Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Internet Governance in Transition: Who is the Master of This Domain? (Critical Media Studies: Institutions, Politics, and Culture)

Who controls the Internet and on what basis does that authority rest? While this network of information seems to be the world's property, a multitude of controversies has erupted at international, national, regional, and local levels over the appropriate forms of governance for the Internet and its applications. Internet Governance in Transition examines the historical, sociological, and political consequences of attempts to reconfigure the management and administration of the Internet Domain Name System (DNS). This comprehensive look at the politics of internetworking is especially timely as various interests are increasingly questioning the authority and legitimacy of the U.S.-based Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). By analyzing how power relations and politicking have shaped the policies and institutions that oversee Internet addressing, ParZ provides an empirical basis for critically evaluating much of the contemporary theorizing about the Internet and its governance. Though this comprehensive look at Internet politics is particularly relevant to the fields of communications, sociology, science and technology studies, and political science, all Internet users will find this book a useful tool for understanding the nature of regulation in the electronic realm.