E-culture among the University Students

Term Paper , 2007 , 11 Pages

Psychology - Social Psychology

Electronic technology is changing our life-style to a great extent. There are many areas of electronic technology helping different sections of a common man. For instance, terms like e-commerce, e-business, e-banking, e-mails, e-organizations, e-governance, ejournals, e-books, e-medicine, internet, web-shopping, etc have become part of the current lexicon. Advances made in the fields of information and communication technology (ICT) and electronics has resulted in the emergence of e-culture. Electronic culture is enveloping the entire world, it is a global phenomenon. Today e-culture is the reality that we live in; it is no longer an option. Kanter indicates that organization will successfully meet the challenges of the ‘Internet Age’ only if they become communities of collaborative work relations with distinct ‘e-cultures’.

E-culture is also increasingly understood as a new digital media culture or digitalization of culture. Netherlands council for culture in its advisory report on digitalization of culture submitted to the state secretary of education, culture and science defines eculture as “all about a new, digital dimension; a new and -until recently- undreamt of medium with which existing culture must seek to interact and in which new culture is being generated.” De Haan and Huysmans states the term ‘e-culture’ refers to the diffusion of new technology, its application for various purposes (especially information and communication) and shifts in related attitudes, values and norms. Patel and Rajendran have defined “electronic culture” as “increased use of electronic goods by individuals in various areas”; they have also developed an inventory to measure eculture. In this research study e-culture was assessed based this perspective. E-culture is both technological and a social development. There seems to be a widespread consensus that new digital and networking technologies like the World Wide Web (WWW) and the Internet have the capacity to reorder the domains of everyday social and personal life by transforming work and knowledge forms, gender and body politics, health and science, domestic life and entertainment as well as transforming national economics and international relations, democracy and the distribution of power.

J.M. ASGARALI PATEL^[*] Dr. K. RAJENDRAN^[**]

ANNAMALAI UNIVERSITY, ANNAMALAI NAGAR-608 002.

SCOPE- ANNAMALAI PSYCHOLOGY JOURNAL, December 2006, Vol. 2, pp. 1-7.

ABSTRACTS

This research study is an attempt made to explore the relationship of e-culture with cultural determination and sensation seeking behaviour. Samples for the study comprised of 100 students (50 females and 50 males) between the age group of 18 to 24 years (Mean Age=21.1 years) studying at Annamalai University, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu. Tools used for data collection were the (1) E-culture inventory, (2) Cultural determination scale, and the (3) Sensation seeking behaviour scale chosen after a comprehensive review of related literature. Samples were contacted individually by the researcher and data was collected through face-to-face interview. Data collection was spread over a period of one month (30 days). The responses were scored and statistically analyzed. Pearson’s product moment correlation was calculated. Results indicated that e- culture is not significantly related to cultural determination but sensation seeking behaviour is positively and significantly related to e-culture.

INTRODUCTION

Electronic technology is changing our life-style to a great extent. There are many areas of electronic technology helping different sections of a common man. For instance, terms like e-commerce, e-business, e-banking, e-mails, e-organizations, e-governance, e- journals, e-books, e-medicine, internet, web-shopping, etc have become part of the current lexicon. Advances made in the fields of information and communication technology (ICT) and electronics has resulted in the emergence of e-culture. Electronic culture is enveloping the entire world, it is a global phenomenon. Today e-culture is the reality that we live in; it is no longer an option. Kanter (2001) indicates that organization will successfully meet the challenges of the ‘Internet Age’ only if they become communities of collaborative work relations with distinct ‘e-cultures’.

E-culture is also increasingly understood as a new digital media culture or digitalization of culture. Netherlands council for culture in its advisory report on digitalization of culture submitted to the state secretary of education, culture and science (2004) defines e- culture as “all about a new, digital dimension; a new and –until recently- undreamt of medium with which existing culture must seek to interact and in which new culture is being generated.” De Haan and Huysmans (2002) states the term ‘e-culture’ refers to the diffusion of new technology, its application for various purposes (especially information and communication) and shifts in related attitudes, values and norms. Patel and Rajendran (2005) have defined “electronic culture” as “increased use of electronic goods by individuals in various areas”; they have also developed an inventory to measure e- culture. In this research study e-culture was assessed based this perspective.

E-culture is both technological and a social development. There seems to be a widespread consensus that new digital and networking technologies like the World Wide Web (WWW) and the Internet have the capacity to reorder the domains of everyday social and personal life by transforming work and knowledge forms, gender and body politics, health and science, domestic life and entertainment as well as transforming national economics and international relations, democracy and the distribution of power (Dona Kolar-Panov, 2003). The positive approval of the concepts of information society and e-

culture are reflected in the keenness with which political decision-makers have taken them over on all levels- local, regional, national and transnational. More accessible and transparent information is an easy expression, something that is unequivocally good. It is good both from the point of view of social resources and democracy. Furthermore, the ideas of an information society and e-culture have also implied or, at least to start with, did imply expectations of economic growth and stability, opening up of new sectors of production, increased productivity and the advent of a new, fluctuation-proof economy (Mitchell, 2003). The emergence of e-culture leads to cultural homogenization and immense concentrations of financial power thereby sending the threatening message “learn English and buy a computer or you’re out” (Marsh, 2003). E-culture also makes it imperative to develop digital skill that is to possess knowledge concerning the handling of electronic products especially the use of computer and Internet (De Haan Huysmans, 2002).

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^[*] Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychology, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar-2.

^[**] Professor and Head, Department of Psychology, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar-2.

• Course: Ph.D
• Author: Asgarali Patel (Author)
• Publication Year: 2007
• Pages: 11
• Catalog Number: V110768
• ISBN (eBook): 9783640089291
• Language: German
• Tags: E-culture, University, Students