Schenina O.G. Topology of digitalization of the space of political relations. PolitBook. 2024. No. 2. Рp. 35-50.

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to study the space of political relations in the context of digitalization based on the use of topology methods. The appeal of specialists in the field of social and humanitarian knowledge to the methodology of topology allows us to identify new facets of processes and phenomena based on the principles of interdisciplinary synthesis. The study of the evolution of the formation of a network society is associated with attempts to update and revise the methodology of a number of social sciences and humanities. Digitalization of almost all spheres of public life puts on the agenda the issue of scientific search for explanatory models, theories, ideas for its analysis. Along with digitalization, the processes of informatization and networking are no less significant within the framework of the topic under consideration, which in many ways transform social reality and form a new reality. The article discusses a number of theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of the space of political relations. It is shown that the works of G.Simmel, A.Lefebvre, M.Foucault present new perspectives to the study of approaches to social space, and their application allows us to analyze the space of political relations of a network society.  The relevance of the application of topology methods to the analysis of the space of political relations in the conditions of digitalization is substantiated on the basis of the works of K.Levin and P.Bourdieu, as well as on the basis of the idea of D. Lo's social topology. In the process of studying various aspects of the development of political relations, the author also uses the methods of content analysis, network approach, discourse analysis, system approach. The author comes to the conclusion that digitalization has a significant impact on public relations, including political ones. One of the sides of the effects of digitalization is the transformation of the political space and, in many ways, the world of politics as a whole. The use of topological optics for the analysis of such complex processes allows the researcher to identify their essence and get closer to understanding their meanings