Perplexity of Subjective Identity in virtual Meta-territorial Space: A Critical Analysis

Permeable territorial boundaries and shakable autocracies seem to be main characteristics of temporary globalization. This phenomenon is coexistent with recent information revolution; since telecommunication and information project (internet) was able to facilitate connecting every computer all over the world to others along with its evolutional trend, without necessarily being limited to any boundaries or governance of states. Therefore, the virtual space is created to provide a frame in which subjects can interact with each other free of existing social norms and structures. On this basis, the present paper addresses the question: How virtual space affects identities of subjects? This article aims to investigate how virtual space alters subjects’ characteristics in identity context. Theoretical framework of the paper is inspired by Goffman's self-presentation theory. Based on this framework, virtual space has provided the subject with an environment to act and present himself – an environment in which a subject carries various social, political and cultural masks. The hypothesis examined by the present study is: meta-territorial virtual space has provided a scene for presenting ideas and semantic characteristics which lead to interactions and contrasts between various cultural ideas. This phenomenon creates a battlefield of identity struggles amongst subjects due to high number of subjects and plethora of communicational lingual actions – however not necessarily Habermasian communicational actions – amongst them; hence causing them to be perplexed. The present paper is of critical analysis type. Also authors try to present solutions to confront identity perplexity of subjects in cyber space.