Virtual Culture

This text provides an analysis of the way in which under-represented groups – gay men, women and special-interest groups – are exploiting the opportunities that the Internet provides for social and political change. It presents contributions from a range of subject disciplines in order to reflect the diverse paradigms engaged in the study of electronic communities and networks. The book sets out the definitions, boundaries and approaches to the study of these topics, while demonstrating the theoretical and practical possibilities for cybersociety as an identity-structured space.

Author Biography

Steve Jones is UIC Distinguished Professor of Communication and Adjunct Professor of Computer Science at the University of Illinois Chicago, USA and Adjunct Research Professor in the Institute for Communications Research at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA. He is editor of New Media & Society and co-editor of Mobile Media & Communication. His research interests encompass popular music studies, music technology, sound studies, internet studies, media history, virtual reality, human-machine communication, social robotics and human augmentics. His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Centers for Disease Control and the Tides Foundation.