AUTHOR
Piotr Pawlak
ABSTRACT
The undertaken by me subject is placed in the area of problems of communication field, in its intercultural dimension. I would like to devote attention of my report to the process of cultural diffusion in informative society. I will treat the Internet as main tool as well as platform for that phenomenon.
The community of netizens of which one of the main motive power of appearing and development was natural need for communication, exists beyond all borders and different kinds of barriers of cultural nature, possessing its own culture (in spite of its creator members being representatives of different “mother” cultures). Processes similar to the ones we have witnessed in traditional field take place within it. Obviously the specific of these processes is different from their prototypes as well as their dynamics, observed and described by explorers in reference to “traditional” communication. Phenomenon to which I would like to bestow attention is cultural diffusion taking place in range of intercultural group creating widely understood network community, functioning thanks to the Internet. The cultural diffusion is the process of cultural changes possible in conditions of] intercultural contact, which relies on permeation of works of one culture to the other one leading to cultural adopted ideas, which in consequence cause the growth of similarities between cultures ” I would like to explain the specificity of the process in conditions of the Internet; among other things – whether it has indirect character (due to even to large distances) whether direct (through direct contact of its members), what influence if has on cultural consciousness of its participants (if it is then unintentional process, or else in a sense a controlled one). As well as what content, value or areas become its part. I think that what matters is the aspect shape of communication having important influence on shape of informative society. I would like to introduce the participants of network communication in character of transmitters of cultural diffusion – taking place within the,, Internet community “, transferring its results on the ground of “mother” cultures. The process itself is essential both for the community itself and its culture, as well as for “mother” cultures of its members. It supports the widely understood process of intercultural communication. And so, in this conception the members of network community become the specific carriers of particular values, behavioral patterns, or the notion patterns. The Internet in larger degree becomes one of the main sources from which the contemporary man derives knowledge about the world and other cultures. It becomes even more essential tool of socialization process.
So as to sum up; I shall try to bring closer the specific process of cultural changes inside the community, the main communication channel of which (enabling cultural contact) is the Internet. The process which by means of users of net can influence individual cultures of national, regional or religious character. Apart from the main aim, that is introduction of the described above process and the demonstration of its significance as well as positive influence on intercultural communication,my lecture will also be a glance at matter of general culture of the Internet, as well as approach at the image of its creating community.