The Study Of Manuel Castells's Thought Of Network Media

In the 21 st century,along with the rapid development of information and communication technologies,our human society has entered into an era of information and network.Informatization,globalization,and network have to change the current social structure and build up network society,which is a new social form different from industrial society.Under this social background,scholars from all over the world began to explore the academic significance of Internet,and there emerged a lot of theoretical achievements that trying to present the social transformation during this period.The most important one among those political scientists that really focus on the social transformation under the information technology revolution from globalization stand of view and show people how information and network permeated our lives should be Manuel Castells.From the late of the 1990 s,Castells focused on using data and material from technology,politics,economy and culture to illustrate the transform and technologic logic in social system reform,and presented interaction of new media and society from every aspect.His focus was not limited to apparent effects like phenomenon,characteristics,and impacts but to dig out the reason of it.Therefore,the idea of media under the network society theory of Castells has a great contribution to the development of communication during the transition.This paper begins with Castells and the origin of Network Sociology,trying to tease out his Network Sociology and interpret the network media in it from the viewpoint of communication.His network society logic,fluid space-time view and basic theory about the change of media in the new technology background would be the main content,especially the concern about interaction between media and network society in his theory which consists of the effect brought to culture,power and different part of society by new media.Yet Castells is still known as sociologist in academic circles,and this paper would look at his viewpoint about network media,trying to show his ideology in Information sociology and media ecology,at the same time present his interaction with new media and society transform,aiming to bring a new angle of view for Communication Studies in our country.