AHSS*1090 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Mass Media, Soundscape, Walkman
Communication, Technology & Culture
Week 8: Community in the Network Society
Community
-“A social, religious, occupational or other group sharing common characteristics
or interest and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the
larger society within which it exists”
-Rarely use the term in a neutral way
Two Ways of Looking at Community
Gemeinschaft
-Translates as “community”
-Refers to a cohesive social entity united by pre-existing bond
-Doesn’t directly serve a utilitarian purpose but there may be benefits
-Example: family
Gesellschaft
-Translates as “society” or “association”
-Individuals who come together because of an over-arching goal
-People are loosely connected through bonds that are goal connected
-Example: nation-state
-Most social groups have characteristics from both
The Nation
-One of the most globally significant forms of collective identity
-Our very concept of modern identity can be traced back to historical emergence
of the nation in 18th century Europe
-The nation becomes possible because of new forms of media such as the daily
newspaper
-These newspaper readers form the basis of a community that construct a
narrative of the world – from a national point of view
-An “imagined community”
How Has Community Changed?
-Community-lost view: industrialization is the cause of a decline in community
-Community-saved view: focuses on how friendship and family networks continue
to dominate as forms of social organization
-Community-liberated view: community life is not lost but has undergone radical
transformation
Social Capital
-An individual of group’s actual and potential access to valuable resources
through social networks
-The sum of valuable resources that can be obtained through the relationships we
have with friends and relatives and the social networks that these relationships
form
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
A social, religious, occupational or other group sharing common characteristics or interest and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists . Rarely use the term in a neutral way. Refers to a cohesive social entity united by pre-existing bond. Doesn"t directly serve a utilitarian purpose but there may be benefits. Individuals who come together because of an over-arching goal. People are loosely connected through bonds that are goal connected. Most social groups have characteristics from both. One of the most globally significant forms of collective identity. Our very concept of modern identity can be traced back to historical emergence of the nation in 18th century europe. The nation becomes possible because of new forms of media such as the daily newspaper. These newspaper readers form the basis of a community that construct a narrative of the world from a national point of view.
