The Making of the Information Society: Taxonomy of Concepts, Determinants, and Implications

The Information Society (Is)

The last century saw a dramatic shift in the fundamentals of the world of information, which in turn, yielded mass concepts of literacy, education, and communication and all of them were spurred by technologies. Technological inventions not only affected dramatic changes in lifestyle, but also intensified interdependence with the exchange of information and, as Low (2000) perceives, technological inventions run parallel to the evolution of the knowledge and information based economy.

The 'IS' paradigm is presented as the realisation of society that brings about a general flourishing state of human intellectual creativity (Mowlana, 1996) instead of affluent material consumption. The superior intellect of the human being stems from the production, process, and distribution of information. In his attempt at characterising the changed work culture, Rogers (1986) identified the US and several West European countries, which became information societies quite early, and whose citizens reflected visible dramatic changes such as fast life, expanded horizons, increased efficiency, and empowerment of a majority of the communities.

The individual in the new era who is also addressed as the 'information man', is perceived to be educated, affluent, and well-travelled (Wresch, 1996). The nouveau riche enjoyed expanded leisure, shifts from achievement to enjoyment and from rational work goals to pleasurable play goals. The well-heeled citizen of the ‘IS’ tends to experience unimaginable number of opportunities made available to him in diverse forms. The one who alone negotiates for himself a comfortable life in the Information Society is the skilled user of the Information Technologies (IT).