Shekh Moinuddin – författare

This book offers a spatial insights on the social mediasphere in the context of digital shutdowns and reflects the dimensions of political economy and of social media in general. Internet shutdowns have been found to be more prevalent in developing countries than in developed countries, with India leading in Internet shutdowns in the world. Internet shutdowns have occurred in India for several reasons, mainly to hinder the spreading of information through social media – this is discussed in detail along with political motives behind this and how this can conflict with government policies, such as the flagship program “Digital India” which is ostensibly meant to improve the infrastructure and expansion of digital information throughout the country. This book suggests new dimensions in the digital spatiality. Furthermore, the digital space is defined and discussed, including its role and how this might be reflected in concepts around spatiality and spaces. 

More concretely,the book considers the following questions: How is social media reflected in spatial sciences? How does the space differ from more tangible spaces, such as the hydrosphere or atmosphere? How do (computer/mobile phone) screens behave as a space/place in the context of behavioural sciences? How is this reflected in what is shaping and reshaping the spatiality of digital gadgets? Do digital gadgets change the socialization process that’s often considered a path towards how we develop in society? How do internet shutdowns affect the political economy and what patterns can be seen in how individuals, companies and the internet industry in particular react to these shutdowns in India?

This book deals with three different subjects: geography, social media and religion equally to discuss e-religiosity in terms of screenscapes that shaped digital socialization processes wherein the role of digital devices in general and smartphones in particular are considered crucial and critical. The spatial dimension is the primary foundation of the book wherein both space and place are discussed in digital manifestations in spatial sense. Religiosity is discussed variably in a sense of spirituality, social theories, religions and images. The book uses some illustrations to understand image politics. Image politics is quintessential in the age of digital technologies when production and reproduction of images are not restricted to business only; rather it attracts politics too and politicians often use the same to make political scores against opponents. 

The book discusses seven major questions and argues the same across the chapters in varied representations and interpretations: How and to what extent has the meaning of religiosity changed in the digital age? What are the dimensions of e-religiosity in India? How are digital devices (re)shaping religiosity in terms of e-religiosity? How and to what extent digital devices are negotiating with social and cultural lives? What is digital spatiality? How and to what extent does social media influence religiosity? 

This book investigates image politics during elections and how the political discourse is reflected during the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections in 2012 by the media and the state. It reveals new dimensions of media geography in India and makes image construction and interpretation easy to comprehend. This interdisciplinary approach is located at the interface of geography with social, political, cultural, and media sciences.

The book draws a geographical interpretation of politics to reveal the role of both media and the state to shape the political discourse with special focus on the privileged position of the “heartland” Uttar Pradesh in Indian politics. It studies the “mediascape” by highlighting application of media in both public and private spheres and discussing the importance of both old and new media, e.g., print, radio, TV, social media. Several crucial aspects are discussed and answered. How do media and politicians construct politics around the issue of minorities? How do media communalize issues during the election campaign? How can local issues gain national importance and shape national politics?