Jan van Dijk's Network Society Paradigm: Potential for Theoretical Conceptualization

Abstract

The article presents an analytical review of the network society paradigm developed by Jan van Dijk, aiming to evaluate its potential as a theoretical tool for understanding the social transformations of the digital age. The author reconstructs the main elements of the concept, including a typology of network structures, seven basic laws of network functioning, and mechanisms of influence concentration, clustering, and information selectivity. Van Dijk’s paradigm is interpreted as a multilayered model encompassing micro-, meso-, and macro-level processes. A comparative analysis of the approaches of Manuel Castells and Barry Wellman is provided, using such criteria as level of analysis, conceptual focus, operationalization, and applicability. Special attention is paid to applied research using van Dijk’s framework in the fields of digital inequality, media power, infrastructural dynamics, and online communication. The article argues that the network society paradigm offers significant heuristic value and methodological flexibility, while also requiring further critical refinement and contextual adaptation. Future research directions are suggested, including empirical testing of “network laws,” studies of disinformation flows, artificial intelligence, and platform capitalism. The article contributes to the development of the Ukrainian academic discourse on digital societal transformations.