The revolutionary establishment of technology has enormously endorsed a period of intense transformation in the society. It is especially visible through new forms of contemporary social structure, shedding light on the emerging of society’s strong desire and attempts to free self from existing historical ties and to become independent, free, and flexible. This is clear foresight of a new form of network society, arranged beyond a face to face of individuals meeting mechanism (Castells, 1989), opens endless expansion and reconfiguration of contemporary believes, practices, products, and impacts in wide array of sectors (economy, arts, legal system, administration, business, communications, justice, politics, advocacy, psycho-social issues, and well-being issues) across the global system.

According to Castells, power now rests in networks: “the logic of the network is more powerful than the powers of the network” (quoted in Weber, 2002, p. 104) - it is whether nation states or local communities are deeply affected, especially by inclusion in and exclusion from the global networks that structure a various sector in society at any level. Thus, it is also crucial look closely at exclusion from and inclusion in different kinds of social structures, to locate connectivity and access to networks are essential, being aware that people at the bottom are those who, with nothing to offer the network, are excluded. Castells’ arguments show us how the new forms of network society offer challenges in a way that despite the disappearance of conventional ties, exploitation, marginalization, exclusion, and differentiation remain.

In what follows, scholarships are invited to build an academic discussion on characterizing the structure and dynamics of societies in the world of the twenty-first century. Thus, scholar may come to look at the meaning of being in a network society by examining the role of network society within the complexity of socio-cultural, political, and economic circumstances in strengthening the role of science in overcoming local, national, regional, and global problems. But scientific research is also required to identify a wide variety of solutions to societal problems enhanced by the network society, which no longer relate solely to a particular discipline, but are multi- and trans-disciplinary. In addition, recent research has changed the traditional role of academia, demanding more collaboration in the production of science, not only among universities, but also among researchers, social activists, practitioners, and policymakers.

Considering these issues, the fourth Asia-Pacific Research in Social Sciences and Humanities (APRISH) was hosted by the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Indonesia (FISIP UI) in 2019 under the main theme The Network Society: Continuity and Change. Scientific inputs from all parts of the world were welcome, academically, and practically. Various perspectives, based on mono-disciplinary, multi-disciplinary or trans-disciplinary research are expected to examine the problems and contribute to solutions. This proceeding contains studies from four different sub themes, namely:

1. The Network Society: Expansion and Reconfiguration Social Structure
2. Strengthening Network Governance for Sustainable Development
3. Reconnecting Socio-Economic and Business Activities in Achieving Sustainable Future
4. Social Connectedness in Maximising Psychological Wellbeing

We hope that these four different sub themes that are strongly anchoring in the idea of the network society can provide an significant index on how society, especially within Indonesia contexts, has changed in response to the the advanced of the new technology yet at the same time it continues to grow and transform.

Editor
Endah Triastuti, Ph.D