ABSTRACT
A network, in a general sense, is defined as two or more nodes and connections among them, producing an open structure. Taking this notion as a starting point, this entry will focus on the discussion of social and sociodigital networks in the social sciences. It will also offer an overview of the concept of the networked society and the work of key authors such as Manuel Castells, Jan Van Dijk and Gustavo Cardoso, highlighting the links among the networked society, the media, and the Internet. Discussion of the networked society will cover five basic dimensions: (1) Actors in the networked society, focusing on citizens and their empowerment and participation through/with/in the media; (2) Practices, specifically media as practice in a wider sense as well as citizen media production as practice; (3) Time, i.e. the temporal dimension of the networked society in the global age; (4) Space, i.e. the networked society as a social space as well as the production of multiple complex spaces in it; and (5) Power, including the reconfigurations of power and public space in the networked society. Finally, the entry will discuss the political, economic, and cultural dimensions of the networked society, as well as their implications for citizen media and a future research agenda.
