從社區、虛擬社區到社會網絡網站：社會理論的變遷

Abstract

古典社會學是建立在對「社區」觀念的想像，涂尼斯對社區／社會的區分，成為社會學傳統重要的理論基礎，社會學可說是建立在此二分的典範中。近年來，隨著資訊社會崛起，人們在網際網路中建立許多「虛擬社區」。諸如Rheingold及Turkle等學者，都視虛擬社區如同傳統社會學討論「社區」時相同的觀念。然而，當我們面對由web2.0架構所建構出的超大型線上社區，我們需要重新構思虛擬社區本質的問題。Bakhtin的對話理論，提供新的詮釋觀點，可視虛擬社區為眾聲喧嘩的社會網絡。近幾年間興起的社會網絡網站，諸如臉書及MySpace等，成長速度驚人，未來將成為影響網路世代重要的因素。

Rooted in the sociologist Tönnies's influential work of ”Gemeinschaft” and ”Gesellschaf”, the nature of social systems is based on the distinction between ”Gemeinschaft” (community) and ”Gesellschaft” (society). Influential scholars who studied cyberspace, for example Rheingold and Turkle have adopted this community aspect and studied online interpersonal behaviors and communal development. A recent Internet development of Web2.0 based structure raises new issues of the essential base of a virtual community. In particular, Bakhtin's dialogism theory provides a new theoretical aspect of cyberspace in which virtual community is viewed as an online space of heteroglossia social networks. Currently, the popularity of using social networking sites may transform online behaviors and bring huge impacts on the N-generation society.