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Agency, Cyberspace, and Social Contract
[journal article]
Abstract
The social contract has been about rights and responsibilities in human societies. Facebook and its role in manufacturing and sustaining a global social contract, a new "we" is clearly one of the research areas that needs more attention. A new "we" is coming of age in the new age of connectivity and... view more
The social contract has been about rights and responsibilities in human societies. Facebook and its role in manufacturing and sustaining a global social contract, a new "we" is clearly one of the research areas that needs more attention. A new "we" is coming of age in the new age of connectivity and communication with a new outlook toward responsibility and rights at individual and collective levels. Facebook purports to build a new world based on connection and communication which is based on progress and prosperity. However, a fundamental factor and feature of Facebook that needs attention and more research is that people and users are becoming increasingly lonely, separated and independent from each other in this process while connecting and communicating with one another. This new social contract and "we" thus have the new features of the relationship between the human agency and his/her social structures. Cyberspace is the product of human agency and clearly creates and sustains a specific social structure. This research seeks to study the relationship between human agency, changing technical tools of communication and connection and emerging and evolving social structures and social contracts. Bandura's "social cognitive theory" (2006) rejects a conflict and dichotomy between agency and social structure. As agency helps to build new social structures after destroying the old ones these new structures create and sustain a new social contract and "we" with a new sense of responsibility, obligations, and rights.... view less
Keywords
facebook; social structure; social network; technological change; communication medium; Internet; interdependence; rights and responsibilities
Classification
General Sociology, Basic Research, General Concepts and History of Sociology, Sociological Theories
Interactive, electronic Media
Free Keywords
human agency; social contract
Document language
English
Publication Year
2019
Page/Pages
p. 79-100
Journal
Journal of Cyberspace Studies, 3 (2019) 1
DOI
https://doi.org/10.22059/jcss.2019.263881.1023
ISSN
2538-6255
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed