Del “engaño de masas” de la teoría crítica al “vecindario indefinido” de Bauman

Luis Núñez Ladevéze; Tamara  Vázquez Barrio; Ignacio  Álvarez de Mon Pan de Soraluce

doi:10.4185/RLCS-2019-1374-57

Authors

Luis Núñez Ladevéze San Pablo CEU University http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5684-9885
Tamara Vázquez Barrio San Pablo CEU University http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2789-8554
Ignacio Álvarez de Mon Pan de Soraluce University of Salamanca https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4014-2180

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4185/RLCS-2019-1374-57

Keywords:

Social networks, culture industry, Critical Theory, mass deception, Liquid post-modernity, voluntary servitude

Abstract

Introduction. Contrary to the attribution to the communicative progress of a politically democratizing imperative, Bauman, in his posthumous Retrotopia, describes the Internet as an individualistic flow of expansive self-reproduction that forms a “global undefined neighbourhood" of “voluntary servitude”. Method. Phenomenological analysis of Bauman's diagnosis by reviewing his works. Once the perspective of the "undefined neighbourhood was adopted", an examination was conducted on whether the trends of the Internet can be interpreted as egalitarian mass consumerism or as an imperatively democratizing force. Results. The proposal that the interindividual global communication network creates a widespread "voluntary servitude" deserves to be considered in empirical research projects as a testable hypothesis. Discussion. The ecumenical network of prosumers that constitutes the "undefined neighbourhood" in liquid globalization needs to be visible in all social spheres as well as in the market. Conclusions. The condition for establishing a relationship between critical and empirical theory is circular: it requires describing "visibility" by quantitative means as the sum of individual choices.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Luis Núñez Ladevéze, San Pablo CEU University

Doctor of Law. Standby professor at UCM. Professor emeritus at USP-CEU where he directed the Institute of Democratic Studies. Coordinator of the Doctorate Program in Social Communication. He was an advisor on the Council of Coordination between Universities. Founder and president of the editorial board of the journal Doxa Comunicación. Professor Núñez Ladevéze belongs to the boards of twenty other journals, and he presides over the Association of Researchers on Communication and Childhood.

http://www.infanciaycomunicacion.org.

He has accumulated six 6-year terms conducting research recognized by ANECA; five projects of the National Plan for R&D in the last decade. Author of an extensive academic bibliography including articles in the Latin Journal of Social Communication (Revista Latina de Comunicación Social), the Journal of Political Studies (Revista de Estudios Políticos), REIS, and books published through CEPC, Tecnos, Ariel, Alianza Editorial, Akal, Tirant lo Blanch, and Síntesis.

Tamara Vázquez Barrio, San Pablo CEU University

Doctor of Law from CEU San Pablo University. Faculty of the International Doctorate Program in Social Communication of the CEU International Doctorate Institute (CEINDO). She directs the following line of research: communication, the public sphere, and citizenship. Principal Investigator of the project CSO2016-74980-C2-1-R, “From mass culture to social networks: media convergence in the digital society” (AEI/FEDER, UE). Researcher on projects of the National Plan, as well as on PROVULDIG (CAM H2015/HUM-3434_20160405), funding by CAM (Autonomous Region of Madrid) for projects of university research groups of Madrid who study the topic of vulnerable audiences. Research member of the CEICIN group. Publications in El profesional de la información, Comunicar, Comunicación y Sociedad, Trípodos, Mediaciones sociales, Telos, and Doxa Comunicación.

Ignacio Álvarez de Mon Pan de Soraluce, University of Salamanca

Doctor of Political Science and Sociology from the University of Salamanca.

His lines of research include leadership and social entrepreneurship. He has participated in several competitive projects, and has been published in the following journals: Doxa Comunicación, Empresa y Humanismo, Harvard Deusto Business Review, and Revista de Icade. Visiting professor at Ashridge Business School in London, England; Porto Business School in Porto, Portugal; and the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia. Author of numerous case studies, as well as the following books: Social Entrepreneurs (Emprendedores Sociales, Lid Editorial); The Challenge of Finding Contentment (El Desafío de la Felicidad, LID Publishers); Eduardo, you’re fired (Eduardo, estás despedido, Alienta, Grupo Planeta); It depends on you (De ti depende, Lid Publishers).

References

Adorno, T. W. y Horkheimer, M. (1969, 1944): Dialéctica del iluminismo (Dialectic of Illuminism). Buenos Aires: Sudamericana.

Adorno, T. W. y Horkheimer, M. (1998): Dialéctica de la ilustración. Fragmentos filosóficos (Dialectic of Enlightenment. Philosophical Fragments). Madrid: Trotta.

Arias Maldonado, M. (2016): La democracia sentimental: política y emociones en el siglo XXI (Sentimental Democracy: Politics and Emotions in the 21st. Century). Barcelona: Página Indómita.

Baudrillard, J. (2014): La sociedad de consuno. Sus mitos, sus estructuras (The Consumer Society. Its myths and structures). Madrid: Espasa-Siglo XXI.

Bauman, Z. (2001-1997): La posmodernidad y sus descontentos. Madrid: Akal.

Bauman, Z. (2003-2000): Modernidad líquida (Liquid Modernity). México: FCE.

Bauman, Z. (2005-1993) Ética postmoderna. México: Siglo XXI.

Bauman, Z. (2005-2003) Amor lìquido. Acerca de la fragilidad de los vínculos humanos. México: FCE.

Bauman, Z. (2007). Tiempos líquidos. Vivir en una época de incertidumbre. Barcelona: Tusquets.

Bauman, Z. (2009) El arte de la vida (The art of life). Barcelona: Paidós.

Bauman, Z. (2010-2008): Mundo consumo. ¿Ética del individuo en la aldea global (Does Ethics Have a Chance in a World of Consumers?). Barcelona: Paidós.

Bauman, Z. (2014) ¿La riqueza de unos pocos nos beneficia a todos? (Does The Richness Of The Few Benefit Us All?). Barcelona: Espasa-Paidós.

Bauman, Z. (2017). Retrotopía (Retrotopia). Barcelona: Espasa-Paidós.

Bauman, Z. y Bordoni, C. (2016): Estado de crisis (State of Crisis). Barcelona: Planeta-Paidós.

Bauman, Z. y Lyon, D. (2014): Vigilancia líquida (LiquidSurveillance). Barcelona: Planeta-Espasa.

Becker, T. L. (1984): “Electronic communications may permit direct democracy on a larger scal” Governance IC#7. Reproducido en 1997, Context Institute, http://bit.ly/2qmNGjp

Castells, M. (2009): Comunicación y poder (Communication Power). Madrid: Alianza Editorial.

Derrida, J. (1975): La diseminación (Dissemination). Madrid: Fundamentos

Enzensberger, H. (1972): Elementos para una teoría de los medios de comunicación (Constituents of a Theory of the Media). Barcelona: Anagrama.

Foucault, M. (2003): La arqueología del saber. México: siglo XXI.

Habermas, J. (1999-1987): Teoría de la acción comunicativa I y II (Theory of Communicative Action I & II). Madrid: Santillana.

Hindman, M. (2009): The Myth of the Digital Democracy. Princeton Univ. Press.

Horkheimer, M. (1973): Crítica de la razón instrumental (Critique of instrumental reason). Buenos Aires: Sur.

Jenkins, H. (2008): Convergence culture. La cultura de la convergencia de los medios de comunicación (Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide). Barcelona: Paidós.

Johnson, S. (2013): Futuro perfecto. Sobre el progreso en la era de las redes (Future Perfect: The Case For Progress In A Networked Age). Madrid: Turner.

Katz, E. y Lazarsfeld, P. (1979-1955): Influencia personal (Personal Influence). Barcelona: Hispanoeuropea.

Lasswell, H. (1985-1948):” Estructura y función de la comunicación” (The structure and function of communicatin 1987 in society). En VV. AA., Sociología de la comunicación de masas (Moragas, M. Ed. Sociology of Mass Communication), (pp. 50-69). Barcelona: Gili.

Lazarsfeld, P. y Merton, R. (1977-1948): “Comunicación de masas, gustos populares y acción social organizada” (Mass communication, popular taste, and organized social action). En VV. AA., Sociología de la comunicación de masas (Sociology of Mass Communication) (Moragas, M. ed), (pp. 137-157). Barcelona: G. Gili.

Mason, P. (2016): Postcapitalismo. Hacia un nuevo futuro (PostCapitalism: A Guide to our Future). Barcelona: Paidós

McLuhan, M. (1996-1964): Comprender los medios de comunicación. Las extensiones del ser humano (Understanding Media. The extensions of man). Barcelona: Paidós.

Núñez Ladevéze, L. (2012): “Sobre la ambivalencia del medio de comunicación” (On the ambivalence of media). En McCombs, M. y Martín Algarra, M. (Coords.) Communication and social life. Pamplona: Eunsa.

Núñez Ladevéze, L. y Irisarri, J. A. (2015): “Industria cultural y redes sociales: continuidades del cambio en España” (Cultural Industry and Social Networks: continuities of change in Spain). Estudios sobre el mensaje periodístico, 21(1), pp. 471 a 490.

Núñez Ladevéze, L., Núñez Canal, M. y Irisarri, J. A. (2018): “Pautas de integración cultural y política de la sociedad de medios masivos en la sociedad red”. Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, 73, pp. 184-207. https://dx.doi.org/10.4185/RLCS-2018-1252

Núñez Ladevéze, L., Torrecillas, T. y Vázquez, T. (2018): “La influencia de las redes sociales en la participación política en España”, en Aznar, H. Valencia: Tirant.

Núñez Ladevéze, L., Torrecillas, T y Irisarri, J. A. (2019): “Audiencias y redes: pautas de consumo de industria cultural en España”. Estudios sobre el mensaje periodístico, 25(1), pp. 421-441.

Rifkin, J. (2010): La civilización empática. La carrera hacia una conciencia global en un mundo en crisis (The Empathic Civilization: The Race to Global Consciousness in a World in Crisis). Barcelona: Paidós.

Thompson, J. B. (1998): Los medios y la modernidad. Una teoría de los medios de comunicación (The Media and Modernity: A Social Theory of the Media). Barcelona: Paidós.