Information Society Muhammad Usman Saeed 09020716-005
Information SocietyMuhammad Usman Saeed
09020716-005
BackgroundTerm “information Society’ originated in
Japan in 1960sConcept of ‘post-industrial society’ by Daniel
Bell (1973)‘Information Economy’ by the economists
Machlup (1962) and Porat (1977)
Post-Industrial SocietyThis term was the most
frequently used one before the expression “information society” gained overall acceptance; it defined the newly emerged social-economic phenomenon by emphasizing the fact that the old structures of the industrial era were replaced by new ones. (Denial Bell, 1973)
Information SocietyMelody (1990: 26-7)
describes information societies simply as those that have become ‘dependent upon complex electronic information networks and which allocate a major portion of their resources to information and communication activities.
László Z. KarvalicsA new form of social
existence in which the storage, production, flow, etc. of networked information plays the central role.
Hungarian definitionA social structure based
on the free creation, distribution, access and use of information and knowledge […] the globalisation of various fields of life. ((Hungarian) National Strategy of Informatics, 1995)
Table: Comparison of the characteristics of Post Industrial and information society by Yoneji Masuda.Source: Masuda, 1980
Inno
vati
onal
Tec
hnol
ogy
Post-Industrial Society
Information Society
Core Steam engine (power)
Computer (memory, computation,control)
Basic function Replacement, amplification of physical labour
Replacement, amplification of mentallabour
Productive Power Material productive power
Information productive power
Post-Industrial Society
Information Society
Products Useful goods and services
Information, technology
Production centre Modern factory (machinery, equipment)
Information utility (information networks,data banks)
Leading industries
Manufacturing industries (machineryindustry, chemical industry)
Intellectual industries, (informationindustry, knowledge industry)
From of society Class society (centralized power, classes,control)
Functional society (multicentre, function,autonomy)
Soci
o–ec
onom
ic S
truc
ture
Soci
o–ec
onom
ic S
truc
ture Post-Industrial
SocietyInformation Society
National goal GNW (gross national welfare)
GNS (gross national satisfaction)
Force of socialchange
Labour movements, strikes
Citizens’ movements, litigation
Social problems Unemployment, war, fascism
Future shock, terror, invasion of privacy
Most advancedstage
High mass consumption
High mass knowledge creation
Valu
es
Post-Industrial Society
Information Society
Ethical standards Fundamental human rights, humanity
Self-discipline, social contribution
Spirit of the times Renaissance (human liberation)
Globalise (symbiosis of man and nature)
Other Related ConceptsPost-industrial society (Daniel Bell),Post-fordismPost-modern SocietyKnowledge SocietyTelematic SocietyInformation RevolutionNetwork society (Van Dijk,1993; Manuel
Castells, 1996).
Network SocietyVan Dijik (1999) suggests that modern
society is in a process of becoming a network society: ‘a form of a society increasingly organizing its relationships in media networks which are gradually replacing or complementing the social networks of face to face communication.
Conclusion“Information society” is a term used to
describe the most recent stage of social history. In the 20th century the most developed countries gradually entered the state of information society and it is expected that within a matter of a few decades the majority of the world’s population will be living and working in a global information society.
CriticsThe information society concept has not been
universally accepted as helpful for analysis, for reasons that have in part been explained. A central problem is the lack of political dimension, since it seems to have no core of political porpose, simply an (attributrd) inevitable technocratic logic of its own. (van Dijik, 1999).
Questions..
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SourcesLászló Z. Karvalics (2007), Information
Society – what is it exactly? (The meaning, history and conceptual framework of an expression)
Information society, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.