Society to an information Society

Human-centredness: A Challenge to Post-industrial Europe? The key power in industrial society has been linked to the possession of capital and factory. In the "information society" it could be rather different. If one accepts that that the key power in the information society will be linked not so much to the ownership of information but to human creativity nourished by that information, the productive force of today and tomorrow, could be more and more the human brain. Making use of one's intelligence is always accompanied by positive emotion, which in turn further activates the intelligence. But, unfortunately, under present conditions workers of all levels live in fear, anxiety and stress rather than desire and motivation. The question of "basic human ecology" (quality of life) is, therefore, a major strategic factor. It is precisely the opposite to the mechanisms of exclusion that currently dominate our society: exclusion of young people through joblessness - but also exclusion through technology, as with the helplessness of older people or the poorly educated confronted with ticket dispensing machines or other automats. This is not idle theorizing, it corresponds to concrete facts. It is, for example, how some observers interpret the crisis at IBM. Because its programs were less 'human-friendly', it was shaken to its foundations by Apple and Microsof- though it seems since to have learnt its lesson.

We are often told that we are "living in an information society" or that we are "information workers." But what exactly do these claims mean, and how might they be verified? In this important methodological study, Alistair S. Duff cuts through the rhetoric to get to the bottom of the "information society thesis." Wide-ranging in coverage, this study will be of interest to scholars in information science, communication and media studies and social theory. It is a key text for the newly-unified specialism of information society studies, and an indispensable guide to the future of this discipline.

Papers originally presented at the World Summit on the Information Society, November 2005.

A number of authors, including several contributors to this collection, argue that on the eve of the 21st century, civil society is beginning to disintegrate everywhere. In this volume, fifteen scholars from ten different countries address that argument by problematizing the relation between the older concept, civil society, and the newer one, information society, and offering perspectives on future directions.

"In today's networked societies, a key factor of the social and economic success is the capability to exchange, transfer, and share knowledge. This book provides research on the topic providing a foundation of an emerging and multidisciplinary field"--Provided by publisher.

The growing importance of knowledge, research, innovation and evolving perspectives on expertise with the usage of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) are changing the sociology of knowledge in the globalized world. Universities are the major institutions involved in the production and dissemination of knowledge. This book looks at ICT for education initiatives taken up towards building a Knowledge Society as emphasized in national education policy regimes for encouraging knowledge generation, knowledge acquisition, knowledge diffusion and the exploitation of knowledge. The research examines the present practice of ICT adoption in an existing framework of University of Hyderabad (UOH) and Tezpur University (TZU) through intensive case study. The research attempts to analyze issues of knowledge, governance and access using ICT; the application of communication technologies in Higher Education Sector that helps in fulfilling the goal of a Knowledge Society; the communication process and strategies in the networking of higher education into a Knowledge Society; existing ‘digital divide’ and the implications. The Stakeholder’s perspective further highlights the advantages and the challenges faced in the actual implementation of ICT4E. Based on the study, the research offers recommendations for management, human resources, processes and institutional culture in ICT4E implementation.

Providing an overview of the process of e-inclusion for older people and addressing the ethical, social and legal aspects of the process, this book is suitable for researchers, policy-makers, organisations and companies, as well as for those with an interest in the identification and promotion of good practice within an ageing society.

In times of global capitalist crisis we are witnessing a return of critique in the form of a surging interest in critical theories (such as the critical political economy of Karl Marx) and social rebellions as a reaction to the commodification and instrumentalization of everything. On one hand, there are overdrawn claims that social media (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc) have caused uproars in countries like Tunisia and Egypt. On the other hand, the question arises as to what actual role social media play in contemporary capitalism, crisis, rebellions, the strengthening of the commons, and the potential creation of participatory democracy. The commodification of everything has resulted also in a commodification of the communication commons, including Internet communication that is today largely commercial in character. This book deals with the questions of what kind of society and what kind of Internet are desirable, how capitalism, power structures and social media are connected, how political struggles are connected to social media, what current developments of the Internet and society tell us about potential futures, how an alternative Internet can look like, and how a participatory, commons-based Internet and a co-operative, participatory, sustainable information society can be achieved.