Manuel Castells was born in Barcelona, Spain in 1942.  As a youth he endured the Franco-Dictatorship and often spoke out against it.  Being political paved the way for Maunuel to grasp sociology, the study of society. After leaving Spain for the University of Paris, Castells gained his doctorate in sociology at the age of 24. After gaining his doctorate he began a life’s work in the field of communication, and determining what its impact on society was. 

Castells specialized in the study of social movements and their importance to social change.  I feel much of Castells’ work is extremely relevant today.  His analysis of social movements creating social change can be seen throughout history and throughout the world today.  “The Arab Spring” the name given to this years social movements in the Middle East is a prime example of how the power and voice of the people, and their ability to assemble, is the determining factor to social change. 

Manuel Castells has been published over 16 times, covering a number of subjects, from social movements, to the positives and negatives of living in the information age. His knowledge in the field of sociology and communication is vast, and is one of the premiere scholars in the field today.

Manuel Castells in His Own Words

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GBB7U5mv0w

References

Stalder, Felix. Manuel Castells and the Theory of the Network Society. Oxford, Polity Press (2006)

USC Webpage on Castells

http://annenberg.usc.edu/Faculty/Communication%20and%20Journalism/CastellsM.aspx