The Network Society, Review

The network society, review

The book focuses on a social structure built around networks: the network society. To start, we clarify that a network is not a node, but a set of interconnected nodes. There are usually central nodes, whose function will depend on its interaction with other nodes and network programming. Below are examples of network types: centralized, decentralized and distributed.

Among the networks there are both competition and cooperation. They cooperate in communication through the use of protocols and connection points, and compete with each other according to which it has greater efficiency, this can become a threat when interferes with the protocols of other networks. The relationship between networks is based on interaction, which must be constant and flexible.

State power depends mainly on people’s thoughts and beliefs, the media system has a great influence on this type of power. A network can dominate the human being, when this occurs the media achieve great social power. Sometimes having power does not have to be related to the government, so the concept of "value" is assigned by those who really have power, those with the capacity to determine the value of things.

It is said that media networks are the 4th power, but according to Manuel Castells, they are something else, they are the space where power is created. Not to mention the importance of the creation of the media, the power to create networks that generally have the owners and directors of the media.

The author tries to analyze "the magnificent seven": Disney, NewScorp, CBS, NBC, Time Warner, Viacom and Bertelsmann. In addition to also talking about companies: Google, Yahoo, Apple and Microsoft. Emphasizes the importance of the global market, networks, initially they are programmed based on achieving certain objectives. For companies, globalization in the financial market can be one of the most influential factors in the maximization of its benefits, another aspect to take into account is the necessary increase its political power and, finally, conserve the audience that it iswill maintain and increase its financial and cultural capital.

"The lords of the networks", so calls Castells to the owners of the dominant networks, those with great global power and social influence (such as the political networks of some states). They have the ability to program the "metarred" of communication networks.

Castells reflects a mentalist conception of power, repeats on numerous occasions that the essentials in power is the ability to master the human mind, to carry out coercion, domination is necessary. It demonstrates some skepticism towards the power of states, which must guarantee the functioning of political power networks and that allow other networks to function;It could be said that they do not have great control over global communication networks.