Internet Science the view from Sociology

Kick-off Meeting

Brussels, 21-22 December 2011

Mark Rouncefield (LANCS)

FP7-ICT-2011.1.6-288021 EINS

Network of Excellence in Internet Science

Sociology and the Internet

Sociology profoundly affected by the Internet:
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Domain new and revised areas of interest accompanied by a different slant on existing domains
 Cybercrime; virtual worlds; online behaviour; netiquette; gaming but also family, education, religion etc

Conceptual - new and revised concepts.

 Tonnies - gemeinschaft/gesselschaft (community and association); the rise of internet empathic communities  Durkheim mechanical and organic solidarity - - internet dating and friendship; Twitter etc  Goffman face to face interaction - - backstage and frontstage; identity, privacy  Urry sociology beyond society..

Methodological new and revised methodological approaches and data collection techniques
 Quantitative masses of data, new forms of behavioural data; sensors etc  Qualitative blogs, cultural probes, multi-media..
Brussels, December 21-22, 2011

EINS Kick-off Meeting

Internet Science challenges and opportunities

Two contrasting major challenges and opportunities posed by Internet Science for Sociology both methodological and conceptual: Rigour making something of the new rich data domains and conceptual development without making stuff up the continuing need for rigour in analysis Imagination continued need for the sociological imagination inventiveness .. but also without making stuff up..
EINS Kick-off Meeting Brussels, December 21-22, 2011