{"product_id":"platforms-a-critical-introduction-hardback-9781509568109","title":"Platforms; A Critical Introduction (Hardback) 9781509568109","description":"\u003cfont face=\"Georgia\"\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"6\"\u003ePlatforms\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cfont size=\"5\"\u003eA Critical Introduction\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"4\"\u003eAnne Helmond (Author), Fernando van der Vlist (Author)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e9781509568109, Polity Press\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eHardback, published 5 June 2026\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e240 pages\u003cbr\u003e21.8 x 14 x 2.3 cm, 0.454 kg\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\"Helmond and van der Vlist are gifted teachers who help students and faculty find their way in the burgeoning field of platform studies. \u003ci\u003ePlatforms\u003c\/i\u003e is a timely and much-needed book to help us understand the rapidly changing online environment.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJosé van Dijck, Utrecht\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eUniversity\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This should be the first book you read on platforms. Helmond and van der Vlist provide a masterful introduction and critical guide to understanding plaforms. A must-read for students and scholars alike.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMarc Steinberg, Concordia University\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom Instagram and Uber to Alibaba and ChatGPT, platforms shape nearly every aspect of life. They influence the ways we communicate, work, study, shop, vote, and connect. But what exactly are platforms? How do they work and how did they become so powerful?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePlatforms\u003c\/i\u003e offers a critical introduction to platforms and platformisation. Written by two leading experts, the book explains how platforms operate as companies, as services, and as technologies or infrastructures. Drawing on real-world examples, Anne Helmond and Fernando van der Vlist unpack key concepts such as platform power, governance, and strategy. They demonstrate that platforms shape economies, cultures, and institutions, and reveal their power to generate value, influence public life, and create new forms of dependence and control. Pedagogical features and practical approaches to analysing platforms are also provided.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAccessible, timely, and grounded in global perspectives, this book is a must-read for students and scholars across the social sciences and the humanities, as well as for policymakers and anyone who seeks to understand the role of platforms in our world.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eLists of tables and figures\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eAcknowledgements\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1. Introduction: Platforms in culture and society \u003cbr\u003e2. Understanding platforms\u003cbr\u003e3. Profit and power \u003cbr\u003e4. Governance and regulation \u003cbr\u003e5. Conclusion and outlook \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eGlossary\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eNotes\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eReferences\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eIndex\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eSubject Areas: Society \u0026amp; culture: general [\u003ca title=\"See our other books on Society \u0026amp; culture: general\" href=\"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/search?q=%22Society%20\u0026amp;%20culture:%20general%20%5BJF%5D%22\"\u003eJF\u003c\/a\u003e]\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/font\u003e","brand":"Polity","offers":[{"title":"Brand New","offer_id":52441816006936,"sku":"9781509568109","price":41.69,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0730\/2037\/5320\/files\/9781509568109.jpg?v=1785027115","url":"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/products\/platforms-a-critical-introduction-hardback-9781509568109","provider":"Freshly Printed Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}