Overview
- Will be a field defining text – no current book explores the sociology of the universe in such depth
- Fills a genuine gap in current Handbook offerings
- Draws together the key thinkers in the field from across Europe, Australia and the US
- Highly Interdisciplinary – spans Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, Geography, Politics, History, Science and Technology Studies and Culture and Media Studies
- Explores issues such as space tourism, the rise of TV scientists, satellite surveillance, the archaeology and geography of outer space, the Higgs Boson, space law, space and art and psychoanalysis and the universe
- Fits with plans to expand Science and Technology Studies on the list
- Potential to crossmarket with W. H. Freeman 'Universe' titles
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About this book
This handbook provides an in-depth exploration of major themes relating to society, culture and the universe and will inspire and cultivate debate in this exciting and burgeoning area of study for future researchers and theorists. Bringing together scholarship from a range of disciplines including geography, economics, history, political science, sociology, philosophy, science and technology studies, law, cultural astronomy, anthropology, media studies, literature, psychosocial studies and art, it closely examines how outer space is socially produced, experienced, perceived and imagined, and the significance of this for terrestrial social life.
Keywords
- Outer space
- universe
- geography
- economics
- history
- political science
- sociology
- philosophy
- science and technology studies
- law
- cultural astronomy
- anthropology
- media studies
- literature
- psychosocial studies
- art
- cosmology
- satellites
- space tourism
- space science
- culture
- Europe
- feminism
- politics
- psychology
- society
- technology
- tourism
- Universe
Reviews
“The volume achieves its purpose of providing an in-depth exploration. It also inspires debate in a field of study that is expanding as humans close the gaps among society, culture, and outer space. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through researchers and faculty; professionals.” (R. I. Saltz, Choice, Vol. 54 (4), December, 2016)
It's a long observed paradox that while social science has made space a key analytic, it has been slow to theorise our relations with extra-terrestrial Space. Finally here is a volume that distils the finest new work on the sociality of outer space and Earth's orbit. This remarkable collection takes the canon of critical thinking to these most unfamiliar of environments, not only bringing outer space 'home' but questioning the cherished planetary boundaries that frame mainstream scholarship. The reach of social science has been ably extended.' - Fraser MacDonald, University of Edinburgh, UK
'This vital collection challenges us to think about "outer space" as much more than a wild blue yonder. Weaving together perspectives from sociology, economics, anthropology, geography, gender studies and the arts, this excellent new book approaches outer space as a dynamic and contested field rather than an ontological given. Its contributors offer meticulous and reflexive accounts ofthe spatial imaginaries, economics, technologies, and cultures that help to shape the earth's event horizon. Finally, a sobering yet stimulating take on outer space!' - Lisa Parks, University of California, USA
'The smaller Earth becomes, the larger the universe looms. Bringing Henri Lefebvre's noted triad – perçu, conçu, vécu – to the scholarly study of outer space, this comprehensive, thorough and stimulating anthology elevates the transdisciplinary discussion to a new level of theoretical sophistication and thus makes a substantial contribution to an academic field in the making. Anyone interested in the social production of outer space, whether as a place, a space or a phantasmagoria, will find The Palgrave Handbook of Society, Culture and Outer Space essential reading. Strongly recommended.'- Alexander C.T. Geppert, New York University, USA
About the authors
James S. Ormrod is Principal Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Brighton, UK. Rooted in psychosocial theory, his research focuses on social movements and on the relationship humans have with their environment and with the universe more generally. He is the author of Fantasy and Social Movements (2014) and, with Peter Dickens, Cosmic Society (2007).
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: The Palgrave Handbook of Society, Culture and Outer Space
Editors: James S. Ormrod, Peter Dickens
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan London
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-137-36351-0Published: 06 January 2016
Softcover ISBN: 978-1-349-57705-7Due: 08 November 2024
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XIII, 480