This wide-ranging introductory text looks at the virtual community of cyberspace and analyses its relationship to real communities lived out in today's societies. Issues such as race, gender, power, economics and ethics in cyberspace are grouped under four main sections and discussed by leading experts: * identity * social order and control * community structure and dynamics * collective action. This topical new book displays how the idea of community is being challenged and rewritten by the increasing power and range of cyberspace. As new societies and relationships are formed in this virtual landscape, we now have to consider the potential consequences this may have on our own community and societies. Clearly and concisely written with a wide range of international examples, this edited volume is an essential introduction to the sociology of the internet. It will appeal to students and professionals, and to those concerned about the changing relationships between information technology and a society which is fast becoming divided between those on-line and those not.

How is global togetherness possible? How does the availability of the Internet alter migrants' everyday lives and senses of belonging? This book introduces an 'alien people' inhabiting a specific common virtual space in the World Wide Web, while the members of this space - most of them ethnic Paraguayans - are physically located in many different parts of the world. By developing an innovative and 'uniquely adequate' set of research methods, the author explores the interrelation of media and migration practices in their own right and sheds light not only on the living conditions of contemporary (Paraguayan) migrants, but also on emerging global forms of living together. The concentration on a single case facilitates an in-depth understanding of contemporary migration practices, cultural meanings of digital media and senses of belonging. The book discusses empirical data, methods and theoretical concepts in a reflexive writing style, allowing readers to follow the research process, and to learn from its choices and challenges which are rarely visible in most research reports. The reflexive research procedure contributes not only to the understanding of social realities in the light of globalization, but also to an advancement of sociological methods and concepts for researching social phenomena in global landscapes and mediatization.

Internet censorship is a controversial topic - while the media periodically sounds alarms at the dangers of online life, the uncontrollable nature of the internet makes any kind of pervasive regulatory control impossible. This book compares the Australian solution, a set of laws which have been criticized as being both draconian and ineffectual, to major regulatory systems in the UK and US and understanding what drives them. The 'impossibility' of internet regulation opens deeper issues - what do we mean by regulation and how do we judge the certainty and effectiveness of law? These questions lead to an exploration of the theories of legal geography which provide tools to understand and evaluate regulatory practices. The book will be a valuable guide for academics, students and policy makers working in media and censorship law, those from a civil liberties interest and people interested in internet theory generally.

Reading is both a social process and a social formation, as this book illustrates across centuries and cultural contexts. Highlighting links evident in reading communities from literary salons to online environments, each essay reflects the rich repertoire of research methods available to reading scholars.

This book is the first one that comprehensively discusses cyberspace sovereignty in China, reflecting China’s clear attitude in the global Internet governance: respecting every nation’s right to independently choose a development path, cyber management modes and Internet public policies and to participate in the international cyberspace governance on an equal footing. At present, the concept of cyberspace sovereignty is still very strange to many people, so it needs to be thoroughly analyzed. This book will not only help scientific and technical workers in the field of cyberspace security, law researchers and the public understand the development of cyberspace sovereignty at home and abroad, but also serve as reference basis for the relevant decision-making and management departments in their work.

Cyberspace may seem an unlikely gateway for the soul, but as science commentator Wertheim argues in this "wonderfully provocative" ("Kirkus Reviews") book, cyberspace has in recent years become a repository for immense spiritual yearning. 37 illustrations.