Global-local tensions?

Slack & Williams (2000) [http://nms.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/2/3/313] provide a very insightful analysis of Castells' "space of flows" vs "space of places". The question is, does information society make "local knowledge" futile or could it be that information society and its "space of flows" actually enrich the "local" (space of places) rather than render it useless, a dumping ground for the "digital have-nots".

Perhaps both are true, but Slack & Willams argue for "an opportunity for intervention" when it comes to the local: "everyday life is saturated with interactions that have nothing (and in many cases could have nothing) do with the technological space..." (p. 318). They continue "By and large, people maintain interactions without the aid of intervention of ICTs".

Intellectually, this is precisely what I want to explore with my PhD. Given that Slack & Williams' work was published in 2000, I would not readily accept their then position about everyday life and the relative importance of ICTs to it. I intend to make empirical observations about just this, the importance (or lack?) of ICTs to "active citizens"(note to self: for the sake of comparison I should try to recruit some non-active citizens too but that will be a challenge).

The space of flows - spaces of places argument is still very valid since Castells coined the term. Do the flows of global information society undermine local life? Probably in terms of capital. What about information as capital? I would like to believe in Slack & Williams' "case for intervention" - but I need to question their statement that "One can see community ICT projects as only marginal to the issue of socal exclusion" (p. 318). Locally facing ICT/community projects could just provide that meeting point for the local and the global flows, in a place-specific manner.

This at long last provides me with a robust conceptual framework to hinge my work upon. Notions of democracy, citizenship, community, local government, e-government etc can all be dealt with from this point of view.

Castells did always appeal to me but the practical application of his philosophical arguments about the network society eluded me, until now.

The sense of gratification is palpable.