New media perception in everyday life as a significant factor in social mobility. Comparison study.

Introduction

In this offered project of research on “New media perception in everyday life as a significant factor in social mobility”, I aim to apply Bourdieu's classification of capital (economic, social, cultural and symbolic capital) and examine computer literacy and its levels as class symbols. The research deals with these questions (covering wider set of hypothesis):
Is the way we use new media significant for our class identity? Can we find the differences between various approaches to new media that would help us understand the transition of economic and cultural capital in the habitus of electronic networks (especially internet)?
The concept of habitus is being used here much in Bourdieu's sense – this concept allows the researcher to perceive the internet rather as a socio-cultural factor shaping the social position of an individual and simultaneously as a new social space (where a different set of coordinates might apply), rather than a technological artifact per se (as it use to be approached by authors preferring the techno-deterministic point of view).
In the project, I would like to explore the wide research area that still lays aside the mainstream of (at least Czech) new media research. There is a plenty of resources focusing on technological issues, there is also a reflection from the field of art and design. However, in Czech academic context, we lack broader reflection of new media in social studies strengthened by a solid body of an active field research. As the impact of new media has become very potent in everyday life in recent years, there is a need for the focused and dispassionate reflection of new media perception and of the role of new media in. 
The other meaning of the research is to offer some answers to the discussion on (so called) Digital Divide. While it was repeatedly claimed that there is a serious danger of social (and economical) exclusion of so called “new illiterates” – people unable to use computers –, there was just a very little investigation of the role of new media communication in relation to creation and reproduction of cultural capital. 
The mentioned issues and hypotheses are to be discussed on the basis of ethnographic research (much in tradition of Bourdieu himself, who based his theory on an empirical research of cultural praxis) planned to be conducted in Japan and Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, additionally Poland or Slovenia). The qualitative research would be, on the level of data collection and interpretation, based on methodological and epistemological framework offered by Clifford Geertz (Interpretation of Cultures) – Bourdieu’s theory of capitals and social fields, the conceptual core of the research, seems to be in ideal consistency with Geertz’s approach.

Researcher
As a student of Faculty of Social Studies, Department of Media Studies and Journalism, I have gained a solid background in sociology and politics (besides, my BA title was from Media Studies + International Politics). Ever since the beginning of my experience with CMC (computer mediated communication), I have taken part in various on-line communities, participated in new media research in Czech Republic (BA thesis presenting the classification of net art; five case studies) and later I became involved in organizing new media events (most recently festival of digital culture Zoom 2005, which will take place in October in Brno, Czech Republic). 
I have been also in charge of new media column in Konec Koncu, a Czech magazine dedicated to NGOs.

Theoretical hypotheses
If there is anything like “new media literacy” gaining a huge importance, we are confronted with a brand new field of social impacts. In many regions, but Eastern Europe being maybe the best example, the gap between those familiar with internet and computers and those left aside, has much to do with age, leaving almost the whole 30+ group excluded from a major range of opportunities (according to latest statistics - , only 27% of Czech population reached computer literacy, figures lowering with age). But on the other hand, a new class of experts, which tends to be completely trans-national, has appeared: software engineers, web designers, artists, translators and many other freelance professions (new as well as traditional) have reached a very high level of independence, together with a never before seen possibilities of mobility around the globe. Among most promising companies we can find many that adapted to new strategies, completely rethinking corporate culture – such as Google (allowing its employees to spend 20% working time on their own projects) or Skype (receiving 95% of PR and advertisement from its satisfied users).  
But the trends which might seem natural in a society not so familiar with the new media (as it is in Eastern Europe), don't have to apply in a society, which went further in absorbing the new media in everyday life (as is the case of Japan). So, a comparison between Japan and Eastern Europe can be interesting for both sides – as the confrontation brings out new questions and answers (while some of them could be expected, some of them pop up unexpectedly, when two cultures meet on a personal basis). Is our culture to be transformed under new circumstances or not, and which shapes is it likely to adapt? This is my basis for qualitative research based on interviews and participative observation, which will be accomplished in Japan and later in Czech Republic.

The first two hypotheses are related to different approaches of using new media (accentuating on the internet) and its impacts on a social role of an individual. 
-Is the way a person uses internet or mobile phone a significant factor that positions him/her in a social space? 
-How does it relate to his/her original economical and social capital?

Next two hypotheses try to go further, seeing the world created by new media as a new situation, new pattern, where we can apply the methods Bourdieu used. So if there is anything like new “on-line” social space, we should ask:
-How does the transition of economical and social capital from the “off-line” to the “on-line” space work? 
-And additionally, can we find rules generally acceptable, no matter, whether it is Japan or Eastern Europe?

Practical implementation
The qualitative research itself is supposed to be conducted in two phases – at first in Japan, and subsequently in Czech Republic. 
In Japan, I would aim to interview a group of students who are familiar with new media, using them both for personal and professional purposes. In-depth interviews would let the interviewed to contribute with their own perspectives and ideas, as I want to find as much as possible about their everyday experience with new media, to see their social and cultural identity from their own point of view. Simultaneously, I will want them to describe (and interpret) the situation of their parents, group aged about 40-50 years. (Are there different strategies or approaches to new media between students and their parents, and do their parents create a homogeneous group or not?)
The other group would be built in Czech Republic on as much similar basis, as possible. There I can adapt the method of participative observation combined again with in-depth interviews. Because of the major differences between Japanese and Czech cultural background, I would cooperate with my colleague, Filip Hráček, a student of Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk's University, who is currently an exchange student in Center for International Education, at Kansai Gaidai University, Osaka.  I would seek his assistance when analyzing the results of the interviews.
I would also like to contact in advance Japanese cultural anthropologists interested in new media use, such as Ms. Mizuko Ito (Visiting Associate Professor at Keio University), discuss the project  and lay a possibility of continuous cooperation between Japanese and Czech researchers in new media field. I would also like to find a Japanese advisor to help me out with constituting the group of students to be interviewed. Since the information about the possibility of application in Fellowship Program for Intellectual Exchange has been published on our University website on 16th September and the deadline for submission of the projects is 30th September, I haven't been able to contact any particular researcher in Japan in advance, but I believe I will be able to find valuable contacts on the internet before the final version of the project and the stay in Japan in spring 2006.

These research topics would be in center of my interviews (with a possibility of adding new ones depending on the process of the interviews themselves). How would you characterize your social background? What are your ways of using new media (on-line space) in both personal and professional life? How does your skills affect your chances in your social space? What do you find most important about usage of new media? Which aspects of new media are negative in your point of view? How would you describe the differences between the ways you and your parents are affected with new media? Do you think you play a different role in “on-line” and “off-line” space?

Supposed timetable for the research: 
October 2005-January 2006 – theoretical part of the research, list of literature, references, seeking partners in Japan. Final version of the questionnaire (research topics). February 2005-March 2005 – practical part of the research, realizing the interviews in Japan. First conclusions based on the results of research of cultural praxis. April 2005-May 2005 – Practical part of the research in Czech Republic. Building comparison between the situation in Japan and Czech Republic. June 2005 – Final presentation of the project and its results. Publishing in Revue pro media, a respected media science magazine in Czech Republic.