Advanced Introduction to Digital Society

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and law, expertly written by the world’s leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive policy issues associated with discrete subject areas.

This essential book documents the current configuration of digital society worldwide and examines its social, economic, political and cultural consequences. Presenting state-of-the-art empirical analysis and academic research, preeminent author Manuel Castells explores the profound impact that technology and digital transformation continues to have on the world as we know it.



Chapters present an in-depth examination of how digitalization affects communication, state surveillance and privacy, financial markets, spatial structure, and education. This Advanced Introduction also deftly outlines digital influence on social movements, exploring social media disinformation, digital inequality, geopolitics and war-making technologies. Ultimately, Castells demonstrates how today’s digital society is the socio-technological foundation of the ‘network society’, the social structure of our time.



Key Features:







Situates digital transformation within Castells’ theory of the ‘network society’.


Presents complete empirical evidence of the configuration of digital society.


Explores the relationship between digital society, data capitalism, state surveillance and privacy.


Highlights the implications of artificial intelligence, social media, teleworking and cryptocurrencies



This authoritative Advanced Introduction will be a crucial read for students, academics and researchers specializing in sociology, sociological theory, communication, public policy, politics, regulation, education, science and technology studies and business studies. Offering vital analysis of our continually developing digital society, it will also be of interest to global policymakers regulating digital technologies.