 Dear students, in this module, we are going to discuss Manuel Castel, a postmodern theorist. Manuel Castel is one of the most influential figures in the postmodern sociology, widely recognized for his work on information age and network society. He theorizes that the power now lies within the networks, not institutions. According to Castel, the transition to a network society is a product of digital revolution, characterized by the real-time networked information technologies. As you can see that the more and more economic and political power lies with those countries who are more relying on network-based technologies. So, Castel contends that the modern nation state is being supplanted by a global network of economic, political and cultural forces. In Pakistan for instance, this can be seen in increasing influence of transnational corporations and international political organizations over national policy. The national policy is more and more being influenced by those international stakeholders and international economic organizations by keeping in view their own interests as compared to the interests of the local native populations. So, Castel's theory of space and flows describes how global connections and networks are becoming more significant than the geographic locations. For example, despite being in South Asia, Pakistan's economic and political decisions are greatly influenced by its ties with China and Middle East, more so than the geographic neighbors. In the network theory, individual identities become more fluid and less tied to traditional categories like class, ethnicity or nation. For instance, a Pakistani software engineer working in a silicon valley company may identify more with the global professional class than their own national or ethnic group. Castel also emphasizes the role of mass media in shaping the public opinion and identity. This is evident globally and in Pakistan where the rise of social media has dramatically influenced the landscape of public discourse. According to him, the digital divide is a major source of inequality in a network society. For instance, access to digital networks and resources varies greatly across or within the country such as in Pakistan. If we see that rural areas are having less access to internet as compared to the urban areas. So, Castel's rise of network society remains a seminal text in the field of sociology. Basically, it posits that the structures are of age old industrial societies have been replaced by a new paradigm of informational capitalism where power lies not in owning the resources or the means of production but in controlling and managing the sources of information.