Critical Software Studies
This book is based around two key premises: all software is an artefact of human construct and all software shapes the behaviours of those who use it directly or experience its influence indirectly. With the rise of popular consumer-facing generative AI tools, never has understanding these two premi...
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| Hōputu: | Online |
| Reo: | Ingarihi |
| I whakaputaina: |
Taylor & Francis
2026
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| Ngā marau: | |
| Urunga tuihono: | ONIX_20260529T115621_9781040926000_4 |
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Kāore He Tūtohu, Me noho koe te mea tuatahi ki te tūtohu i tēnei pūkete!
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| _version_ | 1869523037269786624 |
|---|---|
| author | Fletcher, Gordon |
| author_browse | Fletcher, Gordon |
| author_facet | Fletcher, Gordon |
| author_sort | Fletcher, Gordon |
| collection | Directory of Open Access Books |
| description | This book is based around two key premises: all software is an artefact of human construct and all software shapes the behaviours of those who use it directly or experience its influence indirectly. With the rise of popular consumer-facing generative AI tools, never has understanding these two premises been more important or more obscured. This book explores the relationship between people and software as a relationship between a tool and its users. Through a series of exemplar cases, it presents an examination of the historical development of software from a critical perspective, with special attention given to the consequences of using this software and assumptions made around its neutrality. The author explores the development of the World Wide Web, Word and Excel, and social media, concluding with an investigation of how the principles identified in these earlier examples are now being found within public interface generative AI tools. The book looks beyond the functionality and user interface of the software to look at it as a complex artefact of human manufacture by exploring the wider cultural and technical environment in which the software is created and considering the political, economic and social forces that come to bear on the software and become embodied within. This narrative approach provides readers with valuable insights into the influences of specific software on contemporary society and business, encouraging them to apply a critical lens to their own and their organisation’s software use. This book is a novel read for academics and students within software development, information systems, AI and critical management studies. |
| format | Online |
| id | doab-20.500.12854ir-177110 |
| institution | Directory of Open Access Books |
| language | eng |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis |
| publisherStr | Taylor & Francis |
| record_format | ojs |
| spelling | doab-20.500.12854ir-1771102026-06-04T08:51:11Z Critical Software Studies Fletcher, Gordon Software historiography Digital culture analysis Sociotechnical systems Algorithmic bias User interface critique Information systems theory Critical analysis of generative AI tools thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KJ Business and Management::KJM Management and management techniques::KJMV Management of specific areas::KJMV6 Research and development management thema EDItEUR::U Computing and Information Technology::UM Computer programming / software engineering::UMZ Software Engineering thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JH Sociology and anthropology::JHB Sociology::JHBL Sociology: work and labour thema EDItEUR::U Computing and Information Technology::UY Computer science::UYQ Artificial intelligence thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KN Industry and industrial studies::KNT Media, entertainment, information and communication industries::KNTX Information technology industries thema EDItEUR::U Computing and Information Technology::UM Computer programming / software engineering thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PD Science: general issues::PDR Impact of science and technology on society thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KJ Business and Management This book is based around two key premises: all software is an artefact of human construct and all software shapes the behaviours of those who use it directly or experience its influence indirectly. With the rise of popular consumer-facing generative AI tools, never has understanding these two premises been more important or more obscured. This book explores the relationship between people and software as a relationship between a tool and its users. Through a series of exemplar cases, it presents an examination of the historical development of software from a critical perspective, with special attention given to the consequences of using this software and assumptions made around its neutrality. The author explores the development of the World Wide Web, Word and Excel, and social media, concluding with an investigation of how the principles identified in these earlier examples are now being found within public interface generative AI tools. The book looks beyond the functionality and user interface of the software to look at it as a complex artefact of human manufacture by exploring the wider cultural and technical environment in which the software is created and considering the political, economic and social forces that come to bear on the software and become embodied within. This narrative approach provides readers with valuable insights into the influences of specific software on contemporary society and business, encouraging them to apply a critical lens to their own and their organisation’s software use. This book is a novel read for academics and students within software development, information systems, AI and critical management studies. 2026-05-30T05:51:24Z 2026-05-30T05:51:24Z 2026-05-29T11:30:12Z 2026 book ONIX_20260529T115621_9781040926000_4 https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/113832 9781040926000 9781040926055 9781003593164 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/177110 eng Routledge Studies in Innovation, Organizations and Technology open access image/jpeg image/jpeg Attribution 4.0 International Attribution 4.0 International https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/113832/1/9781040926000.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/113832/1/9781040926000.pdf Taylor & Francis Routledge 10.4324/9781003593164 10.4324/9781003593164 fa69b019-f4ee-4979-8d42-c6b6c476b5f0 UK Research and Innovation 4c0c0c72-854a-4692-aa5c-12ec2339edf8 9781040926000 9781040926055 9781003593164 Routledge 246 Oxford [...] open access |
| spellingShingle | Software historiography Digital culture analysis Sociotechnical systems Algorithmic bias User interface critique Information systems theory Critical analysis of generative AI tools thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KJ Business and Management::KJM Management and management techniques::KJMV Management of specific areas::KJMV6 Research and development management thema EDItEUR::U Computing and Information Technology::UM Computer programming / software engineering::UMZ Software Engineering thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JH Sociology and anthropology::JHB Sociology::JHBL Sociology: work and labour thema EDItEUR::U Computing and Information Technology::UY Computer science::UYQ Artificial intelligence thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KN Industry and industrial studies::KNT Media, entertainment, information and communication industries::KNTX Information technology industries thema EDItEUR::U Computing and Information Technology::UM Computer programming / software engineering thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PD Science: general issues::PDR Impact of science and technology on society thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KJ Business and Management Fletcher, Gordon Critical Software Studies |
| title | Critical Software Studies |
| title_full | Critical Software Studies |
| title_fullStr | Critical Software Studies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Critical Software Studies |
| title_short | Critical Software Studies |
| title_sort | critical software studies |
| topic | Software historiography Digital culture analysis Sociotechnical systems Algorithmic bias User interface critique Information systems theory Critical analysis of generative AI tools thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KJ Business and Management::KJM Management and management techniques::KJMV Management of specific areas::KJMV6 Research and development management thema EDItEUR::U Computing and Information Technology::UM Computer programming / software engineering::UMZ Software Engineering thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JH Sociology and anthropology::JHB Sociology::JHBL Sociology: work and labour thema EDItEUR::U Computing and Information Technology::UY Computer science::UYQ Artificial intelligence thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KN Industry and industrial studies::KNT Media, entertainment, information and communication industries::KNTX Information technology industries thema EDItEUR::U Computing and Information Technology::UM Computer programming / software engineering thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PD Science: general issues::PDR Impact of science and technology on society thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KJ Business and Management |
| topic_facet | Software historiography Digital culture analysis Sociotechnical systems Algorithmic bias User interface critique Information systems theory Critical analysis of generative AI tools thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KJ Business and Management::KJM Management and management techniques::KJMV Management of specific areas::KJMV6 Research and development management thema EDItEUR::U Computing and Information Technology::UM Computer programming / software engineering::UMZ Software Engineering thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JH Sociology and anthropology::JHB Sociology::JHBL Sociology: work and labour thema EDItEUR::U Computing and Information Technology::UY Computer science::UYQ Artificial intelligence thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KN Industry and industrial studies::KNT Media, entertainment, information and communication industries::KNTX Information technology industries thema EDItEUR::U Computing and Information Technology::UM Computer programming / software engineering thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PD Science: general issues::PDR Impact of science and technology on society thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KJ Business and Management |
| url | ONIX_20260529T115621_9781040926000_4 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fletchergordon criticalsoftwarestudies |