Communities in the age of internet

Abstract

The transformational potential of Internet technologies is undeniable today. This applies to all spheres of social life, and this, of course, affects a variety of social practices and social interactions. In the focus of sociologists there are problems that are somehow connected with the influence of the Internet on society. Modern communities are also under scrutiny. What is their nature, their forms and features of functioning? It’s about understanding whether modern communities are a fundamentally new type of social association or whether Internet technologies provide only additional tools for continuing the interactions that are characteristic of traditional communities. The article carries out the historical-sociological analysis of the concept of “community”. Various approaches to the definition of modern communities and their types are analyzed. Considering the Internet space as a new social space and the Internet as a revolutionary means of communication, it is proposed to carry out an analysis of virtual communities in terms of the presence or absence of characteristics in these communities that are alternative to traditional communities. The conclusion is made that the processes of hybridization are typical for modern communities, which implies the actual consolidation of the properties of real and virtual communities.