Information Society

1
Information Society

• What is it about? Helena Tapper

2
Approaches to information society

• 1. Post-idustrial society
• Idustrial society with a information orientation
• Information sector as the main sector of economic
  growth
• Information technology as key technology

3
Information society as post-industrial society

• Economic and technological orientation
• Daniel Bell The Coming of Post-Industrial
  Society (1973)
• Theoretical knowledge is central
• for decision-making and planning
• the advance of scientific and technological
  rationality into economy, society and culture
• Information is a key resource for planning, for
  that information technology becomes necessary

4
Information society as Post-Industrial Society

• Information as key element for economic growth
• Technocrats rule the society and exercize power
  with their technical skills and knowledge
• Education is key resource

5
Fritz Machlup

• The Production and Distribution of Knowledge in
  the United States, 1962, in which he claimed that
  the "knowledge industry represented 29 of the US
  gross national product"
• This study is considered as the beginning of the
  Information age.

6
Fritz Machlup

• Categories of knowledge
• practical knowledge
• intellectual knowledge, that is, general culture
  and the satisfying of intellectual curiosity
• pastime knowledge, that is, knowledge satisfying
  non-intellectual curiosity or the desire for
  light entertainment and emotional stimulation
• spiritual or religious knowledge
• unwanted knowledge, accidentally acquired and
  aimlessly retained

7
Marc Porat and Michael Rubin1977

• The Information Economy in the USA
• This study identifies and defines information
  industries in the US economy
• It also measures their outputs and information
  work, information occupations

8
The French School

• Simon Nora and Alain Minc 'L'Informatisation de
  la Société, 1978
• Computerizing the society through extensive
  telecom networks provides for citizens access to
  information services at home (MINITEL-project)

9
The Coming of Information Society by Yonej Masuda

• Computopia, 1980
• Society and economic development will be lead by
  integrated data networks available for all
  citizens

10
Manuel Castells

• In a world of global flows of wealth, power, and
  images, the search for identity, collective or
  individual, ascribed or constructed, becomes the
  fundamental source of social meaning...
  Identity is becoming the main, and sometimes
  the only, source of meaning in a historical
  period characterized by widespread destructuring
  of organizations, delegitimation of institutions,
  fading away of major social movements, and
  ephemeral cultural expressions.

11
Manuel Castells

• while the media have become indeed globally
  interconnected and programs and messages
  circulate in the global network, we are not
  living in a global village, but in customized
  cottages globally produced and locally
  distributed

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Modenization, Risks and Globalization

• Ulrich Beck Risk Society
• Beck, U. Giddens A. Lash S. (1994) Reflexive
  Modernization. Cambridge Polity Press
• Zygmunt Bauman Globalization
• Identity, globalization, the contrast between the
  global and the local, economic risks

13
Technological Utopiasand Information Society
Programs

• The new ICT was seen as salvation from economic
  crisis
• Many countries and international organizations
  started their information society programs
• Finland published its first program in 1994, EU
  Bangeman Report in 1992

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Comments and Summary

• The change of economy from industrial to service
  to post-industrial or information economy
• Scientific information key resource
• Future orientation
• Education important
• ICT a leading change agent
• The largerst sector of economy is ICT

15
Comments and Summary

• Who decides?
• Large government and international programs
• From information society to ICT for development?
• Framework for development
• How to use ICT and for what?

16
Comments and summary

• Technology driven future
• Science and technology important
• Globalization global flows of information,
  finance and services
• Future utopias
• Issues time, space and identity, local and
  global, risks

17
References

• Kumar, K. From Post-Industrial to Post-Modern
  Society. New Theories of the Contemporary World.
  Blackwell, Oxford 1995
• Webster, F. Theories of the Information Society.
  Routledge, London 1995
• Castells, M. The Information Age vols. 1-3.
  Blackwell, Oxford 1996-7
• Drucker, P. The Post-Capitalist Society.
  Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford 1993
• Jensen, R. The Dream Society. New York 1999
• Information, Communication Society (1998-)
  http//www.infosoc.co.uk
• http//www.info.uta.fi/winsoc/engl/lect/THEORY.htm

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References

• Beck, U. Giddens A. Lash S. (1994) Reflexive
  Modernization. Cambridge Polity Press
• Beck, U. (1992) Risk Society. London Sage
• Gastells, M. (1996) The Rise of Network Society.
  London Blackwell Publishers
• Lash, S. Urry, J. (1994) Economies of Signs
  and Space. London Sage
• http//www.brunel.ac.uk/research/virtsoc/nordic/la
  sh.htm

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Manuel Castells

• Information society and globalization
• The analysis in three volumes
• Castells, M. (1996) The Rise of the Network
  Society. The Information Age, Vol I. Oxford
  Blackwell
• Castells, M. (1997) The Power and Identity. The
  Information Age, Vol II. Oxford Blackwell
• Castells, M. (1997) The End of Millennium. The
  Information Age, Vol III. Oxford Blackwell