The Sociological Implications of Social and Technological Change for Belonging and Citizenship

Abstract

This article explores the dialectic of citizenship and belonging in parallel with the emergence of new and innovative technologies, which have reshaped the contours of personal identity for individuals and groups, while simultaneously deepening the social divide that has influenced the nature of social relationships. In this context, our research deconstructs the sociological meanings of social change, starting from the definition of this change and its connection to the concept of citizenship through its various manifestations, primarily participation and its procedural conditions such as dialogue and other forms of interaction. The article relies on sociological and legal frameworks, as well as examples drawn from field studies that address, according to the principles of pluralism and active citizenship, issues related to how the youth engage with the aforementioned social changes, which have touched upon aspects of identity, selfhood, and personality. The article begins with the issue of the conflict between social change due to technology and the new platforms of identity, and the process of reconstructing this reality as a condition for harmony between the culture of citizenship and belonging, and the dominance of technology