The Culture of Connectivity
| Author | José van Dijck |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
Publication date | 2013 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 228 pp |
| ISBN | 978-0-19-997078-0 |
The Culture of Connectivity: A Critical History of Social Media is a book by José van Dijck published by Oxford University Press in 2013 on social media platforms and their history.[1] The author critically considers the histories of five social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube and Wikipedia. Van Dijck's approach is based on the premise that to understand the full weight of social media, their technological dimensions should be connected to the social and the cultural.
The title of the work alludes to how the rise of social media has created a culture in which a (profitable) connectivity is dominant.
Synopsis
In the book, Van Dijck critically reads the histories of five social media platforms according to an approach that brings into focus how their technological, social and cultural dimensions contribute to their current status.
Key concepts
- Platforms as Techno-Cultural Constructs
- Van Dijck contends that any analysis of social media platforms has to originate from the level of technology. Borrowing from Actor–network theory, Van Dijck approaches the three concepts of technology, users and usage and content firstly in each of her analysis chapters.
- Technology
- Users and Usage
- Content
- Platforms as Socio-Economic Structures
- Borrowing from the field of Political economy, Van Dijck then continues with questioning ownership, governance and business model(s) of the respective platforms to come to a critical conclusion.
- Ownership
- Governance
- Business Models
References
- ↑ The Culture of Connectivity, Oxford University Press