RUDN journal of Sociology (Sep 2021)

Genesis of sociology of media space

  • F. I. Sharkov,
  • V. V. Silkin

DOI
https://doi.org/10.22363/2313-2272-2021-21-3-557-566
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 21, no. 3
pp. 557 – 566

Abstract

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Sociology of media space is a new and still developing branch of sociology, just like sociology of space - a basic branch of sociological knowledge. Sociology of space focuses on natural space as a framework for the development of social connections and relations; while sociology of media space considers this space as a part of social space, not as its measurement but as a metaphor. Some natural space turns into a social space only if people use it and live in it. Social boundaries and meanings are added to natural space, which transforms it into a social phenomenon. Although sociology of media space is still developing, there is no doubt that the mass media have made a significant contribution to the development of social relations and sociology by filling social space with messages of all kinds. Media space is a platform that serves as a basis for social communications, a key to the social development, and a means of positive impact on the life of individuals, groups and organizations. Everything social is located in a space-time continuum, and the sociological approach to the theory of network media space is based on the assumption that there is a strong connection between network media communications and social changes. Sociology of media space does not emerge from sociology of space: the developing media space, which is studied with sociological methods, manifests itself in its social coordinates - this is how sociological knowledge expands to consider not only various spatial aspects of social life, but also the features of different contents and information chains created by the convergence of various media and ways of disseminating information.

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