Communities, social software and connected individualism

Abstract

This article examines ambiguity in the definition of the concept of "community" in the social sciences by reviewing three perspectives: the psychological,the anthropological and the sociological. Technological advances in society that affect everyday life and change traditional forms of organization, are also consequences of the need to interact with others. Thus, the Internet not only perpetuates preexisting relations but it makes possible the emergence of new forms of being and acting together. Therefore, it is  argued that it is necessary to critically questioning these three perspectives that  define the concept of "community" spatially (be it in virtual or physical space). The article proposes that community be studied as a network of relations that don’t necessarily belong to the same local unit. That allows contemporary "community" to be seen as an individualized network of relations.