Borders as information flows and transnational networks | Culture and communication in digital worlds

Author(s): Peter Shields

Year of publication: 2014

Keywords: Borders, Transnational networks, Information flows, State power, Mobility inequality

Methodology/Sample: _/_

Reference: Shields, P. (2014). Borders as information flows and transnational networks. Global Media and Communication, 10(1), 3-33. https://doi.org/10.1177/1742766513513195

Abstract

The international communication subfield has assumed that cross-border information flows and the national borders they traverse are two different kinds of phenomena: information flows are viewed as fluid and mobile, while national borders are understood to be the rigid and immobile edges of the nation-state ‘container’. This paper unsettles this assumption by showing that state actors in the US and the EU are stretching border controls into neighbouring and distant territories. These borders, which are dependent on transnational ICT networks, are permitting state actors to re-scale border controls in a way that transcends the territorial framework of the nation-state system. These network-like borders are discussed in terms of their contribution to mobility inequality; their implications for those who have turned to concepts such as ‘diaspora’ as a way of escaping ‘the iron grip of the nation-state on the social imagination’; and their implications for state power.

> Summary

The paper critiques the assumption that state borders are rigid and immobile, highlighting their evolving nature in response to globalization.
It discusses how state actors in the US and EU extend border controls beyond traditional boundaries using ICT networks.
The research emphasizes the implications of these network-like borders for mobility inequality and state power.
It argues that conventional understandings of borders fail to capture new transnational practices that challenge traditional notions of state sovereignty.

> Problem statement

The paper challenges the conventional understanding of borders as fixed lines of demarcation between countries.
It argues that state actors are reconfiguring borders using ICTs, extending control beyond traditional boundaries.
The research highlights the implications of these new border practices for mobility inequality and state power.
It critiques the assumption that information flows and national borders are separate phenomena.
The paper emphasizes the need for a sophisticated understanding of contemporary border dynamics.

> Methods used

The paper employs historical analysis to outline the emergence of linear state borders and their global implications.
It critiques existing literature on state borders, emphasizing the need for a nuanced understanding of contemporary border practices.
The author discusses the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in reshaping border modalities.
Ethnographic maps are used to illustrate the transformation of borders from complex to linear representations.
The paper analyzes transnational information flows and their interaction with national borders, challenging traditional views.

> Practical implications

The paper argues that state actors are reconfiguring borders using ICTs, challenging conventional understandings of borders.
It highlights the implications of transnational border practices for mobility inequality and diaspora concepts.
The ongoing fortification of borders may deter migration and complicate the ‘diasporic journey’ for many individuals.
The research suggests that scholars must rethink the nation-state as the primary unit of analysis in international communication.
It emphasizes the need for a sophisticated understanding of contemporary border dynamics to address emerging transnational information flows.