LEE- Bilim, Teknoloji ve Toplum Lisansüstü Programı

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http://hdl.handle.net/11527/19212

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Çıkarma tarihi ile LEE- Bilim, Teknoloji ve Toplum Lisansüstü Programı'a göz atma

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  • Öge
    The analysis of energy efficiency networks through Actor-Network Theory, an example of Turkey
    (Graduate School, 2022) Kılınç, Atilla ; Tırpan Baltalı, Hatice Sevil ; 767950 ; Department of Science, Technology and Society
    The critical perspective and scientific approaches created by Science, Technology, and Society studies have given rise to a new critical approach to how the results will differ if scientists think about their research from the perspective of STS. Concepts such as energy efficiency, digitalization, energy transformation, energy transition, optimum energy consumption, smart cities, and net-zero society have become widespread in today's world. These concepts are not only in the interaction of the energy sector but also of all other sub-sectors. Examining the phenomenon of energy efficiency with STS approaches allows a field that has been studied continuously with quantitative methods by its nature to be discussed within the framework of social sciences. What I am trying to do in this thesis research is to study precisely how the sub-elements of energy efficiency form within a network and become energy efficiency networks. This thesis also aims to gain a unique perspective by considering energy studies from the STS perspective. Therefore, this thesis's topics are designed to reveal how the research process fulfills the necessary conditions for a particular study to achieve methodological and theoretical originality. This research thesis structure is as follows. In chapter one, I explain how the main topic of energy efficiency and STSs come together on a common denominator. In addition, the hypotheses of the thesis are also in this section, and they can be listed as follows; The first hypothesis I considered throughout this research is that energy efficiency networks cannot provide public utility without profit maximization within the world energy economy. The second hypothesis is that the unethical situations created by the systematic dependence of energy efficiency networks on artificial intelligence and machine learning programs are ignored for energy efficiency. The third hypothesis is that energy efficiency networks are an approach that can transform and control a large part of the world's energy system, and states use it as a new state apparatus. The chapter includes global perspectives on the subject and how the world perceives energy efficiency. In the second chapter, I explain the research methods used in this research. Also, it contains the preliminary investigation of the hypothesis questions. In this chapter, I discuss how the research methods of STS evolved and how ethnography affected STS; the reasons for which methods were chosen for the thesis research topic are stated. In the third chapter, I provide a literature review of Turkey's energy market development, STS literature, Actor-network theory, and its relationality. A description of Actor-NetworkTheory (ANT) is provided with examples from the literature in the research methodology section. This method, based on applying two essential elements of ANT, actor, and actant, to energy efficiency networks, provides a critical perspective for an STS study. This part also discusses how energy is handled in social sciences in terms of theoretical approaches to energy efficiency networks. The fourth chapter starts with the definition of energy efficiency and explains why energy efficiency is needed; a brief energy efficiency review and key terms are also defined. In the fifth chapter, I explained what energy efficiency networks are. It also contains the case analysis for energy efficiency identity cards in Turkey. This section also examines the definitions and uses of energy efficiency networks in Turkey. The sixth chapter deals with the ethical approach to energy efficiency networks, which is an indispensable part of STS research. The main issue here is to examine human rights violations through energy efficiency and to analyze the problems that EEN will create or have already started with a philosophical approach. In this chapter, I made a case analysis, and the case has been designed completely considering the conditions of Turkey.
  • Öge
    Evolution of content moderation in Turkey: Legal-social perspectives and future projections
    (Graduate School, 2022-01-02) Ark, Çınar ; Zorlu, Tuncay ; 422181002 ; Science, Technology and Society
    In the old paradigm censorship is used in a manner in which the citizen is aware of the aim of censorship, namely, it is common knowledge that there is a socially frowned upon item behind the pixelated flower or that the appearance of a light blue screen when trying to access a website that is blocked, it is within the understanding of the populace that the website they are trying to access has been deemed harmful by the government. However, in the new paradigm, differing methods of censorship are being utilized. If a content is deemed as harmful, it is removed from the search engine, hence the access is erased rather than blocked. Furthermore the entirety of a private conversation (IM) is subjected to instant control which suggests a departure from ex post censorship to ex-ante censorship. Considering the evolution of censorship technologies into algorithmic censorship, the extent of the latter method is quite significant. If censorship is divided into two components in the 21st century, namely, the Censorship of the Analog (Visual, Print) and the Censorship of the Digital ( ISP & OSP based, Algorithmic), an analogous setting can be found between the two in order to determine the difference. This thesis will analyze the historical progression of censorship law in Turkey by categorizing cases of content moderation into political and social categories by applying a search string to newspaper articles from 1930 to 2020 in order to convey progression of Censorship of the Analog and later compare it to the recent developments in the area of censorship. Winner's insight on using Technological Luddism as a method of analyzing the effect of a given technology, the analog and the digital can be compared to each other in order to provide a deeper understanding of the social effects of censorship technologies in the 21st century. Furhermore with the advent of streaming services, the content consumed by the Turkish public is not monitored by regulatory bodies in Turkey and in the last decade there has been several legal acitons taken in order to normalize this structure. The thesis will look into the possibility of a hegemonic relationship between the ever increasing nature of global streaming services.
  • Öge
    Sociotechnical imaginaries of alternative and supplementary climate measures: Narratives of Scandinavian countries
    (Graduate School, 2022-06-20) Alpay, Barış Yiğit ; Erbil Öğüt, Aslı ; 422181001 ; Science, Technology and Society
    The ongoing anthropogenic climate change and associated global climate crisis is possessing a massive risk for the future of entire globe and to all the human and non-human ecosystems living in it. Two main acknowledged pillars of climate measures to tackle the climate change and its negative consequences are mitigation and adaptation. However, there is a general consensus that these efforts are so far largely failed and are not able to sufficiently control the rise of the global average temperature in order to eliminate the risks to an acceptable or manageable level. In parallel with this, especially in the recent decades, alternative and/or supplementary climate measures have begun to be visualized, developed and to a certain degree employed around the world to eliminate or at least to reduce the persistent risks. Among them, geoengineering and nature based solutions are two of the most popular climate measures that are being envisioned in the making of the desirable climate future with no or less climate risks. In this light, this study focuses on geoengineering and nature based solutions, in the making of the positive climate futures of the Scandinavian countries, namely Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, due to their special position compared to others with regards to their climate change susceptibilities and ongoing climate efforts as well as their success in doing so. Using the concept of sociotechnical imaginaries from the Science, Technology and Society field as the theoretical framework for this study, it is aimed to assess how geoengineering and nature based solutions are perceived and how their imaginaries are being constructed in line with the construction of the Scandinavian climate future based on the respective long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies of the Scandinavian countries and make a comparison. For this purpose, a qualitative and interpretive content analysis was conducted on the strategy documents. It should be noted that, due to the nature of the long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategy documents, the identified sociotechnical imaginaries as a result of this study are dominantly representative of the institutions of power. As a result of the study, although not necessarily labelled under these particular names, various geoengineering and nature based solutions techniques have been detected as imagined and to a certain degree already practiced climate measures in the strategy documents of the Scandinavian countries, which are mainly focusing on the carbon dioxide removal methods. Alongside with the various identified techniques, associated sociotechnical imaginaries that are shaped together with the detected narratives and hopes and fears of each country were analysed based on the strategy documents. It was detected that the most embedded and dominant imaginary associated with geoengineering and nature based solutions among Scandinavian countries is as a supplement to mitigation efforts, but they are accompanied with various methods specific to each country's different circumstances. The main imaginaries of geoengineering and nature based solutions are in conjunction and towards the same common goal via similar main principle of carbon dioxide removal for all three countries. In parallel with the findings of the study it was detected that certain climate measures can be identified and labelled both under geoengineering and nature based solutions which shows that the distinction between them, at least for certain practices, are getting vague.
  • Öge
    To the bodies themselves: E-Nabız at the intersection of bodies, politics and technologies
    (Graduate School, 2022-07-17) Çobanoğlu, Cansu ; Çalkıvik, Emine Aslı ; 422201010 ; Science, Technology and Society
    The body and technologies point to two important material sides of politics. This research is about the political meanings of the body constructed in the mediation of technology, e-Nabız in Turkey. It investigates the forms of embodiment and political subjectification through the e-Nabız case, which is an example of data technologies in Turkey. Using Foucault's relational power description, Braidotti's embodied and relational subjectivity, and the reflection fields opened by new materialism and mediation theory on technology as a conceptual tool and emphasizing materialities, sociotechnical entanglements and the constitutive role of technology, this study examines the ways in which the body, technology, and politics are interrelated. Following the perspective of Science and Technology Studies (STS), it aims to enact the meanings of the body and technologies in different sites as a research method in itself, and in this context, the sites to be explored within the scope of the research were determined as the relationship of the subject with his/her own body (1), the relationship of the patient with the physician (2) and the relationship of the citizen with the state (3). The research has investigated the processes of embodiment and political subjectification on different sites through e-Nabız, by deeply engaging with the experiences of the subjects who are experiencing these processes themselves. Accordingly, the field study was conducted with a semi-structured in-depth interview method. During the field study, a total of 30 people, 20 of whom were patients/users and 10 of whom were physicians, were interviewed and the interviews were conducted online. The main question of the research is how the meanings of the body and the relationship of the subject with power are reconstructed in different sites through e-Nabız. Based on the findings of the field, it was argued that in Turkey, through the mediation of e-Nabız, a new, rather digital, encounter area was opened up between the citizen and the state, that new subject positions corresponding to this new form of engagement are constructed in this new encounter area, therefore, this new encounter field both points to a new version for power and also points to new embodiment and subjectification processes for subjects.
  • Öge
    Why is David Bloor's strong programme not defendable?
    (Graduate School, 2022-10-05) Canpolat, Mehmet Onur ; Turanlı, Aydan ; 422181012 ; Science, Technology and Society
    A long-standing debate between positivist and post-positivist philosophies has been on the nature of scientific knowledge, whether it is socially determined or logically necessary. In his 'strong programme' in the sociology of knowledge David Bloor, a vehement critic of positivism, claims that not only scientific theories but also religious beliefs, philosophical accounts, and common-sense intuitions could all be taken as the knowledge of a society and seen as purely socially constructed. Accordingly, what follows is an attempt to account for whether his proposal is a defendable sociological model. More specifically, the project proposes three difficulties following the programme: 1) epistemological, 2) methodological, and 3) political. This particularly means that, firstly, the strong programme fails to account for the role of nature in explaining the credibility of belief. Secondly, the programme relies on inadequate, readymade sociological standards with a predetermined framework in its analysis of social patterns. Lastly, the programme's symmetry tenet creates further asymmetries in the face of unequally distributed power relations. The project starts with a criticism of David Bloor's social epistemology, and it argues that his sociology depends on an implausible understanding of credibility. In Bloorian sociology, the credibility of scientific knowledge is seen as a matter of contingent determinants that are locally variable. However, scientific credibility depends not only on the local norms but also on the role nature plays in theories. Furthermore, the project questions the strong programme's methodological gesture and claims that Bloorian sociology rests on an inadequate mode of analysis. In the programme, the sociologist scrutinizes the social patterns of the agents by relying on a descriptive sociological framework. Yet, genuine sociological explanation of knowledge relies not on descriptive analysis but on performative and reflexive engagement with agents' lives. Finally, the thesis elaborates upon the symmetry principle and argues that it causes politically harmful consequences. In Bloor's model, the sociologist reduces the epistemological difference between the notions like 'true' and 'false' on the same social level for a symmetrical explanation. However, the extension of such symmetrical reading to political notions such as 'good' and 'bad' precludes the possibility of criticizing what is democratically 'incorrect', thereby conspiring with the already existing authority. The legitimate political criticism does not stem from a strong symmetry but from a weak asymmetry in which there is enough room for criticizing the powerful. The thesis considers these three gestures essential to proper sociological analysis and claims that the strong programme is not defendable when seen in the light of these categorial perspectives.
  • Öge
    Building logistical space for the anthropocene: A study on logistics and green logistics
    (Graduate School, 2023-06-01) Çetiner, Buğra Han ; Çalkıvik, Emine Aslı ; 422201009 ; Science, Technology and Society
    Logistics refers to the coordination of various actors, including people, technologies, and infrastructures, to move goods and information across space and time. However, this definition oversimplifies the complex social, economic, and environmental interactions involved in the logistics process. By redefining logistics as a socio-technical assemblage, we can better understand its impacts on workers, the environment, and society at large, and develop more sustainable and equitable approaches to transportation and supply chain management. This study aims to comprehensively examine the evolution of logistics within its historical context, scrutinizing its multifaceted interconnections in economic, technological, sociological, and political realms. By analyzing the historical development of logistics, we can gain insights into the economic, technological, sociological, and political forces that have shaped logistics as we know it today. More importantly, this historical analysis will help us to better understand the current state of logistics and the challenges and opportunities associated with green logistics. Furthermore, it seeks to re-conceptualize green logistics within the framework of Science, Technology, and Society (STS) and map its conceptual level using Deleuze & Guattari's assemblage theory. Following the perspective of STS studies, the study aims to highlight the elements that are systematically neglected by considering the stakeholders who have a say in the logistics processes. When examining the logistics processes that have become complex and intricate with the use of 3PL, 4PL, and 5PL (Fifth Party Logistics) today, it is important to note that the classical system approach proposed by understanding "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" is insufficient, particularly in carbon emission calculations. Therefore, it is believed that using Deleuze & Guattari's assemblage theory could be beneficial in creating sustainable solutions. In order to understand logistics, it is essential to consider the various actors involved, including workers, consumers, and other stakeholders, as well as the technologies and infrastructures that support the movement of goods. By taking a holistic approach to logistics, we can identify the ways in which it intersects with other areas of society, such as politics, economics, and culture, and develop more effective and sustainable solutions. With the aforementioned approach, this study aims to analyze the current situation of logistics inclusively and to problematize the concept of green logistics with critical approaches in the literature.
  • Öge
    Dünya ekonomilerindeki yıllık izin uygulamaları: Türk Hava Yolları örneği incelemesi
    (Lisansüstü Eğitim Enstitüsü, 2024-06-11) Yiğit, Fatma Benan ; Zorlu, Tuncay ; Doğan, Mehmet Ali ; 422171007 ; Bilim, Teknoloji ve Toplum
    Yıllık izin, çalışma saatlerinin düzenlenmesini sağlayan araçlardan biridir. Ülke ve kurumlardaki yıllık izin politikaları yerel iş kanunları, Uluslararası Çalışma Örgütü (ILO), bölgesel sendikaların standartları ve toplu iş sözleşmeleri tarafından belirlenmektedir. Yıllık izin, çalışma süresinin iş gücü ekonomisindeki potansiyelini gösterebilir ve aynı zamanda işverenler için bir çalışan maliyetine yol açar. Diğer bir açıdan yıllık izin, çalışanlara iş-yaşam dengesi, motivasyon ve aile için boş zaman ya da yenilenme imkânı sağlamaya katkıda bulunabilir. Bu çalışma, dünyada çalışanların asgari kanuni yıllık izin sürelerini hem bölgesel hem de ulusal düzeyde incelemeyi ve Türk Hava Yolları'nın faaliyet gösterdiği ülkelerdeki mahalli çalışanlarına yönelik yıllık izin politikalarını sunmayı amaçlamaktadır. Bu çalışmanın ikinci amacı, Türk Hava Yolları mahalli çalışanların yıllık izin kullanma oranlarını yaş, cinsiyet ve medeni durum göz önünde bulundurularak incelemektir. Bu çalışmanın nihai amacı, sonuçları tartışarak literatüre katkıda bulunmak ve yıllık izin politikalarının geleceğini sosyal bağlamda değerlendirmektir. Bu çalışmada, Türk Hava Yolları'nın aktif operasyon yürüttüğü ülkelerin iş kanunlarından ve ILO'nun ülkelerin yıllık izin uygulamalarına ilişkin veri tabanından yararlanılmıştır. Türk Hava Yolları'ndaki yıllık izin uygulamalarına ilişkin veriler mahalli ofislerden detaylı bir şekilde toplanmıştır. Veriler, Türk Hava Yolları çalışan sistemi kayıtları, ILO veri tabanı ve yerel avukatların görüşleri ile kontrol edilmiştir. Buna ek olarak Türk Hava Yolları'nın operasyon yürüttüğü ülkelerde görev yapan mahalli çalışanlarının 2023 yılındaki izin kullanım oranları incelenmiş olup yıllık izin kullanım davranışının arkasındaki faktörler anlaşılmaya çalışılmıştır. Çalışma, yıllık izin politikalarının dünyadaki uygulamaları hakkında detaylı bilgi sunmaktadır. Çalışma saatleri, rekabet, çalışma kültürü ve koşulları, cinsiyet, yaş ve iş deneyimi, yıllık izin politikalarının farklı olmasına sebep olan değişkenlerdir. Türk Hava Yolları örnekleminin incelenmesi, yıllık izin politikalarının sosyal bağlamda nasıl değiştiğinin derinlemesine anlaşılmasına katkıda bulunacaktır. Bu çalışma bilim, teknoloji ve toplum bakış açısıyla oluşturulmuştur. Kültürel-Tarihsel Faaliyet Teorisi (CHAT) kullanılarak dünyadaki kanuni minimum yıllık izin uygulamaları, önce kültürel ve tarihsel bakış açışıyla değerlendirilecek olup daha sonrasında yıllık izin kullanım oranlarında cinsiyet faktörü ve medeni durum etkisi tartışılacaktır. Bölgelere ve çalışanların cinsiyet, yaş ve medeni durumuna göre yıllık izin oranlarının değişmesi CHAT teorisi ile çalışma kültürüne vurgu yapılarak açıklanacaktır. Böylelikle çalışma, sadece küresel bölgedeki yıllık izin politikalarına detaylı bir genel bakış sağlamakla kalmayıp, aynı zamanda sosyal bağlam perspektifinde yıllık izin uygulamasının geleceğine ilişkin tartışmaları da teşvik etmektedir.
  • Öge
    The fear of AI in horror movies: A comparative film analysis through the lens of publics' perceptions of technology
    (Graduate School, 2024-06-12) Erdem, Hüseyin Cenk ; Doğrusöz Yetişkin, Ebru Belgin ; 422211017 ; Science, Technology and Society
    Science, Technology and Society (STS) studies investigate the interactions and reciprocal shaping processes among science, technology, and society. This research examines the representation of AI technology in horror movies, focusing on the publics' perception of technology and analyzing how these representations reflect fears, societal anxieties and possible risks associated with AI. This research has a descriptive research design because it aims to identify the socially constructed fear of AI technology in contemporary societies. The qualitative research includes a discourse analysis of the purposefully sampled movies, a focus group study at the Technical University of Munich consisting of seven graduate students attending the Science, Technology and Society (STS) Department's Science and Technology Studies Master of Arts Program, and responses from a generative AI, ChatGPT 3.5, to validate the findings of the focus group study. This research purposefully chose these films based on their popularity over the past five years: Upgrade (2018), Child's Play (2019), and M3gan (2022).The research focuses on these movies because the advancements in AI technology and humanoid robots over the past five years have heightened fears and anxieties about AI.This research encourages critical thought on the effects of technological opacity that influence our interactions with developing technology by investigating the representation of AI technology in movies. Findings show that the representation of AI in the movies are related to current social concerns about unpredictability of emerging technologies and loss of control. The findings of the research may also help to enhance our understanding of the complex relationship between how fear is embedded within publics' perception of technology, and accordingly the social construction of AI. To foster meaningful discussions about the ethical, societal, and cultural impacts of technological advancements, increased transparency and critical engagement with technological processes are required.
  • Öge
    Woven narratives: New materialist perspectives on fast fashion, wearers and sustainability
    (Graduate School, 2024-06-13) Gönül, Ecehan Aygül ; Tırpan Baltalı, Sevil Hatice ; 422211005 ; Science, Technology & Society
    Fashion can be seen as a tool to bridge the gap between our own inner experiences and external presentation, or at the very least, it acknowledges the potential for such a connection. Through various fashion items, we engage in meanful dialogues with our appreance. These garments shape our bodies and present us in specific ways to society and ourselves. We may not always know how we look at any given moment, but by directing our gaze towards our bodies, we can see our pants, shoes and shirts that we have chosen that day to represent us. When we look at ourselves, what we see is not our flesh and blood, but the fabric and stiching of our clothing. Thus, fashion fundamentally serves as a tool that enables one to observe and understand their own body and bodies around them. Even when one removes their fabric skin, escaping fashion is impossible. Social life almost always requires the body to be appropriately dressed; not being dressed is seen as disturbing and even a crime, as it deviates from accepted social norms. Society demands the body to be clothed. Therefore, clothing serves not just as decoration but as a tool to represent and display identity; it reflects one's age, gender, social status, religions and ethnic identity, marital status and affiliation with different subcultures. The primary goal of this thesis is to explore the complex relationship between consumers and their clothing through the lens of new materialism. New materialism is a theoretical approach that emphasizes the impact of objects and materials on people and how these relationships shape each other reciorıcally. In this context, clothing is not seen as a passive artifact, but as elements that actively influence and reshape consumer behavior, identity formation, and social dynamics. The material properties of garments directly affect consumer experiences and perceptions, highlighting the multidimensional and dynamic nature of this relationship. This thesis aims to delve deeply into how clothing and wearers interact and how these interactions gain meaning in social and cultural contexts within the framework of new materialism. The thesis presents two case studies to investigate the communication between clothing wearers. The first case study is a survey, which 74 individuals aged between 18-35 participated. It aims to understand how people approach fast fashion, what they consume, how they consume, how do they dispose of them. The second case study involves four participants, two males and two females, and eight garments. The interviews were conducted at the participants' homes or workplaces. In these semi-structured interviews, each participant was asked to bring a garment they had not worn for a long time or were considering discarding. During the interviews, participants were invited to physically alter the garment by cutting it. This act was designed to confront them directly with the materiality of the garment and the personal stories embedded within it, prompting a reevaluation of the garment's life and its potential for transformation or repurposing. In conclusion, this thesis provides valuable insights into the cultural practices surrounding clothing consumption in Turkey. The emphasis on repair, reuse, and sharing aligns with the principles of new materialism by recognizing the ongoing agency of objects. It also highlights a sustainable approach to fashion that can significantly reduce environmental impact. This behavior exemplifies how cultural practices and community dynamics play a crucial role in promoting sustainability, offering a model that could be beneficially adopted in other contexts.
  • Öge
    How loud subversive rationalisation can get: Tak tak, an unlikely case for democratisation of technology from rural Anatolia
    (Graduate School, 2024-06-24) Akyüz, Bahri ; Tırpan Baltalı, Sevil Hatice ; 422211002 ; Science, Technology and Society
    Tak tak is a type of improvised agricultural machinery. Tak taks are exclusively made in rural artisan shops in small Anatolian towns. The main component of a tak tak is a single cylinder internal combustion engine called "pancar motoru". Pancar motoru is a type of small and mobile diesel water pump engine that is designed and produced for the purpose of draining underground water which is then used to water the crops. In order to build a tak tak, this engine is placed on top of a tractor trailer and almost all other parts of the vehicle are recovered from scrapyards and automobile graveyards. These vehicles have been crafted in the west of Central Anatolia Region since 70's and the craftspeople who made these vehicles clearly have taken the pancar motoru out of its intended purpose independent of any major industrial or technical process. Could Tak tak, which is often considered as a soft replacement for a tractor, can be much more? The engine is a product of mass production. It has a clear-cut function that is it was designed to execute. It is traditionally rational. The craftspeople who came up with the idea this engine can also turn wheels is another story. The invention of tak tak defies norms of the technical and changes how the engine is rationalized. Marcuse and Feenberg criticise modern technological society on the basis of technical reason moving beyond its scientific use, damaging the experience of humanity by imposing quasi-scientific ontologies into experience. Technological malleability can challenge this modern technical hegemony by a process Andrew Feenberg calls subversive rationalization. Tak tak, an improvised field vehicle that uses a water pump engine as the source of propulsion is a clear example of subversive rationalization and not only does it defy capitalist technological hegemony, but tak tak also opens up new possibilities and spatial considerations for Feenberg's theory of democratic rationalization.
  • Öge
    Investigating virtual representations in virtual reality social networks
    (Graduate School, 2025-01-21) Şahindokuyucu, Ege ; Tırpan Baltalı, Sevil Hatice ; 422211015 ; Science, Technology & Society
    As advancements in computing technologies reaching unprecedented levels, possibilities beyond traditional displays also increase in both numbers and practicability. Virtual Reality (VR), as a technology, is initially introduced as a computerized simulation field but with exponential advancements, it has become a potential living space as the word "reality" in it has been realized as a feasible construct. Within its virtual borders, social involvements in VR could be experienced through virtual reality social networks (VRSNs), merging the term social network with VR. Social networking in VR, over the past years, has become more than an achievable reality and turned into an exceptionally promoted entertainment opportunity. In the examination of such social networks in a virtually constructed new reality, how individuals would want to represent themselves in these networks is chosen as the main subject of research in this thesis. While researching virtual representations of individuals, Actor-Network Theory, a prominent Science and Technology Studies methodology, is employed in this thesis to highlight the construction of a hybrid relation between the virtual representation of the individual and the individual's own identity. In addition, the technological blackbox surrounding the virtual representation is evaluated and analyzed through Actor-Network Theory. VRSN applications of VRChat and Horizon Worlds are included in this thesis as practical examples of VRSNs in order to serve as empirical foundations on reviewing how virtual representations of individuals are currently managed in VRSN platforms. Being one of the complementary research topics, freedom on presenting its (individual) virtual representation is reviewed through these VRSN platforms. Including a brief ethical analysis in its organization, this thesis also draws attention to various issues which may adversely affect the individual considering the fact that its virtual presence could be exposed and may not be protected in these virtual platforms. In its analyses, this thesis argues that virtual representations of individuals in VRSNs form an associative correlation with the individual. Rather than simply being virtual artefacts for presenting the individual into the virtual space, virtual representations contain the physical reality-bound properties of the individual. Moreover, virtual representations take upon the role of presence, being present, of the individual in the VR space. This connection between the virtual representation and the individual ultimately establishes a hybrid who constructs its own identity within the realm it dwells in, the VR. Labeling this hybrid as "user" in the analysis chapters, a contrast between the individual and this virtually constructed hybrid, user, is pointed out. Accordingly, a liberal stance on the freedom on presenting the virtual representation is suggested for developers and providers of VRSNs. As the virtual representation of the individual stands for its presence and identity in the VR, any interest in freely demonstrating its virtual representation accounts for being able to exist based on individual desires. Thus, the notion of virtual representation is argued as the initial actor which puts all the other actors and actants into the flow of the related actor network as its presence defines every single action in the space of VRSN which comes after it. Lastly, in its ethical analysis, this thesis puts emphasis on how the virtual spaces of VRSNs should safeguard individual virtual representations for they contain unprecedented sensitive information about the individual. Stressing the relative simplicity of exploiting these entities, obtaining data from them, an inevitable, potentially detrimental reliance on the VR hardware is expounded on as well. Although, in the analysis of this thesis, the virtual representation is considered as the initial actor in every actor network emerging in the VRSN, the VR headsets and/or devices influence the individual prior to forming of any network between the virtual representation and the individual. Therefore, it is argued that even though the virtual representations of individuals materialize as the predominant, foundational actor within each and every actor network in the VRSN, the physical hardware should be thought as the veritable source of this great actor.