larger issues. While many believe the internet to be a democratizing force, the authors use sociological theory and empirical evidence to tell the story of how the web and its related technologies are fundamentally a class-based system worldwide.
“The Internet and Social Inequalities provides a useful overview of theories relevant to understanding inequality in access to and use of the new digital inequalities. By placing research on the digital divide into the context of major theoretical traditions, the authors provide a rich framework for understanding this critical form of inequality.”—Paul DiMaggio, Sociology, Princeton University
James C. Witte is both a professor of Sociology and the Director of the Center for Social Science Research at George Mason University. Witte is a pioneer in the development of web-based survey design and research, and his most recent survey work was funded by the National Science Foundation. Susan E. Mannon teaches Sociology at Utah State University, and conducts research in the areas of sociology and international development.
The Internet and Social Inequalities is an ideal textbook for the following undergraduate courses:
Series: Contemporary Sociological Perspectives
Ideal for use as a core or secondary text in lower division social inequalities or social problems courses, this book explains how the changing nature and uses of the Internet not only mirror today’s social inequalities, but also are at the heart of how stratification is now taking place. A...
Published December 20th 2009 by Routledge
