The Handbook of Internet Studies

by Mia Consalvo (Editor), Charles Ess (Editor)

The Handbook of Internet Studies HANDBOOKS IN COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA “Highly recommended.” CHOICE “A state-of-the-art collection that represents and celebrates the diversity of theoretical and disciplinary approaches marking this brave new field. A new must-have reference book for Internet studies.” Caroline Haythornthwaite, University of Illinois “This indispensable volume reflects the complexity of Internet studies – indeed, the Internet itself – by bringing together a diverse set of voices, geographies, disciplines, and arguments. It is not only an important resource for practitioners, but will also spark the curiosity of those on the edges of the field, including humanists, social scientists, and engineers alike.” Michael Zimmer, University of Wisconsin “A comprehensive and useful volume that will appeal to students, teachers, and researchers. I highly recommend it to those who have been following the field since its emergence in the 1990s as well as to those new to the field.” Steve Jones, University of Illinois at Chicago “This handbook is landmark, documenting that Internet studies have now come of age.” Niels Ole Finnemann, Aarhus University To fully understand the impact and significance of the Internet, it is essential to consider its historical, societal, and cultural contexts. This handbook presents a wide range of original essays by established scholars in the field of Internet studies exploring the role of the Internet in modern societies, and the continuing development of its academic study.

512 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Mia Consalvo is Professor and Canada Research Chair in Game Studies and Design in the Department of Communication Studies at Concordia University in Montreal. She is the author of Cheating: Gaining Advantage in Video Games and Atari to Zelda: Japan's Videogames in Global Contexts, both published by the MIT Press.

Reviews

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many readers of the Air-L community cried foul when they discovered the cost of this tomb ($199.95). Luckily our library purchased this book for Endicott College.

Many collections of writing about new technology are out-dated before they reach a library, but in the case of this handbook, I found that the ideas were fresh and relevant. The subjects in this handbooks cover the many areas of interest to internet scholars. Subjects range from Community and the Internet, Religion, Policy, Music, Pornography, and Research Ethnics to the Internet's Impact on Language. The authors of each chapter present an overview of the history and current research around the subject (both empirical and cultural/critical).

Despite feeling fairly informed about Internet Studies, I learned much from this collection of essays. What made them particularly relevant was that each author presented informed and insightful directions for future research efforts.

[Tara Brabazon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am pretty stunned by this book. I was looking forward to a considered collection of internet studies papers and articles. But this collection embodies the problem of a single medium of study. Television studies and popular music studies exhibit similar problems. The chapters were either dated or generalized. The only exception - and a fine chapter - was Laurel Dyson's "Indigenous Peoples on the Internet.” This chapter is useful for both students and academics. But this opportunity for a statement of intent for internet studies has been missed. What a shame.

[Erkan Saka · Rating 3 out of 5]

A must read for an earlier periods internet studies literature review.