Networks in context: the concept of network in Manuel Castells’ theory of the network society Cover Image
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Networks in context: the concept of network in Manuel Castells’ theory of the network society
Networks in context: the concept of network in Manuel Castells’ theory of the network society

Author(s): Ari-Veikko Anttiroiko
Subject(s): Socio-Economic Research
Published by: ASERS Publishing
Keywords: Manuel Castells; network; network society; informationalism; Information Age; political economy

Summary/Abstract: This article discusses the conceptualization of network in Manuel Castell s’ theory of network society.Networks appeared in Castells’ works in the late 1980 s, when he became interested in the configuration of the relationships between technology, economy, and society. The culmination of this phase was his opus magnum,The Information Age trilogy, which introduced network as a key concept of his macro theory, even though heremained laconic about the concept itself. This is paradoxical, for Castells became possibly the most prominentfigure globally in adopting network terminology in macro sociological theory, but at the same time made hardly anyempirical, theoretical or methodological contribution to social network analysis or network theory in general. This implies that ‘network’ in Castells’ social theory is based on institutional network analysis. Moreover, it is not ananalytical concept but rather a powerful metaphor that served to capture his idea of the new social morphology of informational capitalism.

  • Issue Year: VI/2015
  • Issue No: 11
  • Page Range: 64-79
  • Page Count: 15
  • Language: English