Negative Meanings of the Internet: the Net Regulation from the Perspective of Jeffrey C. Alexander’s Strong Program in Cultural Sociology

• Authors: Piotr Siuda

Title variants

PL

Negatywne znaczenia Internetu: regulacja sieci w świetle mocnego programu socjologii kulturowej Jeffreya C. Alexandra

• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Jeffrey C. Alexander, the founder of the strong program of cultural sociology, has described cultural meanings connected with the computer. Using the concepts of this prominent theoretician, this article relates his theories to the Internet. Perceiving the Net through a lens of cultural meanings, one must consider code and narrations. At the code level, the Internet falls within the sacral (sacred) sphere because it is believed to completely change social life. There are two narrations related to the Net, the positive and the negative one. In the case of the negative narration, many various motives may be identified. They are linked with the necessity to control both the very technology and its users. Although regulation of technology is primarily concerned with watching over the operations of large Internet firms, users must also develop appropriate habits in using the Net. The article is aimed at characterizing this regulation through qualitative analysis of publications by selected writers. The author argues that today the negative narration is connected with highlighting the misfortunes which are supposed to result from the lack of Internet regulations.

PL

Jeffrey C. Alexander, twórca tak zwanego mocnego programu w socjologii kulturowej, opisał znaczenia kulturowe związane z komputerem. Bazując na pomyśle prominentnego teoretyka, artykuł przedstawia znaczenia związane z internetem. W wypadku sieci pojmowanej jako tekst kulturowy wyróżnić możemy kod oraz narracje. Na poziomie kodu internet przynależy do sfery sacrum, bowiem kojarzony jest z narzędziem całkowicie zmieniającym życie społeczne. Jeśli chodzi o narracje, można wyróżnić dwie, odnoszące się do regulowania sieci – pozytywną oraz negatywną. W wypadku drugiej wyróżnić można wiele motywów, przy czym podkreślają one konieczność kontroli zarówno samej technologii, jak i jej użytkowników. Regulowanie technologii utożsamia się przede wszystkim z czuwaniem nad działalnością wielkich internetowych firm; użytkownicy mają natomiast wykształcać odpowiednie nawyki związane z korzystaniem z sieci. Celem artykułu jest scharakteryzowanie narracji regulowania, co czyni się przez jakościową analizę książek wybranych badaczy. Autor pokazuje, że dzisiaj narracja negatywna oznacza przede wszystkim podkreślanie nieszczęść, jakie mają wynikać z braku regulacji internetu.

Keywords

EN

cultural sociology; Jeffrey C. Alexander; Internet studies; regulation of the Internet; cyberoptimism; cyberpessimism

PL

socjologia kulturowa; Jeffrey C. Alexander; badania internetu; regulowanie internetu; cyberoptymizm; cyberpesymizm

• Publisher: Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Studia Socjologiczne
• Year: 2015
• Issue: 3(218)
• Pages: 149-167

Contributors

author

Piotr Siuda

• Uniwersytet Kazimierza Wielkiego, Katedra Socjologii, ul. Ogińskiego 16, 85-092 Bydgoszcz

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