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Com sci Ch 8 (The network structure of the international internet (Every…

- - - - Infrastructure (bandwidth) may limit the flow of info among countries.
        
        There are no direct connections between any Islamic countries, as all flows among these nations must be routed by the way of US, Japan, Uk, France, Germany, Hong Kong or Singapore.
        
        Internet flows revolve around the US and the other English speaking nations.
        
        -> This suggests that global identity will converge about an Anglo-American or, at minimum, a liberal Western culture.
        -Global reach - 35,6% of the online population speaks English. Other European languages account for an additional 34, 9%.
        Internet info, Global culture will become more individualistic. People will identify less with their national ethnic group and provide less support for these groups' values and beliefs & the interests of the collective. They will take on the culture that places great emphasis on the individual.
        -> The globalisation-localisation dialectic suggests the globalisation involves the linking of locals to the wider world, while localisation incorporates trends of globalisation.
      - Local cultures could be developing hybrid characteristics. Over time the potential consequences of the Internet is cultural homogenisation - A UNIVERSAL CULTURE.
        -In SHORT-term, international communication will more likely 1st lead to the development of a number of regional civilisation composed of nations who are culturally similar.
        REASON = international communication includes a number of different channels where barriers of access, physical distance, cost, and language have a greater impact than they do on the Internet.
        -also- different groups may interpret media content differently due to their unique histories.
        While certain content areas such as music & sports have seemed to globalise- other topics especially religion, remain idiosyncratic.
      - While individual identity will transcend the local ethnic or national culture - it may stop far short of the global convergence that has been suggested for the long-term. It is likely that individuals will develop pan-Islamic, European, Latin American or North American identities.
        FACTORS - SLOWING OF THE GLOBAL CONVERGENCE:
        
        Computer mediated comm (CMC) has been found to be sufficient for the maintenance of long-term meaningful relationships - allowing for the preservation of cultural connections at great distances.
        
        Content specific online communities allow people to maintain contact with other individuals centred on mutual interests, such as cultural and social ties, providing a conduit for relationships to be formed and maintained.
      - New internet-based comm tech allow for an outer-action effect, where the communication connections surpass the traditional interaction abilities of communication media - offering an increased level of personal connectivity that extends beyond info exchange.
        Findings show that electronic groups were more socially orientated than the face-to-face groups.
        Electronic groups -> dealt with conflict better, became more cohesive.
        CMC is able to catalyse a systematic steady state, suggesting that in the near future stable hybrid civilisations will become the predominant cultural form.
        -Based on the assumption that individuals can maintain meaningful relationships via CMC, online communities will develop that facilitate content specific ties, which suggests that the global Internet network will become more fragmented into culturally unique groups.
        The use of content specific ties allows the social system to maintain its culture in a changing environment.
        -McLuhan's notion of the global village by representing the notion that one's village could span the globe, as opposed to the globe being one village.
        
        Online communities - The 6 COMMON ELEMENTS OF COMMUNITY
        1. Place = online communities represent more frequent interaction and network-tie strength than many real communities.
        2. Interest = linked together by factors such as culture, virtual groups can be considered communities as they are interest based.
        3. Communion = many online communities provide emotional or social binding (refugee support communities)
        4. Rituals & common frames of reference = communication rituals are not geographically based, online communities often help map onto cultural frames of reference.
        5. Boundaries of inclusion and exclusion = much like real ones, online communities sift out members of their communities, by requiring members to apply and conform to the aforementioned rituals
        6. Common acceptance = nations must exist in the minds of their citizens in order to exist at all; that is a nation or a community exists.
        
        Online communities bring people into a densely populated, homogenous, interest-based population rather than peripheral low-density, geographically based communities.
        -These communities represent a shift to communities organised by shared interest rather than shared place. They provide social support, a sense of belonging, and assistance with difficult and sensitive issues. Increased trust of strangers. In contrast to face-to-face interactions where people tend to be reluctant to intervene or help strangers. Allow members to maintain cultural status based on assistance and altruism.
- - - - What is a system?
        = A set of things that relate to on another and form a whole.
        Every system has objects, parts, elements or variables that are connected.
        Each system has unique qualities which distinguish it from other systems (no two relationships are the same).
        All systems exist within an environment.
      - HOLISM
        -> Whole is more than the sum of its parts. Any interpersonal relationship can be understood only if we study it as a whole. A system's parts relate to one another & can't be understood seperately or in isolation. Comm therefore focuses on the system instead of on the components- holism
        E.g like a jigsaw puzzle/ organisation
        -People in a system are also interdependent.
      - STRUCTURE
        -> Certain structural relationships exist in each system. Structure is the arrangement of the components in the system. Position of the components in relation to one another and the whole at a specific point in time.
        E.g father the head of the house.
        Structure in the literal sense: eg father sitting at the head of the table.
        Status usually has an influence on structure.
      - FUNCTION
        -> Members take on certain roles and functions.
        Functions, duties, and roles to ensure that everything runs smoothly. E.g women- caretakes.
        If functions and roles are not distributed, the system will not survive. i.e someone in the family must take care of the shopping, cooking and cleaning.
        Frequently we have more than one function
      - EVOLUTION
        -> Change over time. Organisms evolve and adapt to pressure from outside to ensure their survival (input and output). In a family evolution or development occurs in the form of changes that take place in the structure of the family and the function of the members.
        Evolution also involves external changes- influencing the system over time.
        Past: it was unacceptable for a couple to have children when they were not married.
      - OPENNESS
        -> Openness is the degree of interaction between the system and its external environment. A closed system moves toward internal chaos, disintegration, and finally death.
        An open system on the contrary, is orientated to life and growth. Open systems stability is achieved though self-correcting processes using negative feedback or a deviation correction process: When the system is able to maximise the corrective actions so that dymanic equilibrium is reached, homeostasis is achieved.
      - HIERARCHICAL ORGANISATION
        -> Systems tend to be embedded within one another. There will always be a subsystem within the system. A subsystem is a smaller system contained within the system, and a suprasystem refers to the larger system of which the system forms part.
        Family> extended family > community > society
        Comm is the process that links the subsystems with one another and with the total system.
      - ENTROPY AND EQUILIBRIUM
        -> Entropy- the tendency of most systems to become disorganized and disinterested over time.
        It is our responsibility to keep our relationships alive & healthy, and we do this by means of comm. When entropy or chaos in the system decreases, order increases.
        The primary function of interactive systems is therefore to maintain equilibrium or balance in the system. One way of doing this is by control, rules and regulations.
        Subsystems within the bigger system also give feedback to one another, helping each other to adapt their activities to maintain equilibrium.