This edited volume provides a convenient entry point to the cutting-edge field of the international politics of technology, in an interesting and informative manner. Technology and World Politics introduces its readers to different approaches to technology in global politics through a survey of emerging fusions of Science and Technology Studies and International Relations. The theoretical approaches to the subject include the Social Construction of Technology, Actor-Network Theory, the Critical Theory of Technology, and New Materialist and Posthumanist approaches.

Considering how such theoretical approaches can be used to analyse concrete political issues such as the politics of nuclear weapons, Internet governance, shipping containers, the revolution in military affairs, space technologies, and the geopolitics of the Anthropocene, the volume stresses the socially constructed and inherently political nature of technological objects.

Providing the theoretical background to approach the politics of technology in a sophisticated manner alongside a glossary and guide to further reading for newcomers, this volume is a vital resource for both students and scholars focusing on politics and international relations.

About the Author

Daniel R. McCarthy is Lecturer in International Relations in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne. His research interests are International Relations Theory, Science and Technology Studies, American Foreign Policy and the politics of transparency.

Reviews

'This is a fascinating book. It really covers the state of the art in IR research that is at the intersection with work in other fields that consider the intersections of science, technology, and society. The introductory chapters on different approaches to technology studies will be useful to anyone in IR who is unfamiliar with the broader field and most of the chapters on specific technological issues are outstanding.' - Professor Craig N. Murphy, Wellesley College, USA

'This superb volume strikes new ground in its interdisciplinary approach to technology and global politics. It advances productive intellectual engagements with the sociotechnical systems that characterise our world. Essential reading for anyone interested in the complexities of technology, society and international relations in the 21st century.' - Tim Stevens, Department of War Studies, King's College London, UK

Book Information
ISBN 9781138955875
Author Daniel R. McCarthy
Format Paperback
Page Count 272
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 420g