Understanding the Sociology of Technology

This incisive book explores how technology simultaneously shapes and is shaped by social norms, traditions, and daily practices. Geoffrey Mead and Barbara Barbosa Neves provide an overview of the theoretical apparatus that classical and contemporary sociologists have developed to address the relationship between technology and society.

Mead and Neves present a broad view of technology, analysing human advances from our early ancestors through to modern developments. They demonstrate how social contexts are essential to understanding the significance of innovations including stone tools, industrial machinery, surveillance infrastructure, and biotechnology. Chapters dissect widespread concerns about new technologies such as artificial intelligence and social media, separating hype and fear from honest evaluation. The book highlights how and why the power of technology depends on the social relations in which it is always embedded.

Understanding the Sociology of Technology is a crucial read for scholars and students in sociology, digital media, science and technology studies, and human–computer interaction, supplying relevant perspectives on current debates about technology and its relationship to society. It will also greatly benefit policymakers and practitioners in technology and innovation.