ABSTRACT
One answer to the question of the value of sociological theory in the digital age is from the field of Critical Information Theory (CIT). CIT, as a branch of social theory, is less oriented toward empirical research practice than are other approaches to sociological theory. While prior to the Second World War there was not a sharp division between sociological theory and social theory, in the postwar period sociological theory and social theory diverged as sociologists embraced new quantitatively oriented research methodologies and reoriented the use of theory in their discipline so as to more effectively guide empirical research using the new methods. In sharp contrast to most contemporary sociological theory, CIT is not oriented toward directing research that uses quantitative empirical research tools such as surveys, experiments, content analysis methods, or computational social science tools such as data mining tools or simulations. Like social theory generally, from the classical Critical Theory of the Frankfurt School to postmodern social theory, the orientation of CIT is toward ethical social change. Chapter 4 discusses CIT’s historical and philosophical foundations, reviews the major works of the most influential contemporary Critical Information theorists including Andrew Feenberg, Christian Fuchs and David M. Berry, and evaluates CIT from sociological and historical perspectives.
