Real and Digital Bias of Society Development, Research Proposal Example

Abstract

In the offered paper, research proposal is described. The research proposal covers technological/communication determinism of the society development in the bias of reality and digitalized dimensions of social processes conduct. In the offered research, the stress is put on exploration of how the internet development will shape the future society both in real and digital dimensions. The main theoretical concepts applicable in the research were outlined. Short references of the relevant academic research in the field were also provided.

Key words: digitalization, cyberculture, social functions, alienation, stereotype.

Real and Digital Bias of Society Development

In the context of the Ghost whisperer episode as a product of popular culture, it represents collective societal evaluation of the internet as a phenomenon of the modern world. Internet can be interpreted as a means of communication that creates social space and makes people closer to each other. Also, it gives an individual a sense of safety in relationships, which reality lacks. On the other hand, as it is shown in the episode, internet is also a means of alienation and disruption of social relationships between people. The world of fantasy becomes a substitution to the real world.  What is essential for this research is that this episode as a popular culture product reflects the main tendency in technology and internet development – changes in ICT influence and shape future society. In this context, one could come to a conclusion that due to the mass production, consumptive character of culture, overwhelming unification of traditions and values in the American society and their substitution by “popular items”, digitalization of social life, society of tomorrow is surreal and dualistic. In the chosen culture product, public/collective opinion on the phenomena concludes that there is no single-dimension perspective of life anymore, but double or rather multidimensional. Thus, new society of tomorrow is doomed to exist in the real world of unification and digital universe of possibilities and fantasies. In this respect, the question of self-identity, social value of an individual and development of society are entwined with the future of human civilization. Thus, the question of the offered research is technological/communication determinism of the society development in the bias of reality and cyber dimensions of social processes conduct.  In other words, the aim of offered research is to explore how the internet development will shape the future society both in real and digital dimensions. Depending on results of research conclusion will be given concerning which tendency is prevailing and what would be the consequences of its further development.

The theoretical framework of research corresponds to sociological theories of popular culture. Functionalism of E.Durkheim and T.Parsons, and symbolic interactionism of G.H. Mead are particularly relevant for research. The first approach will help to evaluate the level of individual’s alienation in the real world of  social unification of live in the framework of moral, religious or ethnic norms of behavior. In this context, the substitution of reality by fantasy of cyberspace is seen as shift in social functions of an individual. In this context, function of the internet is in providing an alternative social structure of the cyberspace, but it does not deprive an individual of his social functions. Thus, cyberspace is a mean of creating new social structure beyond material, cultural, gender differentiations. The second theory introduced by Mead explains the popularity of cyberspace life conduct by its freedom of possibilities and lack of conditionality in self-expression. Each person’s perception of society and reality is unique, and society can influence person only through the social experiences the person gains in his/her life. Thus, cyberspace might be seen as a realm of unlimited possibilities. On the other hand, if social function of an individual is shifted towards cyberspace, those possibilities might become limited just as in the real-world society. Example might be cybercrimes which are controlled by law. E-government is another example of digitalization of social life and its further transformation in to the cyberspace realm.

The main sources of research include academic investigations of Kevin Robins, David Bell and Frank Webster. In his article, Robins suggests that “there is no alternative and more perfect future world of cyberspace and virtual reality”; thus, people should not substitute one for another in order to change things that are not changeable in the real world (1995). The “postmodern crises of identity” cannot be replaced by the invented identity of cyberspace and world of fantasy. Internet societies are artificial and inferior substitutions of the real human relationship and communication (137). Thus, in the explored bias of future society development, Robins concludes that firstly, society is moving towards complete digitalization of social life and subsequent delusion of social obligations and individual identity as phenomena. Secondly, he suggests that influence of technological development on social life is harmful and will eventually lead to collapse of society as it is; thus, there is no evolution in for the society in the digital world.

David Bell concentrates his book on the issue of cyberculture and identity, matters that contribute to evaluation of individual-collective bias, social and private affairs, responsibility and rights of an individual in the legal real society and cyberspace realm (2001). According to Bell, self-identity of a person is “self-crafted in the world of cyberspace through the websites and graphic expressions” (135). It is not socially conditioned, but individually chosen matter of personal belonging to a cultural group either cyber or real. In other words, his concept of technology development and its influence on an individual and society is not negative but is just different kind of social connections’ creation and identity estimation. Subsequently, Bell’s view on digitalization of society is opposite to Robin’s opinion, so he represents the idea that society can successfully develop in the cyberspace, but needs certain corrections and improvements.

Of particular interest for this research is a new approach applied by Frank Webster in his article “Cybernetic Life” (2002). From his perspective, the social digitalization is appositive phenomenon, because it brings changes into society; thus, society evolves. He makes exploration from the perspective of the economic well-being and improvement of capitalism through the cyberspace experiences and work performance (34). Relevance of his article to this research is that he also states changes in society due to technological development of the internet, but from a different perspective than two other scholars. He makes a conclusion that future society and economic system would become more digitized and e-knowledge and e-skill oriented. Thus, he states that future society will conduct “cyber life” (42).

References

Bell, D. (2001). An Introduction to Cybercultures. New York, NY: Routledge.

Robins, K. (1995). “Cyberspace and the World We Live in”, Body & Sapce 1(3-4): 135-155.

Webster, F. (2002). “Cybernetic Life”. Living with cyberspace: technology & science in the 21^st century. Ed. Armitage, A., & Roberts, J. New York, NY: Continuum. 34-43.