Upgrade Culture and Technological Change: The Business of the Future

This book explores the origin and future of upgrade culture, a collection of cultural habits and orientations based on the assumption that new technologies will rapidly, perpetually, and inevitably emerge. It analyzes discourses of technological change and the practices of marketing workers inside the consumer technology industry between the early 1980s and the late 2010s, and attends to issues both intimate to the culture of marketing work and structural to the organization of the consumer technology industry.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 170 pages
Publication date: 29 January 2024
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This captivating book delves into the fascinating realm of upgrade culture, a dynamic and ever-evolving cultural phenomenon driven by the unwavering belief that new technologies will continuously and inevitably emerge. Through a comprehensive analysis of discourses surrounding technological change and the practices of marketing professionals within the consumer technology industry, spanning from the early 1980s to the late 2010s, the book unveils the origins, evolution, and potential future of this culture. Drawing upon a wealth of archival and popular sources, first-hand interviews with a diverse range of industry experts, and immersive participant observations at exclusive industry-only events, the book offers a rich tapestry of insights. It explores both the intimate nuances of the culture of marketing work and the structural dynamics that shape the consumer technology industry. This book will captivate a wide audience, including social/cultural theorists of technology, marketing, and consumerism, as well as scholars in business history, communication, cultural studies, media studies, sociology, and anthropology. To enhance accessibility, the Introduction of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license. You can access it at: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/oa-mono/10.4324/9781003193869-1/introduction-adam-richard-rottinghaus?context=ubx&refId=1bb75408-b5c2-4a69-bd20-082a73a77920

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032045788