Toward a Sociology of the Internet
Abstract
The current body of literature within sociology concerning the Internet is problematic. Much has been published on various topics concerning the Internet, but a school of thought that addresses the Internet exclusively has yet to emerge. Sociologists look to the Internet as a new place to do research on existing topics or as a new place to apply old theories. We have sociology on the Internet, but we have no sociology for the Internet. As the Internet continues to grow and internet use is proliferated, the need to understand everyday interaction on the Internet grows. More than this, the effects of the medium on society at large are still wholly speculative. We need to move past narrow research and speculation and toward new theories and correctly applied research.
This thesis is largely a work in sociological theory. I will examine the history of the Internet and the history of sociological studies on the Internet. As of yet, there has been no attempt to organize the current literature of sociological studies of the Internet. This thesis is an attempt to do so. There are certain trends in sociological research concerning the Internet, and a few main schools of thought can be found. For a "Sociology of the Internet" to emerge, the literature must be brought together in a synthetic fashion and looked at with a critical eye. This will be an attempt to resolve any theoretical problems that exist and find what type of research we need the most when understanding the Internet. After a thorough review of the literature, it will be shown that what is lacking more than anything is accurate depictions of everyday life online. Thus we need research to address this problem.
Notes
This item is only available in print in the UCF Libraries. If this is your thesis or dissertation, you can help us make it available online for use by researchers around the world by STARS for more information.
Thesis Completion
2006
Semester
Spring
Advisor
Goldstein, Warren S.
Degree
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Degree Program
Sociology
Subjects
Arts and Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic; Dissertations, Academic -- Arts and Sciences
Format
Identifier
DP0021988
Language
English
Access Status
Open Access
Length of Campus-only Access
None
Document Type
Honors in the Major Thesis
Recommended Citation
Burns, Padraic, "Toward a Sociology of the Internet" (2006). HIM 1990-2015. 532.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses1990-2015/532