Digital communication - samenvatting boek
7 april
week 1 - hoofdstuk 1
Each of us is part of a society, which is generally defined as a group of people with different
characteristics who lead interconnected lives and interact directly or indirectly as social actors.
When interacting with others or doing certain things, we do not always do it because we want to,
but rather because we somehow know that we are expected to behave in a particular manner.
According to Durkheim this is called “faits sociaux” → Social facts become visible as customs,
language use, morals, values, religious beliefs, fashions, rituals, and other rules that influence
social life.
- Macro level: patterns of institutionalized relationships (politics, economy, education,
religion, law)
- Meso level: communities, networks, and organizations
- Micro level: individual interactions and social norms
Social stratification refers to a society’s categorization of its people into levels of
socioeconomic ranks, based on factors like income, race, wealth, education, or power. In most
societies, stratification correlates with the economic system and is therefore based on wealth
and income.
Two types of stratification systems, which reflect and foster specific values and influence an
individual’s behaviors and beliefs:
- Closed systems > allow almost no change in social position
- Open system > permit movement and interaction between layers, as they are mostly
based on achievement
According to Giddens (1984), social structure consists of two dimensions:
1. the rules implicated when social systems are reproduced or altered
2. resources that people can draw upon while doing things in society
Following this logic, we can see media (newspapers, television) as symbolic structures, because
they are products of social interactions between people.
- Instrumentalism approaches consider technology as a neutral tool.
- Substantivism argues that technology is ruled by its own logic.
- Social constructivism argues that technological development is shaped by a wide variety
of social, cultural, economic, and political factors, and by existing technology itself.
The networked individualism concept describes how digital tools allow people to form fluid,
personalized social networks beyond traditional geographic and institutional boundaries.
Digital communication shapes people’s relationship with the world, while at the same time
putting constraints on what can be said, done, or achieved.
1
, Digital divide
- Not everyone has equal access to digital technologies, creating disparities in education,
political participation, and economic opportunities.
- The first-level digital divide refers to unequal access to technology, while the
second-level digital divide relates to differences in digital literacy and the ability to
effectively use digital tools.
- The COVID-19 pandemic further exposed and deepened digital inequalities, as remote
learning and online services became essential.
New media
- Unlike traditional media (books, radio, television), new media are digital, interactive, and
networked.
- The shift from one-to-many communication (e.g., newspapers broadcasting to mass
audiences) to many-to-many communication (e.g., social media where users generate
and share content).
Characteristics of new media
- Digital > Information is stored in binary code (0s and 1s), making it easily editable and
transferable.
- Hypertextual > Digital texts are non-linear and interconnected through hyperlinks.
- Interactive > Users can engage with and modify digital content.
- Virtual > Digital media can simulate real-world experiences (e.g., virtual reality).
- Networked > Digital media connect individuals across vast distances, forming
decentralized communication systems.
- Simulated > AI-generated media, such as deepfake videos, blur the line between reality
and digital fabrication.
Media convergence
- Traditional and digital media are blending, leading to new communication formats (e.g.,
podcasts, interactive storytelling, transmedia journalism).
- Consumers are no longer passive recipients of information; they actively participate in
content creation and distribution (prosumers).
Media linguistics
- A field that connects linguistics, communication studies, and media analysis to examine
how meaning is created in digital media.
- Focuses on multimodal communication, which combines text, images, sound, and video
to create meaning
- Multimodality: Communication involves multiple modes (e.g., text, visuals, emojis,
sound).
- Media Convergence: Digital platforms merge traditional and new forms of media (e.g.,
online news articles that include videos, hyperlinks, and interactive graphics).
2
7 april
week 1 - hoofdstuk 1
Each of us is part of a society, which is generally defined as a group of people with different
characteristics who lead interconnected lives and interact directly or indirectly as social actors.
When interacting with others or doing certain things, we do not always do it because we want to,
but rather because we somehow know that we are expected to behave in a particular manner.
According to Durkheim this is called “faits sociaux” → Social facts become visible as customs,
language use, morals, values, religious beliefs, fashions, rituals, and other rules that influence
social life.
- Macro level: patterns of institutionalized relationships (politics, economy, education,
religion, law)
- Meso level: communities, networks, and organizations
- Micro level: individual interactions and social norms
Social stratification refers to a society’s categorization of its people into levels of
socioeconomic ranks, based on factors like income, race, wealth, education, or power. In most
societies, stratification correlates with the economic system and is therefore based on wealth
and income.
Two types of stratification systems, which reflect and foster specific values and influence an
individual’s behaviors and beliefs:
- Closed systems > allow almost no change in social position
- Open system > permit movement and interaction between layers, as they are mostly
based on achievement
According to Giddens (1984), social structure consists of two dimensions:
1. the rules implicated when social systems are reproduced or altered
2. resources that people can draw upon while doing things in society
Following this logic, we can see media (newspapers, television) as symbolic structures, because
they are products of social interactions between people.
- Instrumentalism approaches consider technology as a neutral tool.
- Substantivism argues that technology is ruled by its own logic.
- Social constructivism argues that technological development is shaped by a wide variety
of social, cultural, economic, and political factors, and by existing technology itself.
The networked individualism concept describes how digital tools allow people to form fluid,
personalized social networks beyond traditional geographic and institutional boundaries.
Digital communication shapes people’s relationship with the world, while at the same time
putting constraints on what can be said, done, or achieved.
1
, Digital divide
- Not everyone has equal access to digital technologies, creating disparities in education,
political participation, and economic opportunities.
- The first-level digital divide refers to unequal access to technology, while the
second-level digital divide relates to differences in digital literacy and the ability to
effectively use digital tools.
- The COVID-19 pandemic further exposed and deepened digital inequalities, as remote
learning and online services became essential.
New media
- Unlike traditional media (books, radio, television), new media are digital, interactive, and
networked.
- The shift from one-to-many communication (e.g., newspapers broadcasting to mass
audiences) to many-to-many communication (e.g., social media where users generate
and share content).
Characteristics of new media
- Digital > Information is stored in binary code (0s and 1s), making it easily editable and
transferable.
- Hypertextual > Digital texts are non-linear and interconnected through hyperlinks.
- Interactive > Users can engage with and modify digital content.
- Virtual > Digital media can simulate real-world experiences (e.g., virtual reality).
- Networked > Digital media connect individuals across vast distances, forming
decentralized communication systems.
- Simulated > AI-generated media, such as deepfake videos, blur the line between reality
and digital fabrication.
Media convergence
- Traditional and digital media are blending, leading to new communication formats (e.g.,
podcasts, interactive storytelling, transmedia journalism).
- Consumers are no longer passive recipients of information; they actively participate in
content creation and distribution (prosumers).
Media linguistics
- A field that connects linguistics, communication studies, and media analysis to examine
how meaning is created in digital media.
- Focuses on multimodal communication, which combines text, images, sound, and video
to create meaning
- Multimodality: Communication involves multiple modes (e.g., text, visuals, emojis,
sound).
- Media Convergence: Digital platforms merge traditional and new forms of media (e.g.,
online news articles that include videos, hyperlinks, and interactive graphics).
2
