The Contemporary Transformation of the International System
                                       Professor John Wilton
                                             Lecture 6

  The impact of the global network society on the contemporary international system: technology,
                                  inequality and social networks



                                                           Lecture 6



•                        The processes through which political, economic, cultural and rights
issues are transmitted within the international system;

•                        social networks (non-governmental, non-state)

                                             Lecture 6

-                         rapid development and growth of ICTs has facilitated different and wider
forms of international interaction

-                         growth of social networks created communities operating within and across
territories of states = challenge to ability of states to order international system

-                         ‘networks of dissent’ challenge existing social, political and economic
arrangements + seek to influence governance of international system

                                             Lecture 6

‘Global Network Society’ (Manuel Castells, The Information Age, 3 volumes, 1996-98)

-                         2 main modes/forms of historical development in international system:

      a) Agrarian mode/form: economic growth     through increasing amount of labour devoted to
production based bon the land;

      b) Industrial mode/form: economic growth     through wider and more efficient use of energy
sources to produce mechanisation of production + technological innovation

                                             Lecture 6

-                     witnessing third mode of historical development in international system:

     c) The Information Age mode/form:     economic growth from generation of new knowledge as key
source of productivity

         - social order in international system today        based on new technological
information knowledge systems (not          confined to national boundaries)



                                             Lecture 6

-                     for Castells, international order today should be understood as a GLOBAL
NETWORKED ORDER

-                     if Industrial capitalism gave rise to national economies and the nation-state

-                     THEN,

         Informational capitalism gives rise to    networks and globalisation



                                             Lecture 6

‘Networks of Dissent’

      - ‘positive networks’ (global inequality,             human rights, debt cancellation)

         a) transnational;

         b) organised around shared values;

         c) express disagreement from established       systems;

         d) have an influence on international system

      - ‘negative networks’ (political violence,      terrorism)



                                             Lecture 6

Example of ‘Positive Network of Dissent’ and impact of ICT :

Peretti, J. (2001) ‘USA: my Nike media adventure’, The Nation, 9 April (online). Available from

http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20010409&s=peretti





                                             Lecture 6

2 further areas where networks have had a growing effect on international system through ICT
development:



     a) private financial institutions;



     b) military and terrorism





                                             Lecture 6

             THE ‘INTERNATIONAL’

                                        ____



 POLITICAL     ECONOMIC     CULTURAL     TECHNOLOGY



States-system       liberal free            identity (‘feeds’ Transmits
market          nationalism -  values &

historically                  or being eroded information

  specific                     by cosmopolitan

           INTERACTION         values?)     facilitates
net-                                              work growth