Stratums of Members of Local Internet Communities: Main Features and Characteristics

Department of integrated marketing communications and branding, 91944 UrFU, Russian Federation  

^* Corresponding authors: o.t.ergunova@urfu.ru, alexey.skuratov@urfu.ru

Abstract

The article examines aspects of network societies functioning, describes characteristics of stratified scales in local Internet communities. The study of various aspects of stratification in virtual groups is based on a practical social research aimed at social and stratification analysis of local Internet communities existing in the cyber domains of large Russian cities. On the basis of generalization of theorizes and processing of the data received, the authors come to the conclusion that there is a stratified scale in any local community, according to which the users are ranged. The diversity of the entire system of criteria for status and role stratification, the skills of community members in applying these criteria influence the moderation rights used by the formal and informal leaders of the network community, and ultimately influence the controllability of interaction within the virtual group. Stratification within local virtual groups is systemic, since in the absence of it a social order is impossible. However, the stable functioning of the Internet community is not possible without a stratified system as a form of institutionalization of social action.