The Information Society: Evolving Landscapes

UR Reader consists of a set of essays written by international authors many 0 of whom are acknowledged experts in one or more aspects of information technology (IT) and its implications for society. The contents have been influenced by the fact that the relationship between IT and society has to be considered in an holistic context. Our purpose has been to present this series of essays in the loosely related perspectives of landscapes which reflect that holism. As editors, we have chosen to leave people free to select the different perspectives and traverse the landscapes in any manner they choose. The Reader seeks to raise social awareness of the issues at stake when we talk 1 about computers and social accountability and aims to encourage wider discus­ sion of the issues involved. It has a normative set of aims and indicates a determi­ nation to explore a possible reshaping and restructuring of information technol­ ogy according to human needs. In an Epilogue, new pointers are given for action. In what follows, we describe the rationale behind "The Information Society: Evolving Landscapes"; we move from the conference held at the University of Namur in June, 1988, which shaped the perspectives, then on to the various routes by which the landscapes can be traversed.

Section 1: Ethics.- The Ethics of Computing?.- Section 2: Roots, Legitimacy and Ideology.- Some Historical Remarks.- The Question of the Legitimacy of the Computer: An Epistemological Point of View.- Computerization Movements and the Mobilization of Support for Computing.- Section 3: Towards New Cultural Perspectives?.- The Cultural Scenery of Information Technology: An Introduction.- Information Technology in Daily Life: An Assessment of the Full Integration Hypothesis.- Towards a New Balance in Our Landscapes.- Society, Religions and Information Technology.- Style as Substance in Educational Computing.- Communication of Knowledge in an Information Society.- Section 4: Politics.- The Political Implications of Information Technology: Challenge To Power?.- Information Technology and Civil Liberties.- Computers and Democracy.- Seeking Security Through Technological Means.- Section 5: Economics.- Information in the Economy.- Information Technology, and the Global Economy.- Growth, Productivity and Innovation: Theories and Facts.- Computers and Organizations.- Human Resources and the Working World.- Comments on "Human Resources and the Working World".- Women Employment and Information Technology: A View from the United Kingdom.- Women Employment and Information Technology: A View from the Netherlands.- Computers and Developing Countries.- Section 6: Artificial Intelligence, Human Mind and Image of Reality.- Recent Technical Developments: Attitudes and Paradigms.- Model, Representation and Reality.- The Distortion of Information.- Information and Human Mind.- Epilogue.- Appendices.- Contributors Addresses.- Author Index.