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The Network Society, Darin Barney, London: Polity, 2004, pp. 198In The Network Society, Darin Barney investigates the claim
that "the spirit of our age is the spirit of the network" (2).
This claim, the so-called "network society thesis," announces
the birth of a new social order in which "identity, politics, and
economy are structured, and operate, as networks" (2). The argument
that networks form the organizational principle of social, political, and
economic configurations is a direct consequence, we are told, of the
communication and management technologies that mediate virtually all
contemporary societal practices. This being said, Barney sets out to
assess the status of the network society thesis as a truth claim: Does the
thesis in fact describe the arrival of a new societal order or does it
merely provide a script for its possible realization? Although he
concludes the rhetoric of the network society serves both functions,
Barney's ultimate concern is that its prescriptive capacity is
sufficiently powerful that the political will to offset the further
advance of the network society is fast disappearing.

In The Network Society, Darin Barney provides a compelling examination of the social, political and economic implications of network technologies and their application across a wide range of practices and institutions. Are we in the midst of a digital revolution? Have new information and communication technologies given birth to a new form of society, or do they reinforce and extend existing patterns and relationships? This book provides a clear and engaging discussion of these and other questions. Using a sophisticated model of the relationship between technology and society, Barney investigates both what has changed, and what has remained the same, in the age of the Internet. Among the issues discussed are debates concerning the emergence of a 'knowledge economy'; digital restructuring of employment and work; globalization and the status of the nation-state; the prospects of digital democracy; the digital divide; new social movements; and culture, community and identity in the age of new media. This book provides an accessible resource for a thoughtful engagement with life in the network society. It will be essential reading for students in sociology and media and communication studies. This will be a valuable textbook for undergraduate students of sociology and media and communication studies.

Today we are not talking about criticism of the traditional image of man, but about the end of faith in human exceptionalism. The human rights movement is recognized as a form of logo-centrism and is shifting towards the protection of the rights of women, children, the disabled, prisoners, migrants and other minorities. Voices are heard in defense of the rights of animals and non-human beings with artificial intelligence (a pair of robots have already obtained citizenship rights); scientists are discussing the possibility of reconstructing human beings based on gene technology. A profound transformation of perceptions about man is taking place in the models of the new network globalization, which replaces the liberal and conservative projects of the unity of mankind. The development of PR technology, which dealt a blow to the ideals of individual freedom and democracy in civil society, has turned man into a controlled being. The order of a global network society is no longer determined by human criteria of good and evil, but by information and financial flows. The digital revolution in work and entertainment, education and culture, as well as economics and politics has led to the creation of many digital counterparts, while man himself, deprived of the protection of the state and society, has found himself in a situation of anomie and total loneliness. Thus, transhumanism is no longer a mental experiment of marginal philosophy, but a post-human stage of civilization development. Discussions about the future of a network society, artificial intelligence and human construction based on gene technologies should not be perceived as intellectual entertainment, which free minds have been exposed to in recent years. They should not be neglected, because the more scenarios of possible development will be created and calculated, the better humanity will respond to the next crisis.

The theory of the network society, in my own version, was originally elaborated in the book that, under the title The Rise of the Network Society, I published in 1996. It was revised and updated in the 2000 and 2010 editions. However, the significant social change that has taken place on a global scale in the last decade provides an opportunity to reassess its heuristic value. Therefore, in this text, I will attempt to consider the currency of the theory of the network society when confronted with these changes.

2021 marked the 25th Anniversary of Manuel Castells' The Rise of the Network Society, the first volume of the Information Age trilogy. The Trilogy immediately became one of the most influential works to understand the societal change in the wake of the digital revolution. More than two decades later, many of the emerging processes theorised and analysed in the Trilogy have reached full maturity, if not evolved in unexpected ways. Also, several theoretical and epistemological trends have developed or consolidated in the social sciences that have either been influenced by or challenged the Trilogy position. In this scenario, is the Network Society Theory still relevant for understanding today's digitalised society? How should we develop the Network Society approach now? This special issue aims to answer these questions. In particular, in this collection of papers, we identify three interrelated dimensions: new developments in the evolution or disruption of the Network Society, the articulation between network logics and other spatial forms, and the relation of the Network Society with recurrent topics in Castells' work beyond the Information. The papers are a selection of the contributions to the online workshop The Network Society Today: (Revisiting) the Information Age Trilogy (November 2–30, 2020), in which Prof. Castells also participated. This volume brings together a wide range of established and emerging scholars from a diversity of Social Sciences disciplines with plural theoretically informed papers tackling rich empirical case studies across the world, spanning throughout America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Contributions conclude with a reflection by Manuel Castells on them and his work.

AbstractThis article explores the import of the network society for conflict resolution, broadly defined. Defining networks as social structures which connect people to each other, the article highlights the dual potential impacts of networks on participation in conflict resolution processes. Network society discourse creates a discourse of inclusion while also offering opportunities for exclusion. Conflict resolution theory has embraced the inclusive potential of network dynamics both implicitly and explicitly. Peacebuilders use networks, with their potential for participation and connecting conflict resolution processes, levels, and sectors, in efforts to do their peacebuilding work better. However, not all networks support conflict resolution. Networks can also reinforce conflicts, institutionalize exploitation, exacerbate inequalities, and strengthen violent conflict movements. Networks can be distinguished as inclusive or exclusive. Inclusive networks are more suitable for supporting meaningful participation in conflict resolution processes, while exclusive networks entrench conflict. Vibrant networks incorporate more inclusive and more exclusive dynamics in network vitality that allows both flexibly incorporating diversity and developing clarity of focus that inevitably delineates areas (or people or activities) outside the area of focus. Meaningful inclusion and participation in conflict resolution negotiations is broadly possible through inclusive networks, but forms of exclusion from conflict resolution negotiations are equally possible outgrowths of exclusive networks.

AbstractVarious studies have confirmed the existence of a network society in Malaysia. They generally identify its presence through aggregated individual level attributes, such as possession and usage of computer and the Internet, access to computer and the Internet, and benefits received by the network societal members. This society is widely said to be the outcome of the Malaysian government's efforts to counter increasing challenges and impacts of globalisation and ICT waves since the 1990s; in particular, the digital divide within the society. However, a review of the studies has led the authors of this article to highlight some limitations in the conceptualisation of the notions 'network society' and 'network'. Thus, the nature of the network society has not been well-understood. In this article, the authors draw upon some illuminating characteristics that have been provided by the studies to produce a conceptual framework that will serve as a useful analytical tool for a broader alternative and sociological understanding of the character of the network society and digital divide issues in Malaysia.

The authors of this article claim that the network society is organised around such flow
of information in which each entity constitutes its specific centre. Through the network entities
obtain information from other entities. The amount of information and the fact that it is difficult
to verify it are the reasons why the issue of credibility plays the key role in such a society. Aiming
at being credible within the network society involves various methods and techniques of making
other entities acknowledge one's credibility. In result credibility is strongly related to creativity. In
the pragmatic sense, credibility becomes the objective of creativity. In the moral aspect creativity
assumes credibility due to the need to shape a person (education and upbringing) in and by the
society in such a way that they may become a creative entity, stimulate their creativity and use it
through the interaction with other entities.

In the article, the authors have integrated the network approach and the Frontier Theory, proving the heuristic potential of such a synthesis in discovering of the network society flexible borders development logic. The conceptual ideas of the Frontier Theory were revealed by the American historian F.J. Turner and his followers, later this approach was borrowed and adopted in other branches of social sciences and humanities. The authors disclose the potential of this theory with regard to the social space, including the network space. In this research, the network frontier is defined as a mobile space border of contact and mutual interpenetration between the network society social/cultural practices and those of previous times. The main stages of its development are justified and described according to several criteria. These are availability and variety of interfaces; specific technological platforms that create conditions for the networks and communities formation; centering of frontier zones around the "gravitational fields" (which are different network leaders and innovative practices in the network structures); the role of a state in implementation of control, regulatory and coordinating functions in the public network space. The researchers have identified and discussed some of the network frontier markers, such as the mobility of network border, specific features of governing system, "abuse of administrative power" and arbitrariness. The frontier demonstrates numerous examples of transgressions, first of all, in the identities formation. The directions of future research are outlined in the article: the network frontier myths and heroes, the evolution of the frontier type of personality in different social spaces, and other. Modern political processes, the growth of the developmental non-linearity and uncertainty actualize the frontier discourse in political studies. Acknowledgements. This article was prepared with fi nancial support provided by the Russian State Humanitarian Foundation (research grant № 15-03-00339 "The Frontier of Network Society as a Space of Political Interaction").