Projects / Programmes
Socializing of Slovenians between the physical space and cyberspace
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 5.03.00 |
Social sciences |
Sociology |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S210 |
Social sciences |
Sociology |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 5.04 |
Social Sciences |
Sociology |
information-communication technologies, socializing, social life, social activities, cyberspace, world wide web, computer-mediated communication
Researchers (1)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
27912 |
PhD Blaž Lenarčič |
Sociology |
Head |
2011 - 2013 |
187 |
Organisations (1)
Abstract
The proposed study will be the first on Slovene and international levels to comprehensively analyse the influences of Internet services on the socialisation of individuals both in physical and cyberspace. The key idea of the project is based on the premise that – compared to previous social forms – the specificity of contemporary relations and processes lies in the interlacement and interdependence of physical space and cyberspace. This is precisely the point that marks the originality of the proposed project, as in this study the relations and processes taking place in cyberspace and those occurring in physical space will be treated equally, whereas research practice to date has in most cases drawn a relatively sharp distinction between social dynamics occurring in physical space and its cyberspace counterpart, interpreting the former as real and the latter as imaginary or unreal. A type of such dynamics is the socialisation defined by the physical closeness of individuals, which in the circumstances of today’s society, characterised by the intertwining of physical and cyberspace or territorially independent activity of the agents, is no longer essential. In this sense the key objective of the project will be an analysis of the relationship between social activities of individuals in physical and cyberspace and consequently the establishment of basic characteristics of socialisation between individuals in contemporary society. At the same time, the study will test whether the use of World Wide Web services has a positive or negative influence on the social activities of the users in physical space. The socialisation of individuals will thus be set theory- and concept-wise in the paradigm of today’s society, which is increasingly passing from a territory- to network-based organisation. The contribution of the project proposed is also manifest and important from methodological and epistemological points of view, since it will adjust and improve the existing quantitative measuring instruments that gauge the “old” forms of social activities to suit the conditions governing contemporary society. In its further development of the basic topic, the study will also contribute to the understanding of the operation of today’s society, particularly in terms of interpersonal communication and networking between agents.
With the project proposed being a basic research study, we can principally expect it to enable the implementation of scientific findings in social development planning. Seeing that Internet services will be one of the subjects of intensive research, it should be pointed out that the results will to some extent also benefit the developers of such applications intended for communication between users. In this context the purpose of the study is particularly relevant from the point of view of integrating social aspects into the field of information science.
Significance for science
Project´s results which in this report cannot be presented in details and in all complexity, present an important conceptual and analytical break-through and shift from the current studies based on relatively sharp distinction between cyberspace and physical space. This approach is (specially in Slovenia) innovative, which means filling the gap in examination of this topic. Within the project was carried out comprehensive examination of the existing national and foreign treatments of the concept of socialising and thereby significant contribution to the production of knowledge, which enable its (re)interpretation in the context of contemporary society. Research findings which will be in following years gradually available in published form, will significantly contribute to further studies dealing with this topic.
Significance for the country
Since the project put special attention precisely to social network sites it is assumed that results will be to a certain extent also useful for developers of software intended for communication between users. In this context, the study may also be relevant in terms of integration of social aspects in the field of informatics, which is in the foreign (with the exception of key enterprises, for example Facebook), as well as in national context rather rare. Since the project leader is involved in pedagogical process at the University of Primorska, the results and findings of the research are also incorporated in current education process. The project results contribute to a scientific evaluation of an extremely topical issue, which is mostly discussed on a popular, non-scientific level through the mass media. There are present current discussions on the »stereotyped« image of intensive users of Internet services, which are characterised as unsocial, introverted and lonely people.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2012,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2012,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
