Knowledge ─ Is Knowledge Power?

As we move through our modern world, the phenomenon we call knowledge is always involved. Whether we talk of know-how, technology, innovation, politics or education, it is the concept of knowledge that ties them all together. But despite its ubiquity as a modern trope we seldom encounter knowledge in itself. How is it produced, where does it reside, and who owns it? Is knowledge always beneficial, will we know all there is to know at some point in the future, and does knowledge really equal power? This book pursues an original approach to this concept that seems to define so many aspects of modern societies. It explores the topic from a distinctly sociological perspective, and traces the many ways that knowledge is woven into the very fabric of modern society.

Marian Adolf is Professor of Media Culture at Zeppelin University. His research interest revolves around the interface of media and social change, communication and cultural theory. He has held appointments as Visiting Professor at Quest University and Alpen-Adria-University Klagenfurt, and currently serves as chair of the German Communication Association’s section for Media Sociology.

Nico Stehr is Karl Mannheim Professor of Cultural Studies at Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen Germany. He formerly held professorships at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, The University of British Columbia, Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich and was Paul F. Lazarsfeld Guest Professor at the University of Vienna. He has published widely on the topic of Knowledge and is one of the proponents of Knowledge Society, a term that has acquired widespread currency not only in academia.