Tourism

Main Topic explanation
Technology has played a crucial role in the way human beings interact. Present-day interactions are primarily governed by social networking sites such as facebook and twitter. Company meetings are to some extent replaced by video conferencing or instant messengers appended with group functions. Both children and adults alike can get hooked by computer games and other technological applications. Personal or face-to-face communication in this era has thus been reduced in importance due to the existence of the aforementioned. In particular, the research aims at explaining the possible reality of the level of human interaction in Europe with a focus on the country of Slovakia. In light of such circumstances, this research seeks to investigate the relationship between technological advancement and the disintegration of human interaction. The theoretical agenda of this project is primarily based on two major works of Bhambra Rethinking Modernity. Postcolonialism and the Sociological Imagination and Sociology and Postcolonialism Another missing Revolution

Contents of the Case study
As a point of departure, the operational definition of relevant terms in the study will be discussed in Chapter 2. The concepts relevant in this study are as follows Bhambras Assertions on Modernity, Modernity, Human interaction, and Technological Developments. Communism and Chapter 3 discusses in detail the research methodology. As a form of introduction, this paper is essentially a case study on the disintegration of human interaction in Slovakia. A critical literature review will be employed since a longitudinal first-hand data collection is not feasible for the project. Historical accounts as well as data from secondary sources will be collected. Chapter 4 begins with a discussion on the present global situation on human interaction. It is followed by an investigation on the current level of human interaction in Slovak society. Other points to be tackled are outlined in the same chapter.

Scope and Delimitation
The range of possible points of investigation is limited by time and space. Nevertheless, the author has critically chosen what are surmised as the most important considerations in order to address the problem at hand. First, we limit the social networking sites to Facebook and Twitter due in part to their current popularity not only in Europe but also in other parts of the world. Other charting and communication tools like Friendster, Plurk and Multiply will be discussed in much lesser detail. Second, other forms of technology influencing the current social life of the people will be limited to those technologies that replace personal meetings or gatherings. These include the yahoo messenger, meebo, ordinary video conferencing and holographic video conferencing.

Earlier, it was mentioned that an historical investigation is also part of the case study. It serves as a substitute to first-hand longitudinal data collection and investigation. Starting with pre-historic Slovakia is impractical and unnecessary. Moreover, it will take too much space. There is also no clear-cut definition of Slovak territory and culture in the same way that there was no clear definition of which was America, Asia or Europe at that time. For convenience, the author chose to limit the historical investigation from a few years before the communist rule in the country, to the communist state and to its dissolution and finally to present-day Slovakia. During the same time period the evolution of social networking sites and other communication-related technologies are also presented.

Questions to Consider
Some of the questions that are to be considered in this study are the following
What changes in general contributed to the present-day level of interaction among the people of Slovakia
How did the level of interaction among the people evolve
Is the trend in the evolution exclusive to Slovakia
What were the changes instituted in after communism was dissolved in the country
How did they affect human interaction in the country
 Are the changes instituted primarily a result of a collective or an individual movement
What were the global developments during these time period that hastened the changes in the said country
If Slovakia remained to be a communist country, what would human interaction in the country be (Compare the country to other remaining communist countries in the world.)

Hypothesis and Assumptions
The basic assumption in this research is that the disintegration of human interaction in Slovakia is attributable to technological advancement. Hence, factors such as personal or group conflicts due to any reason are not in any way discussed here. Note also that little references have been made due to the fact that the following paragraphs are mere conjectures based from the authors stocked knowledge. The real answer to our main question will be presented in the conclusion in Chapter 5. This will follow a formal discussion on the literature review we employed.

Before presenting the hypothesis for our main problem a review thereof is essential. Is human interaction in Slovakia downplayed by advancements in virtual and mobile communication technologies At the onset, the answer is a resounding yes. Facebook, twitter, instant messengers, mobile phones and video conferences definitely provide a great alternative for people from different parts of Slovakia and the world to socialize. They do not have to meet face-to-face, they have less or even no physical contact like hugging, kissing and shaking hands. Such physical contact according to some scientific findings improves human relations. As a logical corollary, the level of human interaction, in our definition gets downgraded because of the lack of such contact. Video games and other computer applications also engross its users that it takes away peoples time in interacting with their fellows.

Political changes in the country greatly influenced Slovak interaction in the recent years. Since the dissolution of communism in the country, there were changes instituted and observed in the way the government prioritized and implemented programs. Included in such changes are their investments in education, science and technology. These programs must have improved their economy. Recently, they have also joined NATO, and the European Union (EU). Such developments allowed its people to easily be influenced by other advanced and developed nations like France, United Kingdom and Germany. As a result, Slovaks easily embraced modernization.

Part of what the Slovaks embraced is the development in communication technology. To illustrate this point let us take their adoption of Facebook. There exists a Slovakia Fan page. It is well-known that Facebook began in the United States. As a modern, non-communist state, Slovakia has joined in the race of globalization and has there joined in the online social networking bandwagon.

In the previous section we asked if the changes experienced by Slovakia in the level of human interaction are primarily results of collective or individual movement. The Velvet Revolution is a collective movement. Facebook on the other hand just began in a Harvard dormitory room by Mark Zuckerberg. Due to such instances, we can claim that there would always be an interplay between collective and individual movement. Change is brought about by individual actions that are supported by other individuals. The Velvet Revolution could not have succeeded without its leaders while Zuckerbergs Facebook could not have as many members today had it not been for the support of his fellow dormers and other students from other Ivy League Universities.

Had Slovakia remained a communist nation, their level of interaction could have been like that of Russia, North Korea or China. The three remains to be communist nations. North Korea in particular seems to be secluded from the rest of the world. Mobile phones have been prohibited as evidenced by the fact that tourists were forced to leave them at the airport.

Basically, we conjecture that the disintegration of human interaction in Slovak society is attributable to Slovak adoption of new technologies as a result of modernization. Looking on the other side of the issue, we present an alternative hypothesis that is obviously contrary to our initial guess. Our alternative hypothesis is this modern-day social networking and technologies improve human interaction. It can be surmised that social networking sites, communication tools and gaming devices improve human interaction for a variety of reasons. First, social networking sites allow Slovaks virtually interact with their loved ones even if they are far away. Such sites permit them to maintain a close relationship despite a long-distance communication. A constant communication will prevent alienation from one another. Hence, a reunion would not be tantamount to an awkward re-acquaintance. Mobile phones provide a similar experience. Second, gaming devices allow friends and even family members to have a shared hobby. Some may say that games may take away time from family bonding and friendly face-to-face discourse. We hypothesize however that these games actually help its users in that it allows them to maintain a personal space. This maintenance of a personal space gives them a sense of distinction from the Other. As the philosopher Emmanuel Levinas says, the recognition of that difference in the Other is the starting point of Ethics. Ethics, which is roughly defined as a sense of responsibility and morality towards fellow beings is highly connected with human interaction. Consequently, we see from these arguments that human interaction is preserved if not improved.

A third reason for this alternative hypothesis has to do with how much technology allows us to save time. Before, people had to focus on manual labor. They would have to work all day for them to be able to feed themselves and live. By the end of the day, they would be too tired to interact with one another. Technology allows people to save time in their work. They can use whatever time they have left for social interaction which may be that of a face-to-face interaction.

We have presented two possible conclusions to our investigation. First, we surmised that there is indeed disintegration in human interaction in Slovakia due to their adoption of technology. The alternative hypothesis tells otherwise. Now, we present a neutral point which stands as the null hypothesis. That is modern-day social networking and technology has little or no effect on Slovak human interaction during the time period of interest. The author at this point does not have a strong rationale for this possible conclusion. We ought to simply take the hypothesis as it is. Also, the author believes that providing a reason for this particular hypothesis is trivial because we have already stated reasons for the first two. What is left to do is to contradict the reasons presented above.

Concepts and Operational Definition of Terms
Essential in our undertaking and even for the readers of this project is a basic overview of the concepts and terms relevant in our study on the purported disintegration of human interaction in Slovakia. We discuss here the concepts of modernity, eurocentrism, Bhambras assertion on modernity, human interaction and relevant technological advancements. The essence of this chapter lies in the fact that there is no clear-cut definition and understanding of the concepts important in our investigation. For instance, readers may not know what is meant exactly by human interaction. Therefore we present herein our operational definitions. It means that we define the terms according to how we use it in the study. We do similarly for the other words.

Modernity
At the outset, seeing the word modernity would not cause much trouble because it can be easily be defined by anyone. Unfortunately, when one is exposed with more sociological scenarios all over the world, one may find the concept problematic in the same way that the word Asian is ambiguous. To elucidate our point, lets first take the case of the word Asian. Anything Asian is something that comes from the continent of Asia.

Asian foods are not just spicy, there are also delicacies such as the sinigang which boasts of a sour soup, and then there is the tinola which has a bland soup. There is nothing specific about Asian food. When we talk about Asian clothes we think of kimono (Japan), barot saya (Philippines), and others. Again, there is nothing specific about Asian clothes. When we say that anything Asian comes from the continent of Asia then there should no longer be a clear concept of Asia because the west has infiltrated their very culture during their occupation of countries like the Philippines (Spain), East Timor (Portugal), Singapore (Britain), India (Britain). Now, whatever comes from Asia would always have a trace of Europe or the West. Similarly, there is no longer a clear concept of the word modernity. In connection with this, some may ask How modern is modern

According to Bhambra, Modernity, broadly conceived, refers to the social, cultural, political, and economic changes that took place in Western Europe from the mid-sixteenth century onwards. Bhambra also presents other arguments regarding its definition. Wagner, for instance, says that modernity marks a rupture that leads to some specificity of the West in global comparison. The neo-functionalist Alexander echoes Wagner and suggests that the transition to modernity within Western society provided a capacity for transformation unprecedented in other civilizations of the world The postmodernist Smart, associates the condition of modernity with the development of Western industrial capitalist societies. Then there is Seldman who argues that modernity can be understood in terms of the distinctiveness of the culture at the heart of the modern world. Modernity can thus be seen as something that lies on the one side of the demarcation line between the West and the East or what is believed to be traditional or pre-modern.

Bhambra demonstrates that the Western experience is taken both as the basis for the construction of the concept of modernity and that it has a validity that transcends the human experience.

The concept of modernity is essential in this study since it is, in Bhambras words, the dominant frame for social and political thought. Our social inquiry is very much entangled with this concept. Hence, we should have an understanding of it and we should also be open about the latest constructions of its definition. This is the reason why our methodology is very much rooted in Bhambras assertions which are to be explained later in this chapter.

Eurocentrism
According to Bhambra, Eurocentrism is the belief, implicit or otherwise, in the world historical significance of events believed to have developed endogenously within the cultural-geographical sphere of Europe. Most social scientists seem to have this perspective. Wallerstein speaks of five ways in which social science expresses its Eurocentrism. These are the following historiography, the parochiality of its universalism, its assumptions about (Western) civilization, its Orientalism, and its attempts to impose a theory of progress. Eurocentrism also has its critics. These critics fall under three main categories
1.) Those that argue that other civilizations were also in the process of doing what Europe was doing and could have succeeded if Europe had not impeded them
2.) Those who believe that Europe was doing nothing special or new in terms of an historical viewpoint but was simply (temporarily) at the forefront of a continuation of long-standing trends and developments
3.) Critics who believe that Europes achievements have been incorrectly scrutinized and inappropriately understood.

Bhambras Assertion
Westerners seem to claim its pre-eminence due in part to Eurocentrism. It is commonly believed that modernity emerged in Europe. This came from the consideration of history and the fact that Eastern countries lag in the technological race. Moreover, the industrial revolution which radically changed how people live all over the world, occurred in Europe. Other sociologists claim that this understanding marginalizes non-westerners. They came into the defense of Eastern countries by saying that they too were on the process of a similar kind of revolution and they were only thwarted by European colonialism. Bhambra cites Delanty in his book. He said while the subsequent history of modernity is said to bear the impact of its European origins, it has somehow extricated itself from these origins and now can be understood simply as a global phenomenon that is inflected in diverse ways according to local traditions

The aforementioned leave more questions than answers. Is the West really pre-eminent in social, cultural and technological development Is it a mere Western void pride If they are right, why has technology enhanced their social set-up What is the current trend of post modernitys cultural development Is there a positive growth in human interaction as compared to the obvious decay in moral and human communications as a result of unprecedented pride and mean technological development

Bhambra then proposes a rethinking of modernity. He cites sociologists and historians and their interpretations of modernity. Bhambra basically asserts that our understanding of modernity today should be reconstructed and seen in a new light. His assertion would be helpful in our analysis of the present-day human interaction in Slovakia. Recall that in this investigation a global, a regional (in Europe) and a local (Slovakia) perspective is required in order to understand the origins of Slovakias modernity and how it affected human interaction. Whilst thinking of our own case study, Bhambras assertions and questions cannot be ignored. The answers to those questions posed above will be pursued alongside our study on the purported disintegration of human interaction in Slovakia.

Sociological imagination
C. Wright Mills The Sociological Imagination which was originally published talks about a certain sense of being trapped in todays circumstances. According to him, neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both. However, people rarely refer to history and institutional changes. Essentially, his argument tells us that there would always be an inter play between personal troubles or circumstances and societal transformations.

The sociological imagination is an essential skill in our undertaking of this investigation. It enables us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society. He adds that all social studies would always return to the problems of biography, history and their intersections. The practice of this kind of imagination in the undertaking of any study shall ask three sorts of questions.

What is the structure of this particular society as a whole What are its essential    components, and how are they related to one another How does it differ from other varieties of social order Within it, what is the meaning of any particular feature for its continuance and for its change 2.) Where does this society stand in human history What are the mechanics by which it is changing What is its place within and its meaning for the development of humanity as a whole How does any particular feature we are examining affect, and how is it affected by, the historical period in which it moves And this period-what are its essential features How does it differ from other periods What are its characteristic ways of history-making  3.)  What varieties of men and women now prevail in this society and in this period And what varieties are coming to prevail In what ways are they selected and formed, liberated and repressed, made sensitive and blunted What kinds of human nature are revealed in the conduct and character we observe in this society in this period And what is the meaning for human nature of each and every feature of the society we are examining

In this research employing the sociological imagination requires that there be a conscious effort to distinguish between the personal troubles of milieu and the public issues of social structure.

C. Wright Mills defines the two as follows
Troubles occur within the character of the individual and within the range of his immediate relations with others they have to do with his self and with those limited areas of social life of which he is directly and personally aware. Accordingly, the statement and the resolution of troubles properly lie within the individual as a biographical entity and within the scope of his immediate milieu-the social setting that is directly open to his personal experience and to some extent his willful activity. A trouble is a private matter values cherished by an individual are felt by him to be threatened.

Issues have to do with matters that transcend these local environments of the individual and the range of his inner life. They have to do with the organization of many such milieux into the institutions of an historical society as a whole, with the ways in which various milieux overlap and interpenetrate to form the larger structure of social and historical life. An issue is a public matter some value cherished by publics is felt to be threatened. Often there is a debate about what that value really is and about what it is that really threatens it. This debate is often without focus if only because it is the very nature of an issue, unlike even widespread trouble, that it cannot very well be defined in terms of the immediate and everyday environments of ordinary men. An issue, in fact, often involves a crisis in institutional arrangements, and often too it involves what Marxists call contradictions or antagonisms.

Just to reiterate, we will employ the sociological imagination in our investigation on the disintegration of human interaction in Slovakia. This skill will help us answer in particular question 6 in the previous chapter.

Human Interaction
In this paper, we define human interaction as the face-to-face relation people have with other individuals or groups. This includes two main aspects physical contact (does not include the violent form) and discourse. In this research we are concerned with the symptoms of the degradation thereof. Apparently, the symptoms would be the following

Decreased physical contact
Decreased time spent with people
Because our investigation is about the effects of technology and other modern communication tools on Slovak human interaction we must take special consideration of the following
 The decrease in frequency of physical contact is due to the fact that people get engrossed with their technological tools.

Personal time spent with other people is taken away by the time they spent with their virtual tools.
Everything becomes virtual in terms of human relations. The two are mutually dependent on one another.

Technological Advancements
In this paper, the primary technological advancements that we are concerned with are those related with communications technology, computers, programming and gaming.

Research Methodology
A case study on the evolution of human interaction to its present form in Slovak society will be performed in this paper. The study will be performed via a critical analysis of existing literature regarding the topic. Informationdata will be gathered through secondary sources. Such an analysis is appropriate with the research questions posed earlier in the introduction.

The case study is ideally an empirical, longitudinal and in-depth investigation of Slovak human interaction. The study is essentially longitudinal since the literature reviewed includes historical accounts from communist Slovakia to present-day Slovakia. Such an historical investigation has been advised by Gurminder Bhambra. According to Bhambra, an understanding of the present requires a comprehension of the past. Empirical information is not produced in this research but they will be taken from other sources. Such information will be given a new interpretation in the light of our topic. Relevant data on present-day Slovakia are also taken from other sources. Essentially, the entire research is a critical literature review on the evolution of human interaction in Slovakia.

Since Slovakia has supposedly joined the field of globalization, findings related to human interaction and modernity may at large be applicable to other countries as well. The use of facebook and games addiction for instance, is not exclusive in Slovakia. Hence the disintegration of human interaction effected by those applications applies to other countries as well. It is the investigation of the evolution of Slovak society, that is its history, is what makes the study distinctively focused on the country.

The literature review will mainly be composed of a review of historical accounts on Slovakia and the relevant technological advancements during the time period we are concerned with. Archival records showing statistics on the use of social networking sites, game programs and other related technologies will also be presented. In addition to the aforementioned, physical artifacts and direct observation are going to be employed but to a much lesser degree.

Case Study Structure
The research will take the form of a linear analyticcomparative case study with an emphasis on theory-building. The case study will be looked at from a number of viewpoints so that the best possible explanation may be given. The structure is linear analytic in a sense that the whole project is a vast literature review.  We will have to pay attention not only to the results of other studies and accounts but also to the manner by which they arrived at their statements and conclusions.

Fabrication of an evolution map
Once a literature review is employed we will strive to fabricate an evolution map of human interaction in Slovakia. The evolution map will be superimposed on a timeline of important events in Slovak history. The same map with the historical timeline will also be superimposed on the timeline depicting the technological advancements in the same time period.

Literature Review and Discussion
In this chapter we present recent literature related to our investigation on the disintegration of human interaction as a result of technological advancements in Slovakia. Selected literature will also be in line with Bhambras assertion on the redefinition of modernity and his stand on the importance of an historical review in the understanding of the present.  We first present additional information related to Bhambras rethinking of modernity. Then, we look at an overview of the effects of technological advancements on human interaction.

There are several literatures available for scrutiny in the field of sociology which shows the perceived origin of modernity and the mentality of the westerners toward modernity. According to Bhambra (2007), the ideology of modernity was founded by the western countries that allegedly exploited African manpower and resources in order to enrich themselves. The latter were stripped off their resources in order for the capitalists to develop themselves. Bhambra argues that the perception of the western countries especially the United Kingdom and other European countries like Germany and France is like a superiority complex. This superiority complex is formally called as eurocentrism. The definition of modernity nowadays is narrowly viewed as something that originated in the West particularly in Europe. The work of Ridvan (2008), extensively shows the development that the Eastern European countries in their attempts to follow the footsteps of their more advanced Western European counterparts. Further reading on and a comparison of the works of the two authors shows that there is a need to see the concept of modernity in a new light.

Whenever one looks at the relationship between the postmodern era and the postcolonial period, technological changes are inevitably observed. Technological developments have occurred and they have been modeled after the fundamental principles of our being. Modernization has greatly altered not only our life style but our social life as well. Basing from experience, we have become dehumanized as we have been molded into machine-like beings with the advent of these technologies.

There are studies that reveal the negative effect of technological advancement not only in Slovakia but all over the world. Such advancement, basing from observation, has confined people to cyber cafs or in their computer tables in search of an unknown world as seen through the internet. Social networking sites also hook people onto computers and their handheld devices which connects them to the world minute-by-minute.

Freeman (2006) argues that social networks exist because they allow individuals to express their personal sentiments in the internet. Moreover, such sites allow them to form bonds with individuals who are geographically far from them but are nevertheless compatible with their personal values and beliefs. Such sites permit these individuals to share personal information that will allow them to meet people with similar traits. These observations were a result of his investigation conducted in high school setting. He said that most of the students also socialized through drafting text messages on their phones while others exploited the use of electronic mails. This is a clear indication that media used for socialization is changing from the traditional approach of face-to-face communication to charts and other forms of correspondence.

Knowledge explosion along the lines of information communication technology has facilitated ties among the young generation. Freeman (2006) further elaborated on a distinguishing feature of the traditional society. He says that it is marked by solidarity largely because individual difference is minimized. He adds that the present society can be joined together by points of common difference and independent roles played by individuals. This position indicates that social interaction is best practiced between differentiated individuals playing diverse roles. Facebook, mobile phones and electronic mails are best utilized when persons are located on different geographical locations.

Johan (2005) in his study discovered that weak ties are of paramount help in search for information and innovation. The position held in the statement was that people in a social group have a common trait when it comes to having opinions about personality and other observable characteristics. The similarity is a reason why people in a social group were attractive to convergence. On the contrary, being in a clique meant a minimized span of knowledge. So as to obtain fresh information members have to navigate outside their group. Friends, role models, associate becomes a critical source of new knowledge and insights. This marked the beginning of new discoveries. For this reason, social groups with differentiated characteristics are reason for new age of information communication techonology.

Social scientist Freeman (2006) studied dynamics in virtual social network settings. Classrooms and study groups forms the main setting where people shape their skills in interactions. The sociologist established that learners can perfect their learning skills by being part of a group with distinctive characteristics. The learning capabilities of students can be enhanced by differentiating learners according to their learning pace. On the other hand, an experimental research carried out by psychologists, learning is best perfected in an environment where commonality in characteristics is present. Either way, when it comes to what works for the students social networking is necessary for them to establish a study group suited to their learning style.

In an investigation of 10 Downing Street you tube, a hyper-developed means of interaction was revealed. The gap which originally existed between the elite in the political system and the poor citizens is slowly being bridged by the possibility of posing a question to the UK Prime Minister and getting a response. Political debates across nations can be perfectly executed through a well developed interactive media (Giddens, 2001). The public are now able to participate in presenting their views on various political ideologies through the use of the social media especially the internet. Online communications has undoubtedly been advanced in the United Kingdom and all the European countries. Basing on the current surge of information and communication technology, there is a growing concern over the rate at which social media is taking control of our lives. In essence, according to Freeman (2006) there is a growing trend of children and teenagers being influenced by the internet and other forms of available technology.

One notable concern of the increase in the use of information technology is the increase in online interactive games which are socially not recommended especially for young people. There is a growing sentiment that the rate at which these children are exposed to these allegedly unhealthy materials is unfortunately uncontrollable. The games that these people get involved with during their free time have led to the increase in child violence in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world like China and the United States. These countries are notable for their economic grandeur and modernity. In these countries, online interactive games and applications as well as advanced communications technology are ubiquitous. The rate of use of such technologies has been on the rise and currently it shows no signs of decline.

The aforementioned information says little about the actual conditions in Slovak society. However, the effects of technology on human interaction are believed to be generic as mentioned earlier. Later on an historical analysis will provide the Slovakia-specific element of this research.
The Current Situation all over the world and discuss here the social networking sites and the stats (2)

Social networking sites, cellular phones, game programs have enjoyed a massive following in the recent years because of a worldwide acceptance of modernization. The rise of capitalism and the industrial revolution began an onslaught of technological developments that currently led to a plethora of investments on such products. The internet nowadays serves is purpose as a connecting system of groups and individuals in a virtual world. Over the recent years, social networking sites
Other technologies, video conferencing (2)
Computer gaming and statistics (1)
The Current Situation in Slovakia (3)
What could have lead to this situation in Slovakia and the world of course (12)
Describe the human interaction in pre-communist Slovakia (1)
Describe human interaction in communist Slovakia (1)
Briefly discuss the events that lead to the dissolution of communism in Slovakia (5)
Technological developments during the same time period (5)
An analysis of the current situation in Slovakia (5)
If Slovakia remained a communist country it could have been like (5)
China
Russia
North Korea
Present a timeline or an evolution map of the human interaction in Slovak society (2)

Is there really disintegration in human interaction based from the presented information How did Modernity affect human interaction not only Slovakia but all over the world (1)