THE ACTOR-NETWORK PARADIGM FOR THE SOCIOLOGY OF «UNSOLICITED PUBLIC OPINION»

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the potential of actor network theory (AST) in the study of the phenomenon of «unsolicited public opinion» — opinions formed in digital environments without the direct participation of sociologists (in social networks, on video hosting sites, etc.). The author traces the evolution of sociological paradigms: from the confrontation of quantitative and qualitative methods to attempts to integrate them and, finally, towards a radical revision of the ontological foundations in the AST by Bruno Latour and his followers. The focus is on the key principles of AST: «flat ontology», generalized symmetry (equality of people and «non-humans» as actors), rejection of binary oppositions of classical sociology. It shows how these principles make it possible to study unsolicited public opinion circulating in hybrid networks of digital platforms in a new way. The conclusion is made about the prospects of AST for modern sociology in the context of the digital transformation of sociality.