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<p>The term <i>digital</i> is now central to most contemporary discussions of social development, yet its referent remains ambiguous. Its meaning is often reduced to a narrow understanding of technical conditions and tools. This article distinguishes five perspectives on the meaning of <i>digital</i>: <i>technical digital</i>, <i>value digital</i>, <i>action digital</i>, <i>cultural digital</i>, and <i>normative digital</i>, offering a sociological interpretation of its connotations. From this standpoint, the concept <i>digital</i> is multi-faceted. It can be conceptualized as: (1) the material basis of digital society; (2) a symbolic value representation; (3) a social <i>dispositif</i> for coordinating action; (4) a fluid cultural situation; and/or (5) a set of normative social requirements. Differentiating these nuanced perspectives of the term helps move beyond essentialist accounts grounded solely in technological determinism, better enabling an analysis of the open-ended social logic of digital society. This article, then, lays an important foundation for advancing digital research and underscores the need to construct a coherent conceptual system delineating “the digital” while outlining potential pathways for such development.</p>

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Five perspectives on the digital: a sociological interpretation

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月10日

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  • Yuting Liu

摘要

The term digital is now central to most contemporary discussions of social development, yet its referent remains ambiguous. Its meaning is often reduced to a narrow understanding of technical conditions and tools. This article distinguishes five perspectives on the meaning of digital: technical digital, value digital, action digital, cultural digital, and normative digital, offering a sociological interpretation of its connotations. From this standpoint, the concept digital is multi-faceted. It can be conceptualized as: (1) the material basis of digital society; (2) a symbolic value representation; (3) a social dispositif for coordinating action; (4) a fluid cultural situation; and/or (5) a set of normative social requirements. Differentiating these nuanced perspectives of the term helps move beyond essentialist accounts grounded solely in technological determinism, better enabling an analysis of the open-ended social logic of digital society. This article, then, lays an important foundation for advancing digital research and underscores the need to construct a coherent conceptual system delineating “the digital” while outlining potential pathways for such development.