Doctoral Dissertation Research: Globalization and Local Response: The Place-Based Community Computer Networking Movement in the United States

博士论文研究关注的是在当今不断变化的技术环境中，“社区”是如何构建的。长期以来，社区的建设一直与技术特别是计算机技术的变化联系在一起，本研究质疑社区在信息时代的含义变化。人们认为，传统上当地的社区形式已被削弱，社区网络正被用作振兴社区和抵消全球化对当地影响的工具。这些地方社区网络与其他没有地方的虚拟环境的不同之处在于，它们明确地提供地方或区域信息，以及免费或低成本的电子论坛，供讨论地方问题。此外，它们还提供到区域和全球信息的链接，这些信息可用于确定当地情况或提供当地情况的背景，并解决当地问题。这项研究将评估网络使用的地点和社区的特定含义如何有助于增强或限制社区对全球化所感知的影响作出反应的潜力。将对各种社区联网运动进行一般性调查，随后将深入采访四个城市的社区联网积极分子。这项研究的结果对于理解社区的新的、全球知情的含义是否在信息时代正在演变，从而挑战基于自给自足和向内看的视角对地方的绝对理解，具有重要意义。

STAEHELI, L.A. and LONGAN, M.W. The doctoral dissertation research is concerned with the manner in which `communities` are constructed in today's changing technological environments. The construction of community has long been associated with changes in technology, especially computer technologies, and this study interrogates the changing meaning of community in the information age. It is thought that traditionally local forms of community have been weakened and that community networks are being used as tools for community revitalization and for countering the perceived effects of globalization on place. These local community networks differ from other placeless virtual environments in that they provide explicitly local or regional information and free or low-cost electronic forums for discussion of local issues. Moreover, they provide links to regional and global information that can be used to situate or provide context for local circumstances and to solve local problems. The study will assess how particular meanings of place and community used by networks help to empower or limit the potential of community responses to perceived effects of globalization. A general survey of various community networking movements will be conducted, and this will be followed by in-depth interviews with community networking activists in four cities. The results of the research are important to understanding whether new, globally-informed meanings of community are evolving in the information age and thereby challenging absolute understandings of place based on self-contained and inward looking perspectives.