MACMILLAN Information, Technology and Control in a Changing World: Understanding Power Structures in the 21st Century (International Political Economy Series)

This book explores the interconnected ways in which the control of knowledge has become central to the exercise of political, economic, and social power. Building on the work of International Political Economy scholar Susan Strange, this multidisciplinary volume features experts from political science, anthropology, law, criminology, women’s and gender studies, and Science and Technology Studies, who consider how the control of knowledge is shaping our everyday lives. From “weaponised copyright” as a censorship tool, to the battle over control of the internet’s “guts,” to the effects of state surveillance at the Mexico–U.S. border, this book offers a coherent way to understand the nature of power in the twenty-first century. Review “Susan Strange often hides in plain sight; acknowledged as a formative influence on the development of International Political Economy, yet often absent from discussions of developments that would seem well suited to be explored through her framework on structural power. This volume joins a growing body of work that utilises her most intriguing work and specifically develops her insights on the knowledge structure in light of more recent developments in global knowledge governance. Therefore, this book not only offers a timely analysis of a crucially important issue area, but it also serves notice that a major scholar has for too long been marginalised and remembered only within the sub-disciplinary arena which she (re)shaped.” (Christopher May, Professor of Political Economy, Lancaster University, UK) “This collection of articles by leading young scholars provides a systematic prism to understand the ‘shifting power structures’ of knowledge and power in the digital era.  Haggart, Henne, and Tusikov help the reader navigate the internet’s complex convergence of material infrastructures, immaterial messages, and governance. An invaluable primer to the challenges ahead.” (José van Dijck, Distinguished University Professor, Utrecht University, Netherlands, and author of The Culture of Connectivity and The Platform Society) “We do not know nearly as much as we should about how knowledge relations work in the international economy. This novel and valuable book brings together an interdisciplinary group of scholars to better understand how knowledge works―and how it is structured by and structures power relations. It adds to a growing body of work exploring how the ideas of the late Susan Strange help us understand the secular transformations that are taking place in the world around us.” (Henry Farrell, Professor, Department of Political Science, George Washington University, USA) From the Back Cover This book explores the interconnected ways in which the control of knowledge has become central to the exercise of political, economic, and social power. Building on the work of International Political Economy scholar Susan Strange, this multidisciplinary volume features experts from political science, anthropology, law, criminology, women’s and gender studies, and Science and Technology Studies, who consider how the control of knowledge is shaping our everyday lives. From “weaponised copyright” as a censorship tool, to the battle over control of the internet’s “guts,” to the effects of state surveillance at the Mexico–U.S. border, this book offers a coherent way to understand the nature of power in the twenty-first century. Blayne Haggart is Associate Professor of Political Science at Brock University, St. Catharines, Canada. A former economist with the Parliament of Canada, his research focuses on intellectual property rights and knowledge governance. Kathryn Henne holds the Canada Research Chair in Biogovernance, Law and Society at the University of Waterloo, Canada, where she is a fellow of the Balsillie School of International Affairs. She is also Associate Professor at RegNet, the School of Regulation and Global Governance at the Australian Nat