Module 1 According to Castells, what is the “network society...

Module 1
According to Castells, what is the “network society,” and in this society, what does “identity” mean? In particular, how is “identity” constructed? Does “identity” have power, and if so, how? What do you think of the contemporary focus on “identity politics”? Give several examples to support your reply.
Post one thoughtful response to this topic.
“Thoughtful” means relevant, carefully considered, supported by a text or illustration, connected to the unit’s assigned readings in concrete and specific ways, helpful to the discussion.
Ideal length: 200-300 words per posting.

Tensions in the Network Society
After reading Castells Chapter 1, describe the tensions present in the network society and relate these tensions to the varying forms of identity and awareness that he describes. Next, put yourself into this picture. Do you have an “identity”? If so, do you have more than one? What defines or determines these identities? Give several examples to support your reply.
Post one thoughtful response to this topic.
“Thoughtful” means relevant, carefully considered, supported by a text or illustration, connected to the unit’s assigned readings in concrete and specific ways, helpful to the discussion.
Ideal length: 200-300 words per posting.

Complete this assignment in 3-5 pages:
Drawing on your reading and discussion in Module 1, write a paper on the weakening of the nation state in the contemporary era. What accounts for the decline? Discuss the pros and cons of this shift in authority.

These solutions may offer step-by-step problem-solving explanations or good writing examples that include modern styles of formatting and construction of bibliographies out of text citations and references. Students may use these solutions for personal skill-building and practice. Unethical use is strictly forbidden.

The nation state is the predominant model of governance in the world today. This has been the case for the better part of the last 2 centuries when the shift from the feudal into industrial society began. The predominant factor that determines a state is nationality, which is an abstract concept connecting people living in the same area, speaking the same language and sharing similar cultural values. Until the late 20th century, the nation state was the dominant model because, in most cases, the population of every country was limited to only one nationality, faith or culture. This, however, was not the case with countries such as the United States, Brazil, Argentina and Australia, which were, and still are, predominantly immigrant nations. Their population consisted of many nationalities, faiths and cultures, which started to meld over time, eventually creating a shared identity – American, Brazilian or Australian (Di Palma, 2013; Marramao, 2014).
The nation state started to decline shortly after World War II, mainly because of the increased mobility, which was facilitated by improvements in transportation and living standard. For example, in 1960s, European countries completely recovered from the War, and started their economical wonder, closely following that in the United States. As a result, these countries soon experienced shortages of labor, which was then imported from surrounding countries. This is evidenced by the large populations of immigrants in all developed countries, most of which came in the period immediately after the...