Outline of a Multilevel Approach of the Network Society

ed from time, place and physical conditions. This is called virtualization. The exciting thing for a network theory is that this process has its limits, as the next statement holds. 2. The substantial relation ‘Despite their articulation all social relations remain inextricably bound up with units and physical environments In this statement my conception of network theory is different from most other theories. They give priority to forms in stead of substances. Forms are substantiated. The morphology of ties and nodes is lifted out to such an extent that what happens inside, communicative action with the rules, resources and meanings people use and create, is downplayed. Morphology has acquired a strong backing from empirical research following a network approach in social and communication science. Very sophisticated forms of social network analysis and mathematical graph analyses of nodes and ties have been developed. From the view of quantitative research their results are impressive. Trying to estimate the explanatory power of these analyses and taking the view of qualitative analysis the same results look rather sterile. It would be better to combine the quantitative analysis of the morphology of networks, the number of relations or ties, units or nodes and actions or contacts, with a quantitative and qualitative analysis of their substance in communicative action. See Section 4 for a further development of this position. This second statement clearly relates to my view of the position of networks in society as compared to the view of Castells (see above). Networks are becoming the prime mode of organization and they are among the most important structures of advanced societies. However, they are not increasingly the substance of these societies as they are for Castells (1996), see Van Dijk (1999b). Societies still consist of individuals, groups and organizations. Of course these units form external and internal relations in networks, but these relations do not equal society. Their organic and material properties and their rules and resources should not be removed from the concept of society or ‘the social’ to bring it back to its supposed bare essence of relationship. Imagine a totally mediated society where all relations are fully realized by, and substantiated in media networks, where social and media networks equal each other. I take it for granted that even such a society would still be based on bodies, minds, rules and resources. For empirical research this means that both the forms or network structures and the substance of communicative action should be investigated. Their interplay could be a central focus of theory building, like it is in the structure-agency concept of structuration theory. This approach is illustrated in the one-dimensional Figure 3, as compared to the three-dimensional Figure 2.