Reconceptualising the Idea of ‘Power’ in Cyberspace: A (J/L)og in to (Un)real
Arafat Mohammad Noman
Abstract
Technology seems to incorporate a post-ideological status quo where the ‘old politics’ of left and right are no longer useful or relevant. The politics are now more associated with ‘real’ and virtual. This politics of existence in real and virtual lives has left some questions vibrant: is technology a revolutionary tool or is it just a new epoch of Lord Clive’s ‘divide and rule’ formation? Who has the access to cyberspace? To what extent can one get an exposure to cyberspace? Is cyberspace a bourgeoisie region? Considering Foucault, Althusser and Max Weber, the present paper focuses on the issues of power, surveillance, discipline, and power/knowledge structure in cyberspace. The discussion concentrates on the formation of cyberspace as a politicised area where technology supersedes other ideological apparatus. It also addresses the intricate issues of race and class as well as community formation in Second Life (SL).
Keywords
Power, Cyberspace
Full Text
Arafat Mohammad Noman is Lecturer in the Department of English, East West University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Email: araftanoman@gmail.com