Cyborgs@Cyberspace?: An Ethnographer Looks to the Future [Paperback]

David Hakken (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 18, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0415915597 | ISBN-13: 978-0415915595 | Edition: 1

Arguing that humans have always been technological as well as cultural beings, David Hakken calls for a fundamental rethinking of the traditional separation of anthropology and technical studies. Drawing on three decades of research on contemporary technological societies, this book outlines a fresh way of thinking about technology and offers an ethical and political response to the challenge of truly living as "cyborgs" in the age of cyberspace.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A path-breaking work in anthropology and social theory, Hakken's study of our emerging online culture offers new ways of understanding human identities and interactions. Richly documented and powerfully argued, the book's provocative exploration moves beyond all the shabby platitudes about computers and society, placing the debate about cyberspace--its promise and pitfalls--on more solid foundations. -- Langdon Winner, author of The Whale and the Reactor
Challenging the pervasive image of a computer revolution, Hakken insightfully demonstrates that information technology is better viewed as a new terrain of contestation than an ineluctable force. What's important is how the technology is perceived and which potentials people actually appropriate. Hakken's great strength lies in using interesting examples to map continuities in broader networks of social relations. He builds these into a sustained effort to reinvigorate general anthropology, uniquely extending the cyborg metaphor to link biological with cultural perspectives and treat technology and humanity in a unified frame. -- Gary Downey, author of The Machine in Me, Routledge, 1998
Hakken combines his unique ethnographies of computing cultures in England, Norway, and Sweden with his long term involvement in theoretical and political discussions of advanced information technologies. In an impressive tour de force, he develops a rich anthropological account of possible meanings of cyberspace that confront the usual stereotypes. -- Randi Markussen, Aarhus University, Denmark
Hakken remains an ethnographer grounding his understandings in the acts, statements, and opinions of real people in real settings. He is particularly good at puncturing technology-based visions that ignore social, cultural, political, and/or economic factors that do matter. -- -Gregory Finnegan, Harvard University
This text offers a fascinating reflection on anthropological research on computing and social change. -- Ergonomics Abstracts, 2001, Volume 33, Number 3
The author is passionate about his subject. He presents his thesis in a penetrating and incisive style and his argument is carefully crafted and eloquent...this thought provoking and compelling text draws our attention to powerful social and cultural change which is taking place in a random fashion mediated by this comparatively little monitored or explored arena. -- Ergonomics Abstracts, 2001, Volume 33, Number 3

About the Author

David Hakken is Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Policy Center at the SUNY Institute of Technology. He is principal author of Computing Myths, Class Realities (1993) and has written numerous journal articles on work, technology and social change.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (March 18, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415915597
• ISBN-13: 978-0415915595
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,293,918 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Still an Important Read, October 12, 2009

By 

Richard Huskey (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cyborgs@Cyberspace?: An Ethnographer Looks to the Future (Paperback)

Yes, this book is old. You still should read it. Ten years after its initial publish date, many of Hakken's insights and analysis still hold true. Cyborgs@Cyberspace is prophetic and a true testament to the validity of ethnographic research. Most importantly, Cyborgs@Cyberspace provides a clear framework for critically analyzing the so called "Computer Revolution."

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting subject, April 18, 2002

By 

Peter Timusk "exhausted scholar" (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cyborgs@Cyberspace?: An Ethnographer Looks to the Future (Paperback)

As social constructivism goes this book is engaging and made me question my cyber life. It helped me write a brief paper. I am happy to say I enjoyed his delineation of the topics of cyberspace ethnography and feel they are valid. I was amazed at his sharing a professional reputation episode of his, that happened on the net. I didn't quite finish it but it gave me some good thoughts on the study of the social impact of computing and good first grasp of cyberstudies proper.