Springer New Connectivities in China: Virtual, Actual and Local Interactions

The fast diffusion of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in China has brought forth new forms of connection among the Chinese and has changed their social lives. Virtual networks have been developed and in turn have led to the formation of networks in the actual world. This collection explores the resultant complications in the relationship between virtual, actual, and local interactions. It discusses various aspects of the implications of the new connectivities on these three types of interactions in China. The topics examined include: the possibility of the development of civil society in China, the implications for the migrant workers in the south, the challenge posed to the traditional social order, and the relationship between the new connectivities and the Chinese social context. Review From the reviews: “New Connectivities in China: Virtual, Actual and Local Interactions delves into the emergent domain of information and communication technologies in China. … unique in its depiction of varied scholarly perspectives that are integrated into a generally understandable, and readable, text. The message is sound, enlightening, and compelling. A wide-ranging analysis of this sort should not be avoided by any scholar, researcher, student, or enthusiast of mediated communication – especially those who draw critical interest in regional perspectives.” (David McCoy, Mobile Media & Communication, Vol. 1 (2), 2013) “This edited volume is an excellent documentation of technology-mediated everyday life in contemporary China. The book vividly describes how the rapid technologization of China has overlapped temporally with urbanization, industrialization, and the expansion of the service sector. It also describes how this enormous and rapid social change is intertwined with the norms and values of traditional Chinese culture. … On the whole, the book is well worth reading for all who are curious to know how the Chinese communicate today.” (Sakari Taipale, International Journal of Communication, Vol. 7, 2013) “This book should become a bestseller because it hints at what is beyond the ‘too big to fail’ scale, even though that is not the subject of the book. … a collection of carefully written, deeply articulate observations … . almost every page brings the reader deeper into the upbeat context of a social scale that the West vaguely conceives as some eventual globalization. … This is not just a must-read; it is a must-read and assimilate.” (Chaim Schef, ACM Computing Reviews, August, 2012) From the Back Cover The fast diffusion of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in China has brought forth new forms of connection among the Chinese and has changed their social lives. Virtual networks have been developed and in turn have led to the formation of networks in the actual world. This collection explores the resultant complications in the relationship between virtual, actual, and local interactions. It discusses various aspects of the implications of the new connectivities on these three types of interactions in China. The topics examined include: the possibility of the development of civil society in China, the implications for the migrant workers in the south, the challenge posed to the traditional social order, and the relationship between the new connectivities and the Chinese social context.