Cyberghetto or Cybertopia?: Race, Class, and Gender on the Internet [Hardcover]

Bosah Ebo (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0275959937 | ISBN-13: 978-0275959937 | Publication Date: July 30, 1998

Computer-mediated communication and cyberculture are dramatically changing the nature of social relationships. Whether cyberspace will simply retain vestiges of traditional communities with hierarchical social links and class-structured relationships or create new egalitarian social networks remains an open question. The chapters in this volume examine the issue of social justice on the Internet by using a variety of methodological and theoretical perspectives. Political scientists, sociologists, and communications and information systems scholars address issues of race, class, and gender on the Internet in chapters that do not assume any specialized training in computer technology.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The major strengths of Cyberghetto or Cybertopia are that the information can be used to support ad inspire research by students and faculty regarding the Internet and inform policymakers across the country about the technological crisis that may befall their very constituents....[T]his book conveniently packages in-depth contributions that are accessible to academics, public servants, and private industry professions.”–Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly

“[G]eneral readers with an interest in the social impact of the Internet should find this absorbing reading.... What the author has to say should be of particular interest to people concerned with lack of funding for education.... This book should be on the reading list for social science, political science, and communications courses. Policy makers in the communication field, and those who seek to influence them, should take the time to read it. Librarians should consider it for acquisition.”–PC Update Directory

About the Author

BOSAH EBO is a Professor in the Department of Communication at Rider University, in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: Praeger Publishers (July 30, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0275959937
• ISBN-13: 978-0275959937
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,391,886 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great essays, if limited to a narrow political spectrum, December 3, 1998

By 

Shava Nerad "shava23" (Somerville, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cyberghetto or Cybertopia?: Race, Class, and Gender on the Internet (Hardcover)

This book reflects and exposes many of the utopian views of theInternet as the rose-filtered fanatical visions that they are. But italso exposes the dystopian visions by showing real efforts at community building, and good effects for real people, coming from the Internet.

We see too many digerati/netizen books that just tout some new ivory tower view of what happens on line. These other books do not often deal with issues like Universal Service, or the inherently classist issues of information haves and have-nots.

This book gives us some reasons that access to the net for "non-traditional," marginalized, or overlooked populations is important, and not well addressed, generally.

For some, this is a vision of how the other half (or less than half, as minorities? ;) lives on -- and often off-line. For some of us, it's validating, and lends depth to the online experience.

If I have a criticism, I didn't see much range of political/social perspectives here. I would have liked to have seen more dialogue among viewpoints, in some cases. But there's only so much room in a print book -- where's the website?!

5.0 out of 5 stars EBO is amazing, November 8, 2005

By 

Jo jckson - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cyberghetto or Cybertopia?: Race, Class, and Gender on the Internet (Hardcover)

Ebo is the man. He knows what hes talking about.

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