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Seeking Utopia: Communities and the Commons in the Contemporary Media Environment

Seeking Utopia: Communities and the Commons in the Contemporary Media Environment

Natalie Pang
Copyright: © 2011 |Pages: 13
ISBN13: 9781609600570|ISBN10: 1609600576|EISBN13: 9781609600594
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-60960-057-0.ch031
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MLA

Pang, Natalie. "Seeking Utopia: Communities and the Commons in the Contemporary Media Environment." Information and Communication Technologies, Society and Human Beings: Theory and Framework (Festschrift in honor of Gunilla Bradley), edited by Darek Haftor and Anita Mirijamdotter, IGI Global, 2011, pp. 386-398. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-60960-057-0.ch031

APA

Pang, N. (2011). Seeking Utopia: Communities and the Commons in the Contemporary Media Environment. In D. Haftor & A. Mirijamdotter (Eds.), Information and Communication Technologies, Society and Human Beings: Theory and Framework (Festschrift in honor of Gunilla Bradley) (pp. 386-398). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-60960-057-0.ch031

Chicago

Pang, Natalie. "Seeking Utopia: Communities and the Commons in the Contemporary Media Environment." In Information and Communication Technologies, Society and Human Beings: Theory and Framework (Festschrift in honor of Gunilla Bradley), edited by Darek Haftor and Anita Mirijamdotter, 386-398. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2011. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-60960-057-0.ch031

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Abstract

The chapter starts by elucidating the concept of the contemporary media environment as a complex interaction of two computing variables: the growth of personal computers, and the popularity of the Internet and World Wide Web. This environment is then analysed for its impacts on collective processes in both virtual and physical communities. It is argued that these collective processes contain multiplier effects; and one of these effects lies in the subtractability of resources; an important concept in the knowledge commons. Examples are used to illustrate these perspectives. The author maintains, throughout the chapter, that it is essential to see all of these interactions as two-way, dialogical relationships and structuration theory is used in support of this argument. As a concluding note, the chapter makes a number of forecasts on the benefits and potential pitfalls for the society as a result of these relationships.

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