The social construction of electronic space

Fletcher, G ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3294-0465 and Greenhill, A 1996, 'The social construction of electronic space' , Social Semiotics, 6 (2) , pp. 179-198.

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Abstract

Computer‐mediated communication is a phenomenon of post‐industrial society. As a consequence of the interactivity and persistent textual nature of this form of communication, new spaces of sociality are constructed which can be analysed and interpreted with the epistemologies and methodologies utilised in understanding more conventional places. This approach reveals that electronic spaces are constructions firmly tied to the cultural and social experiences of ‘real‐world’ existences. Electronic identities, then, are built from this wide base of experience and ‘real‐world’ identity rather than, as is sometimes claimed, begun afresh. These connections to understood material culture and the prevalence of the typed word in electronic spaces permits a digital archaeology, inspired by material culture studies, which is both revealing of the users of these spaces as well as the wider social constructions of post‐industrial society.

Item Type:	Article
Themes:	Media, Digital Technology and the Creative Economy
Schools:	Schools > Salford Business School > Salford Business School Research Centre
Journal or Publication Title:	Social Semiotics
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Refereed:	Yes
ISSN:	1035-0330
Related URLs:	Publication
Funders:	Non funded research
Depositing User:	Gordon Fletcher
Date Deposited:	10 Feb 2015 10:46
Last Modified:	28 Aug 2021 04:03
URI:	https://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/33367

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