Utopia and Ideology in the Internet Studies

Abstract

The article presents the results if the study devoted to the utopian discourse in the Internet research organizations. The author outlines historical and conceptual analysis of utopian, anti-utopian and ideological narratives related to technologies. In particular, a political role of utopias and ideologies and possibilities of their development and transformation are described. The analysis of theoretical sources correlate to the chronology of the development of the organizations related to the Internet. The research objective consists in comprehending how utopia-, anti-utopia- and ideology-related narratives show themselves in research programs of organizations studying the Internet environment and society. The study reveals that the development of the Internet and organizations shapes institutional forms and utopian narratives. The difference between utopia, anti-utopia and ideology refers to the history of technology. Utopian ideals turn out to be desecrated by ideologies of states and corporations. The desecration concept and the related search for earlier utopia are presented in research programs. The development of utopia and ideology concepts is underway now; the organizations legitimate themselves using utopias going back to ideals and anxiety of the 1960s.