SOC C167 VOCAB TERMS

ICT

Ali Information and Communication Technology - includes any communication device or application, encompassing: radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network hardware and software Digital divide is a function of how ICT is used

Barriers to Internet use

Ali Lack of local information, literacy barriers, language barriers, and the lack of cultural diversity of content Availability of content in local languages and the availability of content that is relevant to the local culture English is the unofficial language of the Internet

Causes of the digital divide

Ali Lack of the development of ICT infrastructure and skills. Lower rates of higher education and lack of scientists and engineers in Developing countries

SNS

Ali Social Network Sites (SNSs) are web-based services that allow individuals to... Construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system Articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection View and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system They allow users to have an online presence where they might share personal information about themselves, search for other users and communicate with those users, sometimes asynchronously and sometime synchronously

Relationship between technology and culture

Ali What does globalization reveal about technology and culture? ● Technology is not just a static, tangible object ● Baym's aspects of social media ● Culturally and socially infused ● Culture and social context shapes the meaning of technology ● This is not just a global thing, but a local and generational reality— maybe most obvious in global context ● Power matters!

Digital Divide

Ali & Sarkar Digital divide is often framed as a simple division between those who have access to the internet and those who do not. What? The gap in access and usage of information and communication technology (ICT) Measurements - Who has connectivity? What kind of connectivity? How is connectivity used? How is it changing? Why does it matter? Digital divide as a contested term Digital divide is inevitable "We should concentrate on basic needs, not technological luxuries" First World / Developed world perspective Freedom to develop Technology as a means for development E-commerce and business without borders Education and free information Not just economic, but social and political (democratization) Increase in basic service industries like healthcare Current worldwide unevenness in access to and use of technologies

Social Media

Baym Medium used to interact with virtual communities, online networks, and political decisions They vary in temporal structure, interactivity, social cues, storage, and reach

Dystopian Discourse

Baym Perpetuate fears that communication technologies will take us farther apart from one another, leading us to cocoon in highly selective groups of like others, embracing machines instead of people. These rhetorics are predictable, and tell us as much about society than they do about technology. They point to our deep need to trust, connect with, and protect one another and ourselves, and the perpetual struggles these needs engender. Shallow communication Social isolation Privatism Decline in network diversity Laziness - Is Google making us stupid? Moral Degradation

Technological Determinism

Baym Strong tendency to view technology as agents entering societies as active forces of change that people have too little power to resist Causal flow goes from technology to society. The medium is the message.

Fear of new technology

Baym Technopanics - Moral panics about contemporary technology focus on new media forms pathologize young people's use of this media cultural anxiety manifests itself in an attempt to modify or regulate behavior

Interactivity

Baym Ability of a medium that enables social interactions, communication, and form ties Examples - Social, Technical, Textual

Temporal Structure

Baym Refers to the role time plays in the conversation Asynchronous - have time delay between the communication Synchronous - when you are talking face to face (in that precise moment, real time)

Domestication of technology

Baym Through a process of domestication, they become taken-for-granted parts of everyday life, no longer seen as agents of change. Examples in lecture - printing press, ford's car, telephone, radio, tv Form of dystopia of social media

Absent Presence

Baym We struggle with the challenge of absent presence, as we may be physically present in one space, but emotionally invested elsewhere

Social Shaping

Baym When causal flow goes both ways (social and technology) Consequences of technology use arises from a mix of affordances; When influence flows in both directions

Social Constructivism of Technology

Baym When new technology is the consequence of social factors The causal flow when forces influence the invention of new technologies (society to technology)

Utopian Discourse

Baym - Emphasize the happy prospect that technology will liberate true selves from constraints of geography and the shackles of marginalized social identities and empower them to enrich their offline relationships and engage in new online relationships More supportive networks Shrinking of time and space Increase in network diversity Connect with similar others Greater political engagement (i.e. interview with the president via e-space) Freedom

Google is making us stupid

Carr Technological Determinism - Net (Google) as a source of information changes the way our brains think, potentially reducing our capacity for sustained deep thought. This results from our brain processes adapting to become like the way we receive information. Carr keeps a long standing tradition of technological determinism in which the technology is conceptualized as an external agent that acts upon and changes society

Strength of tie

Emotional attachment, frequency of interaction, time commitment, closeness The strength of a tie is a linear combination of the amount of time, the emotional intensity, the intimacy (mutual confiding), and the reciprocal services which characterize the tie. Each of these ties are somewhat independent of the other, though the set is obviously highly intracorrelated "Closeness" or intensity is the best measure of tie strength

Four elements of globalization

Globalization - "the intensification of worldwide social relations which link distant localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away and vice versa" (Giddens) 4 elements of globalization (Held) - Extensity, Intensity, Velocity, Impact

Bridge

Granovetter A "bridge" is a tie that provides the only path between two points All bridges are weak ties, but not all weak ties are bridges.

Strength of Weak Ties

Granovetter Weak ties are useful in that it allows for larger possible networks, diffuses information across these networks further, serve as bridges to form new network connections, and increase diversity of networks and communities Weak Ties Weak ties are more likely to provide access to unique information and resources than are strong ties. i.e., info on new job opportunities, as well as resources for collective action. In diffusion processes, whatever is to be diffused can reach a larger number of people, and traverse greater social distance when passed through weak ties, Weak Ties and Information Diffusion Unique information is less likely to travel across strong ties. Whatever is to be diffused can reach a larger number of people through weak ties than strong.

Neighboring

Hampton Does the Internet weaken communities? Does geography (i.e. neighboring) no longer matter? Internet is adding onto existing forms of communication Internet affects community as one form of communication among many, whose use and implications are intertwined Ability to facilitate neighborhood based interactions, specifically the asynchronous, broadcast ability of email SNSs and neighboring • No indication that different types of technology use predict neighboring. • Internet and non-internet users are equally as likely as others to know at least some of their neighbors

Copresent

Hampton Public Wifi users likely to have copresent companions You are there together virtually In favor of unfamiliar and learn toward a diversity of interest, behaviors, and beliefs rather than to the familiar or the homophilous High density of co-present acquaintanceships. • 66% interacted with others using wireless Internet. • 51% exchanged with kin, 99% had contact with non-kin

Colocated

Hampton Public Wifi users prefer not to be colocated with others in public space You are sitting next to each other Large majority of wireless Internet users had a low density of colocated acquaintanceships Low density of co-located acquaintanceships. • 78.5% were alone, 18.1% dyads, 3.4% three or more. • Minority of groups contained kinship relations (23.9%)

Context or neighborhood effect

Hampton When you are surrounded by others with whom they share much in common Allow for like-mindedness to maximize tolerance and democratic engagement

Public Realm

Hampton Public realm is a specific social setting: can plan for meeting existing acquaintances as well as meeting strangers by chance Lowest density of acquaintanceship - latent ties

Homophily

Hampton Similarity breeds connection Homophily can limit the information people receive and in turn influence attitude formation. In what ways do networks tend to be homophilious? Race, ethnicity, education, intelligence, religion, attitudes, etc...

Netville

Hampton & Wellman Netville residents valued the relatively high speed Internet connectivity and the neighborhood Net-L email list Wired suburbs with local online discussion groups increased contact with neighbors (NET-L email list) and weak(er) ties When people can use the Internet to communicate at a very low cost, neighboring can flourish online Spatial, temporal, and social barriers to community organizing were overcome through the use of the Internet harbinger of globalization, being simultaneously globally connected and locally involved

Singles vs. Withs

Humphreys People who are alone (Singles), People who are with other people (Withs) Singles are much more vulnerable to contact from others and may be judged more harshly than Withs. Singles may be seen as having something wrong with them for not being able to be in a With - potentially seen as not having friends nor being sociable.

Dual Front stage

Humphreys Performing on two very different front stages when engaging in mobile phone use in public spaces Lack of visual cues through which people can communicate information Cellphones allow for communication on multiple fronts simultaneously

Caller hegemony

Humphreys The caller acts, the answerer must react The caller has more power than the answerer in the relationship because the call recipient doesn't have the power of who to call (asymmetrical relationship) - broken when ID is verified beforehand

Privatism

Lecture 2 Dystopian Perspective, A confluence of trends constrain diversity

Strong Ties

Lecture 2 People have the strongest ties with people who similar to themselves on key attributes, such as social class, age, sex, race, political views, etc. The minority of all active network ties, but the majority of active supportive ties. Strong ties provide a wider range of support than weak ties. Not all strong ties provide all types of support. Despite problems with measurement, we know that strong ties are: homophilous and transitive

Node

Lecture 2 People, Individual actors, organizations, countries, things within the network SNA characterizes networked structures in terms of nodes and ties that connect them

Key assumptions of social network analysis (SNA)

Lecture 2 SNA is the study of relationships and structure as opposed to the study of attributes Relations, not attributes Network, not groups Context matters

Dunbar's number

Lecture 5 Social Network Size = 150 Suggested cognitive limit to the number of people with whom one can maintain stable social relationships 15 (best) - 50 (close) - 150 (casual friends)

Kin-keepers

Lecture 5 The moms of the family, mostly women, those who are the ones bringing people together Taking care of the social aspect - they're the ones keeping the family together Idea of holiday Relevance: because what it tells us about different media outlets Women tend to use social media sites more - an example of why social media is gendered Cultural/societal imprint on social media platforms

Density

McPherson "Network density" describes the portion of the potential connections in a network that are actual connections.

Hybridization

McPherson Both aspects of homogenization and heterogeneity Not random, but patterned! Wealth and power integral to the way hybridization plays out Example: institutionalization of economic and social norms The direction of cultural influence tends to follow this flow Digital divide as another example of this

Homogenization vs. heterogeneity

McPherson Homogenization or Heterogeneity Homogenization = the world is becoming more and more alike (cultural influences, economic integration, social network connections) Heterogeneity = homophily means that although there is some increased exposure, the majority of increase in intensity happens between similar cultures (cosmopolitanism, West vs. Rest) Jihad vs. McWorld

Ego

McPherson An individual "focal" node or actor - can be persons, groups, organizations, whole societies

Social isolation

McPherson Dystopian perspectives - Americans now have on average 1 less person to have "important discussions" with

Fear of missing out

Pryzybylski Defined as pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent, FoMO is characterized by the desire to stay continually connected with what others are doing

Bowling alone

Putnam Is Social Capital in decline? As shown in Robert Putnam's Bowling Alone More people bowling than ever, but Bowling clubs and leagues in harsh decline. Decrease in number of club meetings attended per year: 12 to 5 Decrease in number of times entertained at home per year: 15.25 to 8.25 Number of evenings a year married couples spent with someone who lives in their neighborhood: 30 to 20 Minutes spent in informal socializing per day: 85 to 57

Social decapitalization

Putnam Why Social Decapitalization/Erosion? • Women going into the labor force • Increased mobility - people moving around a lot • Demographic changes: more divorces, fewer marriages, fewer children, lower wages • Technology replacing other forms of leisure

Virtual Community

Rheingold A virtual community is created when virtual social aggregations form web of personal relationships in cyberspace that share human feelings and spur public discussions

WELL

Rheingold Whole Earth Lectronic Link The birthplace of online community (chat rooms) movement Users come from isolated, lonely self-employed and home-workers Best resource for information gathering Wit, generosity, and agreeability are rewarded

Third Places

Rheingold Place of conviviality (friendliness) - the traditional place used to be cafes and pubs, now its evolved into virtual communities

YMMV

Rheingold Your Mileage May Vary - Your results will vary Everyone uses virtual community differently - each person's experience, involvement, and the benefits they get out of it will be different

Encounter

Shklovski Study of an urban night game / online gaming network that was played by thousands in the Former Soviet Union Encounter players formed a complex social ecology - an active and at time benevolent community where individuals players supported not only friends or acquaintances, but also engaged in charity actions to help unknown players in need

Bonding social capital

Steinfield Emphasizes emotional benefits from strong ties Found between individuals in tightly-knit, emotionally close relationships, such as family and close friends

Bridging social capital

Steinfield Focus on the present paper, stems from what network research refer to as "weak ties," which are loose connections between individuals who may provide useful information or not circle provides access to non-redundant information, resulting in benefits such as employment connections SNSs and bridging social capital • SNS uses greater bridging social capital • Greater intensity of Facebook use leads to higher bridging social capital • Facebook users get more social support than other people

FB and Social Capital

Steinfield Strong association was found between the intensity of Facebook use and a participant's perceived bridging social capital. Facebook use helped students turn latent contacts into real connections, often by reducing the barriers that would otherwise prevent such connections from happening.

Latent Ties

Steinfield Ties that are "technically possible but not yet activated." These ties may be activated (converted to weak ties) through the introduction of a new medium of communication (ex. Offline meet-ups for online communities, A virtual community for a class, Bumping into a Facebook friend at the coffee shop) Latent ties might lower the barriers in initiating communication, both because potential commonalities are revealed and because crucial information about others, such as relationship status, are provided - thus mitigating fears of rejection

Social capital

Steinfield and Putnam Social capital is an elastic construct used to describe the benefits one receives from one's relationships with other people The sum of the resources, actual or virtual, that accrue to an individual or a group by virtue of possessing a durable network of more or less institutionalized relationships of mutual acquaintance and recognition Social capital is both an individual and a collective good - • Investment in social relations with expected returns • Features of social organization such as networks, norms, and social trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit

Cost of caring

The "cost of caring" associated with awareness of other people's stressful events may be a negative consequence of social media use because social media may make users more aware of the struggles of those in their network

Rich get richer

Tufekci People who are socially active offline benefit the most from online interactions. Highly sociable people would reach out to others on the Internet and use the Internet esp. for communication.

Seek and ye shall find

Tufekci Takes user beliefs and motivation in account People conclude that online sociality is real or faux - hence the never ending debate among pundits People who believe in online friendship had 52% higher odds of acquiring new friends Support for belief in "hyperpersonal" nature of cyberspace

Social compensation

Tufekci Those who are introverted or otherwise have difficulty in maintaining offline social networks might benefit disproportionately from Internet sociality

Hyperpersonal space

Tufekci Computer mediated communication Freer of social judgments Less emphasis on appearance, more on conversation Experiment - Whether social media can expand people's social networks, and whether online friends can be real friends - Result direct to hyperpersonal interaction (earliest theory of computer-mediated communication) - freer of social judgments, less emphasis on appearance, more on conversation

Solitude

Turkle Being alone feels like a problem that needs to be solved, and so people try to solve by connecting. I share therefore I am. Connection > Isolation You end up isolated if you don't cultivate the capacity for solitude, the ability to be separate, to gather yourself. Solitude is where you find yourself so that you can reach out to other people and form real attachments. If not, we slip into thinking that always being connected is going to make us feel less alone. But, it's the opposite that is true. If we are not being to be alone, we are going to feel even more lonely.

Goldilocks Principle

Turkle People can't get enough of each other, if and only if they can have each other at a distance in amount that they can control Idea of not too close, not too far, just right - must be in specific margins There's a phenomenon where people want a specific interaction (a specific distance), it's a bad because people won't know how to engage with people

Alone Together

Turkle People want to be with one another, but also elsewhere - connected to all the different places they want to be. People want to customize their lives, because the thing that matters most to them is control over where they put their attention.

Virtual Community as Real Communities

Wellman Virtual communities lack information about age, race, or appearance, but can still share stories, feel empathy and compassion, and connect strangers to form a community

Replicability

baym - a form of social media that replicates asynchronous communication, ensuring endurability and distribution of the data.

Storage

baym - a form of social media though allows for endurability of data in devices, websites, and company backups. only applicable to asynchronous communication.

Social Cues

baym - meaning of messages, and identities of the people interacting and communicating something that the social media tends to lack, because it is not face to face

Reach

baym - media varies in the size of an audience they can reach (support, attainment) Partner of speed - digitized discourse travels quickly, but it also travels widely... One single keystroke can send a message to thousands of people