Digital Sociology: The Reinvention of Social Research

by Noortje Marres

This provocative new introduction to the field of digital sociology offers a critical overview of interdisciplinary debates about new ways of knowing society that are emerging today at the interface of computing, media, social research and social life.Digital Sociology introduces key concepts, methods and understandings that currently inform the development of specifically digital forms of social enquiry. Marres assesses the relevance and usefulness of digital methods, data and techniques for the study of sociological phenomena and evaluates the major claim that computation makes possible a new 'science of society'. As Marres argues, the digital does much more than inspire innovation in social it forces us to engage anew with fundamental sociological questions. We must learn to appreciate that the digital has the capacity to throw into crisis existing knowledge frameworks and is likely to reconfigure wider relations.This timely engagement with a key transformation of our age will be indispensable reading for undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in digital sociology, digital media, computing and society.

Genres: Sociology, Social Science, Nonfiction

232 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 11, 2017

Reviews

[Cassey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for anyone interested in digital sociology, and just what it is. The chapter that look at methodologies thereof was particularly useful.

[Ali Mert · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short introduction for those who are interested in the field. However, some parts of the book seem repetitive to me. Still, it could be very useful if you make a selective reading. Especially the part concerning what is new about the digital positively contributes to methodological discussions.

[Nhi Nguyễn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this book for my "Digital Sociology" course in my Master's program. This one baffled me a lot, and was such a humongous task to finish reading. I basically dreaded through the whole thing, trying to understanding what the author was trying to say. Maybe it was not the book, it was me, who doesn't have any knowledge in digital sociology whatsoever, and was reading this book just to take the final exam...