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Kista: The two sides of the Network Society

Barinaga, Ester LU and Ramfelt, Lena (2004) In Networks and Communication Studies 18(3/4). p.225-244
Abstract
The term “network society” is often discussed as the society of the future, with technological saturation, knowledge-based work, and network structure being its defining characteristics. The network society implies a world populated by engineers, global telecom companies, highly mobile workers, cultural diversity, spin-offs, high-tech clusters, and venture capital. Theoretical approaches and empirical studies of the network society focus mainly on this side of the network society. Yet, there is another side to it. One that is often forgotten by the literature. A side more rightfully recognized by low-skilled workers, job in-security, and few possibilities to influence the society to come. In the paper, we attempt to offer a more balanced... (More)
The term “network society” is often discussed as the society of the future, with technological saturation, knowledge-based work, and network structure being its defining characteristics. The network society implies a world populated by engineers, global telecom companies, highly mobile workers, cultural diversity, spin-offs, high-tech clusters, and venture capital. Theoretical approaches and empirical studies of the network society focus mainly on this side of the network society. Yet, there is another side to it. One that is often forgotten by the literature. A side more rightfully recognized by low-skilled workers, job in-security, and few possibilities to influence the society to come. In the paper, we attempt to offer a more balanced picture of the network society. We center our study in Kista, “Sweden’s Silicon Valley”. An analysis of the two local free newspapers shows that the social relationships of the network society are much more intricate than usually described. In our conclusions, we discuss the biased and simplistic conceptualizations of terms such as “network society”, “informational capitalism” or “new economy.” (Less)
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author
and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
High-tech region, information society, social divide
in
Networks and Communication Studies
volume
18
issue
3/4
pages
225 - 244
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
677b81a2-2320-4fb0-bd7f-01e75cd673c6
date added to LUP
2019-02-05 10:55:41
date last changed
2019-02-08 16:36:12
@article{677b81a2-2320-4fb0-bd7f-01e75cd673c6,
  abstract     = {{The term “network society” is often discussed as the society of the future, with technological saturation, knowledge-based work, and network structure being its defining characteristics. The network society implies a world populated by engineers, global telecom companies, highly mobile workers, cultural diversity, spin-offs, high-tech clusters, and venture capital. Theoretical approaches and empirical studies of the network society focus mainly on this side of the network society. Yet, there is another side to it. One that is often forgotten by the literature. A side more rightfully recognized by low-skilled workers, job in-security, and few possibilities to influence the society to come. In the paper, we attempt to offer a more balanced picture of the network society. We center our study in Kista, “Sweden’s Silicon Valley”. An analysis of the two local free newspapers shows that the social relationships of the network society are much more intricate than usually described. In our conclusions, we discuss the biased and simplistic conceptualizations of terms such as “network society”, “informational capitalism” or “new economy.”}},
  author       = {{Barinaga, Ester and Ramfelt, Lena}},
  keywords     = {{High-tech region; information society; social divide}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3/4}},
  pages        = {{225--244}},
  series       = {{Networks and Communication Studies}},
  title        = {{Kista: The two sides of the Network Society}},
  volume       = {{18}},
  year         = {{2004}},
}