数字时代的社会变迁与社会研究

Social Change and Social Research in the Digital Age

进入21世纪,中国经济社会的高速发展与数字时代的来临高度重合。数字时代的信息通信技术革命性地改变了人与人之间相互连接与互动交流的方式,彻底改变了人们的生产与生活,带来了根本性的社会变迁。数字社会研究需要新的范式、方法与思路。当前的中国数字社会研究有着天然的优势,包括巨大的人口规模、各个领域对数字技术的广泛使用以及丰富的社会生活数据。面对历史机遇,社会学界应积极投入数字社会研究,并基于经验研究的积累,提炼新概念、促生新思想、建构新理论,贡献关于数字社会研究的知识。

In the 21st century,the rapid development of China’s economy and society has coincided with the arrival of the digital age.The information and communication technology of the digital age has revolutionized the way people connect and interact with each other,completely changing their production and lives and bringing with it fundamental social changes.The study of digital society calls for new paradigms,methods and approaches.Current research on China’s digital society commands natural advantages,including a huge population,the extensive use of digital technology in a wide range of fields,and a wealth of data on social life.Faced with historic opportunities,the field of sociology in China should conduct proactive research on digital society. On the basis of cumulative empirical research,sociologists should refine their concepts,promote new ideas and construct new theories,and thus contribute their knowledge to studies of digital society.