Wessels, B. (2015) Authentication, Status, and Power in a Digitally Organized Society. International Journal of Communication, 9. 2801 - 2818. ISSN 1932-8036
Abstract
This article explores Weber’s notions of status and power in societies that are increasingly organized via digital networks. It draws on a community study conducted in a former coal-mining town in the United Kingdom. The policy background is the UK’s Digital by Default agenda, which seeks to make online services the primary form of service access and transaction. In the context of a digitally organized society, a person’s status is created through his or her ability to provide certain status markers to authenticate who they are. Status is created through a person’s file, and those lacking an online profile become thin-filed and therefore excluded from many online services. The article argues that digital authentication is a feature of the formation of status in a digitally organized society. Without online system files, individuals lack the power to access public services, banks, credit unions, and e-commerce, and they feel a lack of social honor because of their low authentication status.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2015 (Bridgette Wessels). Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/). Available at http://ijoc.org. |
Keywords: | status; power; digital wallet; thin-filed; exclusion; social honor; digital divides; digital access |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > Department of Sociological Studies (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 10 Dec 2015 16:10 |
Last Modified: | 10 Dec 2015 16:10 |
Published Version: | http://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/3061 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism |
Refereed: | Yes |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:92730 |