Agency and Autonomy in the Age of Hyperconnectivity

The world has dramatically changed in recent years. The interconnectedness of individuals, societies and markets is unprecedented in human history. Whether through virtual or physical connections, the world has become hyper-connected and extremely interdependent. As a consequence, a global society has emerged and everything is influenced by things happening everywhere.

The establishment of interdependencies between individuals is fundamental for the creation of social systems. In doing so, individuals inevitably lose part of their autonomy in pursuit of a collective purpose. Traditionally, the geographical location of individuals and organizations determined the possibility for establishing social relationships among them. The current digital societies and the avoidance of physical distances are changing traditional paradigms. Philosophical reflections are required to frame and understand the consequences and effects derived from the ongoing changes.

The focus of this special issue aims to explore unanswered but relevant questions about the behavior of individuals and the properties of social systems in the age of hyper-connectivity. Connectivity and interdependencies affect core aspects of human behavior such as the sense of purpose, autonomy or agency, and the capacity for acting independently or collectively. Are humans becoming more constrained? Are their actions decoupling from one another? What sort of social dynamics are expected to arise from this unprecedented global context? We welcome papers exploring these sorts of questions and providing a view into the future.

References

• Yaneer Bar-Yam, Complexity rising: From human beings to human civilization, a complexity profile, in Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), developed under the Auspices of the UNESCO (EOLSS Publishers, Oxford, UK, 2002). https://necsi.edu/complexity-rising-from-human-beings-to-human-civilization-a-complexity-profile
• Poole, S. (2020): Reality check. Think:Act​​ 31, 68—71.
• Balsa-Barreiro, J., Vié, A., Morales, A.J. and Cebrián, M​.​(2020): Deglobalization in a hyper-connected world. ​Palgrave Commun​. 6, 28. ​https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-0403-x
• Balsa-Barreiro, J., Li, Y., Morales, A.J. and Pentland, A. (2019) Globalization and the shifting centers of gravity of world's human dynamics: Implications for sustainability. Journal​ of Cleaner Production​239, 117923. ​https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.117923
• Sulkowski, L. (2020): Covid-19 pandemic; recession, virtual revolution leading to de-globalization? Journal of Intercultural Management 12(1), 1—11. ​https://doi.org/10.2478/joim-2020-0029 

Dr. Alfredo J. Morales
Dr. José Balsa-Barreiro
Guest Editors

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