Manuel Castells is a Spanish Sociologist who is well known for “The Network Society”. Manuel Castells works for The Information Age: Economy, Society and Culture. Manuel Castells said that transformation in communication is the factor which spread globalization and the development of a new kind of society, the network society.
According to Castells, there are three processes which led to the rise of the network society:
The concept of the network society is related to the role of electronic communications technologies and interpretation of the social implications of globalization in society. “A society whose social structure is made up of networks powered by micro electronics based information and communications technologies” said Manuel Castells.
Manuel Castells also argues that, “Technology not only defines the modern society but also political, economic, cultural factors which make up the network society.” That means, the shape of network society is not only influenced by technology but also influenced by religion, cultural upbringing, political organizations and social status.
- Restructuring the industrial economy towards an open market approach.
- Freedom-oriented cultural movements of the late 1960s and early 1970s, including the civil rights movement, the feminist movement, and the environmental movement.
- Revolution in Information and Communication Technology.
Nodes:
Network involves multiple links between different nodes. Nodes are centers within a communication network that can receive and send messages. Individuals can be seen as nodes, but nodes can also take non-human forms such as contact centers, businesses or government departments.
Nature of Networks:
Network has no clear boundaries so it is stretched across national and cultural boundaries. Networks are interconnected with other different types of network. Social change can be occured easily in the networks.
Digital Communication:
Development of new software, development of telecommunication systems, privatization of the internet and penetration of the internet in social life led to globalization. Digital technology is also spreading all over the developing nations. Moreover there are multiple ways to access the internet on a wide range of devices. New technology is totally different from traditional mass media and it is so interactive. In this process virtual reality developed and individuals used it. Virtual life sometimes impacts non-virtual life and the difference between real life and virtual life is blurred. As a result the network society rose.
Space and Time:
In the network society, human experience of time and space is displaced to ‘timeless time’ and the ‘space of flows’. In the network society, power and powerlessness are a function of access to networks and control over flows. When one can experience a sense of proximity through the use of messaging, skype etc the physical distance and the passage of time seems shorter, at least insofar as activities involving communication are concerned. As a result it led to the network society.
According to Manuel Castells, “The expansion and revival of capitalism led to the rise of the network society.Capitalism is the main component of the context in which the development of network technology and the society that mediates it are situated. As a result, Network economy, Network enterprise, Network work, Network property emerged.
The network society is a technological society. Many people use technology in everyday life as a result people depend on the technologies and this led to the rise of the network society. Economy, culture, politics are all involved with technology. Which suggests a new society. According to Manuel Castells, which is the network society.
The words of Manuel Castells regarding the risen of network society are:
- The shift from capitalist economies to information-based ones led to the rise of the network society.
- The organization of global capitalist economic activity in the network model which led to the rise of the network society.
- Reorganization of the temporal and spatial organization of human activity, in response to technologies that enable real-time communication across vast distances.
- Power distribution based on control over access and flow in networks.
- The tension between local human identity and placeless networks.
All of the above has a role in the rise of the network society because all of the points change the traditional mass media society to the network society.
Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, instant messaging and email are prime examples of the network society at work. These web services allow people around the world to communicate digitally without face-to-face contact.
The network society has evolved into modern society which allows large amounts of information to be exchanged to help improve information and communication technology. “Present society is the network society”- Castells said.
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