Marcie Boucouvalas, Ph.D. Professor & Program Director, Adult Learning & Human Resource Development Virginia Tech Graduate Center/National Capital Region.

Marcie Boucouvalas, Ph.D.Professor & Program Director, Adult Learning & Human Resource

DevelopmentVirginia Tech Graduate Center/National Capital Region USA

April, 2010 Iasi, Romania

Work in the Information Society: Past as prologue to the future in understanding our

transformational times

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SOCIAL TRANSFORMATIONCHANGE

Alteration or modification; shift, transition, passing from one state to another; becoming different

TRANSFORMATIONRestructuring

SOCIAL TRANSFORMATIONRestructuring of society, especially underlying societal structures

& institutions

Societal Institutions

Provide stable infrastructureMost affected by social transformations

Not specific concrete institutions but the concept from a sociological lens such as education, religion, work, the family, etc. (we will focus on work and education)

ADAPTATIONS CALLED FOR ON THE PART OF INDIVIDUALS AS WELL AS

SOCIAL STRUCTURES

Adaptation: Response to a force or pressure that is causing change reducing one’s ability to successfully function unless one adapts.

Adaptation: An essential ingredient in surviving &

thrivingIt is not the most

intelligent or strongest of the species that survive but the ones who can adapt the best ~ Charles Darwin

Importance of Lifelong Learning

In times of change learners inherit the earth while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal in a world that no longer exists ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower

Complementary to Adapting: Ability to change environment

Margaret Mead … writing in 1974..for the first time in history we know

we are in a transformational period as substantial as the Copernican & Industrial revolutions. As a species we have the power to shape the outcome & recognize counter forces (paraphrased)

SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION

Technology as CatalystIn the “Information Society”

Information & Communication Technologies

…but technology has always been a catalyst throughout human history for societal transformations

Let’s journey back in history …

1 Million Years Ago Primitive HumanAnimal Human

Duration: 970, 000 years

Homo Sapiens: develop language (sound to meaning),

Technology? Use of fire; invention of stone tools

Ability to Change & Control, rather than merely respond & adapt to environment

30, 000 Years AgoArchaic HumanStationary

Nomad

Duration: 18,000 Years

Follow natural migration of wild herds, rather than stalk single animal

Technology? Development of more refined tools (harpoon, spear)

Ability to change & leave environment; emancipate oneself & migrate

12,000 Years AgoTribal VillagerNomad Village

AgricultureDuration: 5,000

Years

Agricultural RevolutionFrom hunter-gatherers to farmers

Beginning of Settled Communities

Technology? Domestication of Plant & Animal

Ability to cooperate with nature & cycles; Beginning of social organization & group life

7,000 Years AgoCivilization Tribal Civilized

Culture

Duration: 4,000 Years

Organization of city & development of architecture, art, etc.

Manorial(life) to Mercantile (money) Economy

Development of 2 classes: ruler & ruled

Technology? Extract metal from ore: metal tools & weapons (end of Stone Age)

De-emphasis on biological survival; shift to cultural & social development

3,000 Years Ago

Axial HumanOuter Inner

World

Duration: 2600 Years

Spiritual nature of humankind stressed

Bodily activities repressed to reach goal of purification from animal nature

Church came into prominence

Shift to world dominated by religion and primacy of spiritual nature

400 Years Ago

Mechanical HumanInner Outer

World

Duration: 400 Years

Copernican Revolution (1500s)Industrial Revolution (1700s)“Enlightenment” Era

Emphasis on Outer World & mechanical, material, technological progress

Change from village to centralized industry (concept of labor force)

Technology? Machine

Shift to world dominated by intelligence & primacy of scientific method

New Transformation in ProcessSynthesis of Inner &

Outer Worlds

Information Rich Society Learning Society?

Duration: 50 years in process

Exploration of the frontiers of outer space and inner space of human consciousness; Integration of “eastern” & “western” worldviews

Shifting paradigm (scientific/spiritual view of world)

Technology? From ICTs to Biotechnology & Nanotechnology

Shift from industrial to information (learning?) society & planetary/world culture??

Industrial vs. Information SocietyProduction of Goods & Services

Industrial(Advent of machine)

Greater material production; design & division of labor force

Information(ICTs + Biotechnology & Nanotechnology)

Greater production & transmittal of information distributed instantaneously

around globe, higher speeds, lower costsLabor Force? Reconceptualization!

Societal Structures Transforming:Selecting Work & Education for Discussion

Work: What do we mean by “work” & “workforce”?? How has it changed throughout history. What about the future of work?

Education: How has term “educated” changed throughout history? What do we mean by “education” now …and in the future? What does that mean for preparing the “work force”?

CONCEPT OF WORKFormer historical times: Leisure time

heralded by aristocracy; those who had to work pitied, scorned, or spurned.

Pre-Industrialized Non Market Cultures: Work NOT separate sphere of life

Move to Industrialized: Work is necessary but not necessarily avenue of fulfillment

Present to Future: Meaningful work sought. Can we restore it to “human dimensions & meanings? Applebaum (1992). The Concept of Work

Work? The Labor Force?Changing: Way people are working &

relationship between individuals & organizations

Telecommuters, new business ventures and professions, rise of free agents (“most significant transformation since [leaving] the farm for the factory”)

“Citizens abandoning one of Industrial Revolution’s most enduring legacies—the job—and are forging new ways to work”Pink (2001, pp. 10-11)

New Kind of Workers? Labor Force?

What is our responsibility to help prepare these new workers … OR

Will they prepare us

…for the future?

CONCEPT OF EDUCATION

Earlier Times: Educated individual? Liberal Arts

Rise of Professional Schools: Emphasis on Practical Application

Looking to the Future: State specificity of knowledge (ability to enter & exit the relevant state of consciousness at will)

Preparing a Work Force for an “Information Society”

Liberal Arts + Practical Knowledge & Skills Development + Self-Knowledge of one’s Ways of Knowing and Levels, States, & Structures of Consciousness =

Potential toCultivate a Flexible Worker

UNESCO: Greater framework

Conceptualization of Learning: Skills Development + learning to think & know, learning to be, live together, and change.

World Assemblies: World Summit on the Information SocietyGlobal Assemblies on Education (4 during 2009)

World Summit on the Information Society

Aim-Build an inclusive information society

(marginalized, indigenous, disabled); success stories shared on web portal www.itu/wsis/index.html

e-learning, e-governance, e-health, e-commerce, e-business

Follow-up: 10-14 May 2010

UNESCO EDUCATION ASSEMBLIES

Concern with embracing a broader perspective on the meaning of learning & recognizing connection with the world of work as well – hosted 4 Assemblies

Higher Education (July, Paris) & Adult Learning (December, Brazil) witnessed similar theme: transformation

The Future?

Concept of humankind being transformed

Technological enhancements?Fusion of body with technology?

Implications for leadership?

Some Challenging Thoughts

Melding of biology & technology?Nanotechnology & enhanced humans

a la Kurzweil

Different kind of digital divide between “have’s” and “have-nots”?

“Black Swans” a la Talib: Changes neither predictable nor expected—great impact in history

Kurzweil’s Model

Understanding Our Transformational Times

Remember Margaret Meade …convinced that as a species we have the power to shape the outcome & recognize counter forces…

..beyond skills development: learning to think & know, learning to be, live together, and change (UNESCO-DeLors)

Mega Challenge?

“If we fail to understand that …society indeed pregnant with the new social order and mistake the creative forces for threats to our well-being, we could respond defensively and end up …with a miscarriage”

Willis Harman (1978) Stanford University, Center for Study of Social Policy, futures researcher

Together as Planetary Citizens

What are we doing ORCould we do toEmbrace these

Challenges?

What other challenges abound?

Thank You! Va Multumeic!

QUESTIONS?Întrebări?

COMMENTS?Comentari?