Not an information society. The distinctive features of the information society are: Power is information, not speaking. It is those people who know how to listen effectively and are able to extract valuable information from what they hear that have power.

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State autonomous educational institution of secondary vocational education “Aginsky Medical College named after. V.L. Chimitdorzhieva"

Essay

On the topic: Information society

Completed by: Tsyrendashieva S.B.

1 course, 151 gr.

Checked by: Tudupova B.Ts.

Aginskoe, 2015

Introduction

At the turn of the 60-70s of the 20th century in developed countries it became obvious that information technologies and processes were beginning to have a significant impact on the development of society. Attempts to comprehend this influence lead to the emergence of the concept of the information society - a society in which the main value and structure-forming basis is information, and in which all processes are closely related to information and information technologies (primarily electronic). Such a society is usually viewed as a new stage in the evolution of human civilization, as a new phase of social development, in which the information sector of the economy begins to play a decisive role in the development of individual countries and the entire world community.

Currently, there is a large number of scientific studies, futurological and journalistic works, in which the problems of the relationship between society and the individual with information technology are studied from various points of view; conferences and seminars are regularly held. The relevance of this topic attracts the attention of a large number of scientists and public figures, and this is not surprising - the information industry continues to develop rapidly, covering more and more new directions.

Next, an attempt is made to summarize some views on the information society, features of its formation, problems and development prospects. To do this, it is necessary to consider the historical background of its emergence, basic theoretical ideas and concepts. In addition, it is important to trace modern trends in the development of society associated with the widespread dissemination of information technologies, which will allow us to draw a conclusion about how the process of development of the information society is currently going on, and what consequences these processes will have for people.

1. The role of information in society: historical aspect

Throughout the history of human civilization from ancient times to the present day, several so-called information revolutions can be identified - qualitative changes in all spheres of social life caused by the introduction of new means of transmitting and storing information. It is customary to distinguish four information revolutions that have had a decisive influence on the development of mankind.

The first revolution was marked by the invention of writing and led to a significant leap in the development of human civilization. There is an opportunity for undistorted transfer of knowledge and its preservation for subsequent generations.

The second revolution was associated with the development of printing, which in turn was closely related to the transition to an industrial society. Printing opened up the possibility of replicating knowledge in order to make it accessible to a large number of people.

The next qualitative leap in the transmission and storage of information was predetermined by the introduction of new communication technologies based on electricity and radio waves. This made it possible to transmit information over vast distances almost instantly, as well as store it on magnetic and other media.

And finally, the fourth revolution, which occurred in the second half of the 20th century, is characterized by advances in the field of electronics (in particular, the widespread use of semiconductor technology), which made it possible to create small, high-performance electronic computers with program control, their widespread introduction into human activity, and also the creation of computer networks. This entailed dramatic changes in the way information is generated, organized and disseminated. Also during this period, significant advances were made in the development of television.

Each subsequent revolution would have been impossible without the achievements made in the previous stages. But it was the fourth revolution that was of decisive importance for the coming to the forefront of the information industry associated with the production of technical means, methods, and technologies for the production of new knowledge. In fact, this revolution integrates the effects of all previous ones, because it creates the technological basis for unifying the intellectual abilities of all mankind. Like no previous discovery or invention in the world of information and communications, this information revolution (sometimes the terms “computer revolution” or “network revolution” are used) has a powerful impact on all spheres of society: politics, economics, culture and, of course, life and safety of people.

In parallel with the development of technology, the very concept of information developed, acquiring new meanings and applications in various fields. The concept of information is so capacious that there is no single interpretation of it. However, it is widely used in physics, computer science, cybernetics, coding theory, systems theory, philosophy and, in general, is a cornerstone concept of modern science. Moreover, each branch of scientific knowledge considers information based on its own set of characteristics.

It should be noted that real research in the field of information began only in the 20th century. For example, in the 20s of the 20th century, attempts were made to study the properties of information as a set of facts, based on the theory of journalism. Then K. Shannon created the statistical theory of information (Professor L.I. Khromov, also uses the term “scalar information theory” in relation to Shannon’s theory) as the basis of communication theory and coding theory. Later, the concept of information was expanded and supplemented by N. Wiener and W. Ashby from the point of view of cybernetics.

Further research has shown that the concept of information is much more capacious and, which is very important, exists outside the perception of a particular person. Thus, the concept of information began to be considered from a philosophical point of view. The entire world around us, both accessible and inaccessible to humans, has an information structure everywhere. There are different views on information from a philosophical point of view. A scientific direction appears as the philosophy of information, the main tasks of which were formulated as a critical study of the abstract nature and basic principles of information, as well as the development and application of information-theoretical and computational methodologies to philosophical problems.

Until the end of the 60s of the 20th century, information and information processes were not considered as something independent. And from the point of view of materialist philosophy (which for a long time dominated, in particular, in our country), it was believed that the improvement of information processes is caused, first of all, by the needs of the development of material production and pursues the goals of servicing it. For example, the rate of growth of knowledge and the accumulation of valuable information is an important indicator of social progress, but this indicator was not considered as the main and only one. It was said that information itself is not capable of increasing the production of material and cultural values, and that it is beneficial only when it is embodied in equipment and technology, in cultural values, in the knowledge and experience of people, in the forms of their communication, in all system of social relations. The value of information is valid when it contributes to the growth of the material-energy and spiritual potential of people, contributes to their comprehensive development and improvement. Therefore, the place of social information depends, first of all, on the nature of society itself, on its inherent system of social and, above all, economic relations. Social information characterizes public consciousness, taken in its regulatory aspect. This means that in all cases, social information is a product and reflection of social existence to the same extent as such a product and reflection is social consciousness. Being secondary in relation to social existence, social information at the same time has an active feedback effect on it to an ever-increasing degree, which is expressed in its increasing regulatory function. However, the regulatory role of social information is determined by the needs of material production and how adequately it reflects the deepest essence of this objective basis of society. Thus, from the above point of view, social existence, material production will always be the determining, primary factor, and social information will be the secondary and determined factor.

However, already in the middle of the 20th century, developed capitalist countries entered the post-industrial phase of development. Fundamental changes are taking place in the structure of society, the economy, employment, and production, facilitated by technical advances in the field of communications, mass communications, and computer technology. There is a tendency for knowledge to prevail over capital. The volume of knowledge and its production is constantly growing. There is an awareness that information can be considered as an industrial product and its production is one of the types of industrial industry. A market for information services is emerging. All these processes gradually lead to the fact that previous views on the role of information and information processes in society become untenable, and this encourages researchers to look for new approaches to assessing the problem.

2. Information society concept

As mentioned earlier, starting from the late 60s of the 20th century in developed capitalist countries (primarily Japan and the USA), it became obvious that information and information resources began to play a special independent role, no longer tied to material production. At the same time, information resources acquire the status of a determining factor in the development of material production, and not vice versa, as was previously the case. All this gave rise to the emergence of a new approach to assessing the impact of information and information processes on society - the concept of the information society, in which information occupies a dominant position. The invention of the term is attributed to Y. Hayashi, a professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. The contours of the information society have been outlined in reports submitted to the Japanese government by a number of organizations, notably the Economic Planning Agency and the Industrial Structure Council. The titles of the reports are indicative: “Japanese Information Society: Themes and Approaches” (1969), “Policy Contours for Promoting the Informatization of Japanese Society” (1969), “Plan for the Information Society” (1971). In these reports, the information society was presented as one where the computerization process would give people access to reliable sources of information, relieve them of routine work, and provide a high level of production automation. At the same time, production itself will change - its product will become more “information-intensive,” which means an increase in the share of innovation, design and marketing in its value. It was then that the now generally accepted idea was formulated for the first time that “the production of an information product, and not a material product, will be the driving force of education and development of society.” The works of W. Martin, M. Castells, M. McLuhan, Y. Masuda, T. Stonier and other researchers also had a significant influence on the development of the concept of the information society.

Later, the term "information society" became widespread and is currently used in various contexts. The related concepts of “knowledge society” and “post-industrial society” are also often used.

Despite the diversity of views of various researchers, it is still possible to identify some common fundamental features of the information society:

a change in the role of information and knowledge in the life of society, expressed, first of all, in an unprecedented increase in the information saturation of economic, managerial and other spheres of activity, in the transformation of information and knowledge into the most important resource for socio-economic development;

transformation of the information industry into the most dynamic, profitable and prestigious sphere of production;

the emergence of a developed market infrastructure for the consumption of information and information services;

Increasing informatization of society using telephony, radio, television, the Internet, as well as traditional and electronic media;

Creation of a global information space that ensures: effective information interaction between people, their access to global information resources and satisfaction of their needs for information products and services;

Profound changes in models of social organization and cooperation, when centralized hierarchical structures are replaced in all spheres of society by flexible network types of organization, adapted to rapid change and innovative development.

Thus, we can say that the rapid development and spread of new information and communication technologies is bringing with it fundamental changes in the information sphere at the global level. Their revolutionary impact concerns government structures and institutions of civil society, economic and social spheres, science and education, culture and people's way of life. As emphasized in the Okinawa Charter for the Global Information Society, information and communication technologies are becoming an important driver of global economic development. They are one of the most significant factors ensuring the functioning of global markets for information and knowledge, capital and labor. Under these conditions, the well-known phrase “who owns the information, owns the world” takes on a completely new meaning and becomes more relevant than ever before.

3. Origins of the information society and some basic concepts

3.1 Information society as the development of ideas of post-industrialism

information society post-industrialism

It should be noted that the ideas of the information society originate in the theory of post-industrialism, which stimulated the interest of researchers in certain aspects of the impact of scientific and technological progress on society, which led to the emergence of a wide range of concepts, including the concept of the information society. In this regard, mention should be made of the works of the American sociologist and futurologist E. Toffler, in particular, “Future Shock” (1970), “The Third Wave” (1980) and others. An important place in his work is occupied by the so-called concept of three waves. Toffler identifies three main stages (waves) of human development - agricultural, industrial and post-industrial. The main metaphor used by Toffler is the collision of waves leading to change. According to the author, the idea of a wave is not only a way to organize huge masses of very contradictory information, it helps to see what is under the “turbulent surface of change.” Using this metaphor, in particular, the emergence of various global conflicts is explained.

Toffler calls the first wave “agricultural civilization.” All the ancient civilizations of China, India, Greece, Rome, and Central America had fundamental common features. The land was the basis of economy, life, culture, family organization and politics. A simple division of labor prevailed and there were several clearly defined castes and classes: nobles, clergy, warriors, slaves or serfs. The economy was decentralized, and the government was strictly authoritarian; a person's social background determined his place in life.

Toffler calls the Industrial Revolution the “second wave,” which changed previously established social institutions and changed people’s lifestyles. In the first half of the 20th century, according to Toffler, “industrial civilization” was finally established, but soon a “new wave” (post-industrial) began to roll over the world, bringing with it new institutions, relationships, and values. The third wave brings new views on the world and new scientific and technological achievements in the field of computer science, electronics, molecular biology, which allow us to go beyond the limited life and philosophical concepts of the industrial period and create conditions for eliminating its main contradiction - between production and consumption.

For example, the development of computer technology and communications will lead, according to Toffler, to a change in the structure of employment, and in combination with the increasing intellectualization of work, to the emergence of so-called “electronic cottages”, which will allow work to be transferred from the office to the employee’s home. In addition to saving time and reducing transportation costs, the cost of providing centralized jobs, the introduction of “electronic cottages” will, according to Toffler, lead to a strengthening of the family and will strengthen the trend towards reviving the attractiveness for life of small towns and rural settlements.

Considering trends in the development of mass media, Toffler notes an increase in their interactivity due to the introduction of new network computer technologies. He argues that the era of non-mass media is coming, while along with the new technosphere a new infosphere is emerging, and this will have far-reaching consequences in all spheres of life, including our consciousness. It should be emphasized that E. Toffler, in addition to purely technological aspects, notes trends and prospects for the creation of a new intellectual environment based on computer networks.

Describing trends in the inevitable introduction of information technology into human everyday life, E. Toffler also identifies important socio-philosophical problems. “Will it be possible for intelligent machines, especially those connected to communication networks, to go beyond our understanding and beyond our control?”

Considering the structure of production in the new society, Toffler highlights the trend of demassification of production. In his opinion, qualitative changes in the technosphere and infosphere have combined, fundamentally changing the way products are produced. The production system is gradually moving from traditional mass production to a complex mixture of mass and non-mass products. The ultimate goal of this process is the production of only made-to-order products, which is carried out as a result of an automated continuous process under the ever-increasing direct control of the customer.

Let us also add that Toffler analyzes the transformation of power and the prospects for the development of democratic principles, from the point of view that a new society will be possible only with the preservation and development of democracy.

In an expanded and detailed form, the concept of the information society (taking into account the fact that it almost fully includes the theory of post-industrial society developed by him in the late 60s - early 70s) is proposed by D. Bell. Bell wrote that the role of agriculture and industry would steadily decline with the increasing importance and expansion of the information industry. The revolution in the organization and processing of information and knowledge, in which the computer plays a central role, is unfolding simultaneously with the emergence of a post-industrial society. As Bell argues, “In the coming century, the emergence of a new order based on telecommunications is of decisive importance for economic and social life, for the way knowledge is produced, and for the nature of human work. The revolution in the organization and processing of information and knowledge, in which the computer plays a central role, is unfolding simultaneously with the emergence of post-industrial society.” Moreover, according to Bell, three aspects of post-industrial society are especially important. This refers to the transition from an industrial society to a service society, the determining importance of codified scientific knowledge for the implementation of technological innovations and the transformation of a new “intelligent technology” into a key tool for system analysis and decision-making theory.

The problems of the information society from the point of view of post-industrialism are also reflected in the works of the American researcher, Professor W. Martin. Martin made an attempt to identify and formulate the main characteristics of the information society according to the following criteria:

1) Technological criterion: the key factor is information technology, which is widely used in production, institutions, the education system and in everyday life.

2) Social criterion: information acts as an important stimulator of changes in the quality of life, “information consciousness” is formed and approved with wide access to information.

3) Economic criterion: information is a key factor in the economy as a resource, service, product, source of added value and employment.

4) Political criterion: freedom of information leading to a political process characterized by growing participation and consensus among different classes and social strata of the population.

5) Cultural criterion: recognition of the cultural value of information by promoting the establishment of information values in the interests of the development of the individual and society as a whole.

Speaking about the information society, Martin especially emphasizes the idea that communication is “a key element of the information society,” and the term itself should not be taken in its literal sense, but should be considered as a guideline, as a trend. According to him, in general, this model is future-oriented; for a gradual transition to an information society, a number of changes must occur. First of all, changes concern the structure of the economy and the distribution of labor, the increasing role of information, the widespread use of computers, the introduction of information technologies in education, etc.

Martin defines the information society as one in which the quality of life as well as the prospects for social change and economic development depend increasingly on information and its exploitation. In such a society, living standards, forms of work and leisure, the education system and the market are significantly influenced by advances in the field of information and knowledge.”

P. Drucker, in his works on the information society, put forward the idea of overcoming traditional capitalism. He considered the main signs of the ongoing shift to be the transition from an industrial economy to an economic system based on knowledge and information, the overcoming of capitalist private property, the formation of a new value system of modern man and the transformation of the national state under the influence of the processes of globalization of the economy and society. The modern era, according to Drucker, is a time of radical restructuring, when, with the development of new information and telecommunication technologies, humanity has a real chance to transform capitalist society into a knowledge-based society.

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Information society concept

It is logical that the foundation of the information society is information. Conceptually, information is already an independent value; in many cases it can be evaluated and acquired, which puts it on the same level as material values and energy. In a number of cases, information becomes one of the resources for the functioning of enterprises and organizations, and a factor of progress.

The main factor for creating complex conditions for the development of the information society was the emergence of the Internet, which made it possible to form a unified global information and communication environment and a common cyberspace.

The information society is a phase of the development of human civilization in which the value, role and importance of information and knowledge sharply increases.

The concept of the information society represents it as a special nature superstructure over the modern social structure, when information, knowledge and information technologies intensively penetrate and are introduced into all spheres of society.

Modern information society

The modern information society has the following features:

Increasing the role of information and knowledge in the life of society.
Intensive development of information technologies and communications.
Increasing the share of information technology sector products in the GDP structure.
The existence of a global information space.
Effective information interaction between people and social groups.
Improving access to information.
The existence of a variety of information products and services.

The modern information society is characterized by the following aspects.

Firstly, the role of information and knowledge in the life of society continues to strengthen, while the information saturation of economic, economic, financial, managerial, commercial, and production spheres of activity is also increasing significantly. For many areas of activity, information and knowledge are becoming the most important resource for socio-economic development. Similarly, new points of economic growth are associated exclusively with information, knowledge, their implementation and implementation in traditional areas.

Secondly, the information technology industry forms a special sector of the economy, which is one of the most dynamic and rapidly developing.

Thirdly, information, information services, and individual knowledge are objects of consumption; they can be acquired, sold, or transferred for temporary use. At the same time, in a number of cases, stable market structures have already emerged, for example, information and communication technologies, telecommunications and the service sector for these markets.

Fourthly, models of social, economic, managerial, financial, and production organization are partially transformed, becoming wider, and increasing their flexibility through the use of information technology.

The main trend is that the role of information is consistently growing, the search for new knowledge is intensifying. Information and knowledge are an important factor in production and economic growth. Economic success is increasingly determined by the availability of information, the use of innovation and continuous development.

Development of the information society

The development of the information society can be divided into 3 stages:

1950-1980 – The emergence of a close connection between science, technical development and production. A sharp increase in production dynamics, the formation of prerequisites for the emergence of modern high-tech technologies.
1980-2000 – Globalization of socio-economic relations, intensification of international relations and complication of world economic processes. Reducing the number of purely local socio-economic events and processes.
2000-2020 – Significant complication of all spheres of human activity, the formation of a complex global economic system. Simultaneous strengthening of integration processes in the economic sphere, the desires of individual states to preserve their economic, political and cultural sovereignty. The emergence of new integration unions: BRICS, EAEU, SCO.

The current and further development of the information society is associated with the creation and implementation of new information and communication technologies in all spheres of human activity. All this will require a serious and profound restructuring of modern society.

Main directions of development of the information society:

E-commerce
Telemedicine
Distance education
Robotization
Digital economy
Electronic services
Remote receipt of government services

The development of the information society at its current level is determined by increased requirements for adaptation to the sharply increased pace of changes in the economy, production, technology, etc. The consequence of this is the simultaneous strengthening of integration trends at the local, national and international levels, while the trends towards sovereignty and self-sufficiency at the same levels are growing.

The development of the information society is a set of processes affecting changes in government, society, economic system, technology, production and the lives of individuals in the context of increasing the role of information and knowledge.

The development of the information society, having significant potential for improving the quality of life of the entire human community and each individual, expands opportunities for individuals and entrepreneurs, creates the prerequisites for further increasing production efficiency, saving resources and focuses on an innovative type of development. Associated with this is the possibility of access to the information resources of human civilization for literally every person, as well as the possibility of communication between very remote points of our planet.

Information society in the Russian Federation

The main areas in which the most obvious development of the information society in the Russian Federation is taking place:

Remote receipt of government services. This includes most government services that can be obtained through the website https://www.gosuslugi.ru
Distance learning. Including through webinars, video lectures, broadcasts, lectures. Many universities have implemented a system for remote downloading of completed work, remote completion of knowledge tests, and remote recording of academic progress. Partial distance learning is implemented in schools.
Finance and banks. All banks have Internet banking and client banking.
Social interaction. The most significant example is the distribution of electronic signatures for both legal entities and individuals.
Telemedicine. Electronic registration at the clinic, video conferences of medical specialists, etc.
Remote work via the Internet.
Tax administration.
Interaction with executive authorities. Online reception of citizens' appeals.
Transportation. Electronic tickets for plane, train. Taxi services (here you can forget about “Around the city inexpensively!!!” like a bad dream).
And many other areas.

The further development of the information society in the Russian Federation is associated with the construction of a digital economy and robotization. In turn, this places the following demands on society:

Increasing requirements for professional qualifications.
Increasing requirements for the level of education.
Changing the educational structure of society.
Changing the nature of work.

At the moment, there is already a predominance of intellectual, skilled labor, requiring special skills and knowledge, in the social structure. Accordingly, receiving an education is no longer sufficient; it is necessary to skillfully apply the acquired knowledge and use the information.

The information society of the Russian Federation is also characterized by increased requirements for the production of services, especially those related to the receipt, extraction, processing, storage, transformation and use of information.

The structure of the information society of the Russian Federation is shown in the figure.

Structure of the information society of the Russian Federation

Problems of the information society

Let us list the main problems of the information society.

Globalization leads to the erosion of the national sovereignty of individual states, economic and political boundaries, which is aggravated by the formation of global conglomerates in the field of communications, production, information, etc.
The acceleration of the pace of industrialization and the intensification of interaction between different states leads not only to the mutual exchange of cultural achievements, but also creates conditions for cultural aggression on the part of a number of countries. Together with the unification of cultures, this exacerbates the danger of individual peoples losing their cultural, national, linguistic identity, and also leads to the imposition of a cult of consumption on humanity, which only meets the interests of transnational corporations.
Increasing globalization of the economy and production may adversely affect the state of the environment and policies for its protection.
There is an attack (in the long term with complete destruction) of the right to work and social protection.
The widespread spread of the so-called “screen” or “reference” culture in the conditions of the inevitable collision of such a virtual culture with objective reality creates significant psychological and social problems for people.
In conditions of increasing information, increasing volumes of information received, it becomes more difficult for people to control its content and protect themselves from excess information.
Possibilities for the free dissemination of information create threats to the transmission of information dangerous to society, and the problem of the security of personal data arises.

Separately, mention should be made of the problem of information inequality, when some people find themselves cut off from information, both for objective reasons and for subjective reasons. As a result, society is divided into those who use the information environment and those who do not. At the same time, many people, especially older generations, deliberately classify all information technologies as an exclusion zone and do not want to get involved with them. This may lead to the fact that in the relatively near future such people may find themselves left out of social processes as a whole.

Less than a century ago, a person received about 15 thousand per week. Now we receive about ten thousand messages every hour. And among all this information flow it is very difficult to find the necessary message, but doing nothing is just one of the negative characteristics of the modern information society.

Characteristics

So, what is the information society? This is a society in which the bulk of workers are engaged in the production, storage or processing of information. At this stage of development, the information society has a number of distinctive characteristics:

Information, knowledge and technology are of great importance in the life of society.
Every year the number of people engaged in the production of information products, communications or information technologies increases.
The informatization of society is increasing, with the use of telephones, television, the Internet, and the media.
A global information space is being created that ensures effective interaction between individuals. People gain access to global information resources. Within the created information space, each participant satisfies his or her needs for information products or services.
Electronic democracy, the information state and government are developing rapidly, and digital markets for social and economic networks are emerging.

Terminology

The first to define what the information society is were scientists from Japan. In the Land of the Rising Sun, this term began to be used in the 60s of the last century. Almost simultaneously with them, the term “information society” began to be used by scientists from the United States. Authors such as M. Porat, I. Masuda, R. Karz and others made a great contribution to the development of this theory. This theory received support from those researchers who studied the formation of a technogenic or technological society, as well as from those who studied changes in society, which is influenced by the increased role of knowledge.

Already at the end of the twentieth century, the term “information society” firmly took its place in the vocabulary of infosphere specialists, politicians, scientists, economists and teachers. Most often it was associated with the development of information technology and other means that would help humanity make a new leap in evolutionary development.

Today there are two opinions regarding what the information society is:

This is a society where the production and consumption of information is considered the main activity, and information is the most significant resource.
This is a society that has replaced the post-industrial one, the main product here is information and knowledge, and the information economy is actively developing.

It is also believed that the concept of the information society is nothing more than a variation of the theory of post-industrial society. Consequently, it can be considered as a sociological and futurological concept, where the main factor in social development is the production and use of scientific and technical information.

Come to a consensus

Considering how much information technology has infiltrated everyday life, these consequences are often called the information or computer revolution. Western teachings are paying more and more attention to this phenomenon, as evidenced by the vast number of relevant publications. However, it is worth noting that the concept of “information society” is placed in the place where the theory of post-industrial society was in the 70s.

Some scientists believe that post-industrial and information societies are completely different stages of development, so a clear line must be drawn between them. Despite the fact that the concept of the information society was called upon to replace the theory of a post-industrial society, its proponents are still developing important provisions of technocracy and futurology.

D. Bell, who formulated the theory of post-industrial society, considers the concept of the information society to be a new stage in the development of post-industrial society. Simply put, the scientist insists that the information society is the second level of post-industrial development, so these concepts should not be confused or replaced.

James Martin. Information Society Criteria

The writer believes that the information society must meet several criteria:

Technological. Information technologies are used in various spheres of human activity.
Social. Information is an important stimulator for changing the quality of life. A concept such as “information consciousness” appears, since knowledge is widely available.
Economic. Information becomes the main resource in economic relations.
Political. Freedom of information, which leads to the political process.
Cultural. Information is considered cultural property.

The development of the information society brings with it a number of changes. Thus, structural changes in the economy can be observed, especially when it comes to the distribution of labor. People are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of information and technology. Many are beginning to realize that for a full-fledged existence it is necessary to eliminate their own computer illiteracy, since information technologies are present in almost all spheres of life. The government strongly supports the development of information and technology, but along with it, malware and computer viruses develop.

Martin believes that in the information society, the quality of life directly depends on information and how a person uses it. In such a society, all spheres of human life are influenced by advances in knowledge and information.

Good and bad

Scientists believe that the development of information technology in society makes it possible to manage large complexes of organizations, produce systems and coordinate the work of thousands of people. New scientific directions related to the problems of organizational sets continue to develop.

And yet, the process of informatization of society has its drawbacks. Society is losing its stability. Small groups of people can have a direct influence on the information society agenda. For example, hackers can hack into banking systems and transfer large sums of money into their accounts. Or the media may cover the problems of terrorism, which have a destructive impact on the formation of public consciousness.

Information revolutions

Spread of language.
The emergence of writing.
Mass printing of books.
Applications of various types of electrical communications.
Use of computer technology.

A. Rakitov emphasizes that the role of the information society in the near future will be to influence civilizational and cultural processes. Knowledge will become the most significant stake in the global competition for power.

Peculiarities

Individuals can use the information resources of society from anywhere in the country. That is, from anywhere they can access the information they need for their life.
Information technologies are available to everyone.
There are infrastructures in society that ensure the creation of the necessary information resources.
In all industries there is a process of acceleration and automation of work.
Social structures are changing, and as a result, the scope of information activities and services is expanding.

The information society differs from the industrial society in the rapid growth of new jobs. The economic development segment is dominated by the information industry.

Two questions

The dynamism of technological modernization poses two main questions for society:

Do people adapt to change?
Will new technologies create differentiation in society?

During the transition of society to an information society, people may face a significant problem. They will be divided into those who can use new knowledge and technologies, and those who do not have such skills. As a result, information technologies will remain in the hands of a small social group, which will lead to inevitable stratification of society and a struggle for power.

But despite this danger, new technologies can empower citizens by giving them instant access to the information they need. They will provide the opportunity to create, and not just consume, new knowledge and allow you to maintain the anonymity of personal messages. Although, on the other hand, the penetration of information technology into private life poses a threat to the inviolability of personal data. No matter how you look at the information society, the main trends in its development will always cause both a sea of delight and a storm of indignation. As, indeed, in any other area.

Information society: development strategy

When it was recognized that society had moved to a new stage of development, appropriate steps were required. The authorities of many countries have begun to develop a plan for the development of the information society. For example, in Russia, researchers identify several stages of development:

First, the foundations were formed in the field of informatization (1991-1994).
Later, there was a change in priorities from informatization to the creation of an information policy (1994-1998)
The third stage is the formation of policies in the field of creating an information society (year 2002 - our time).

The state is also interested in developing this process. In 2008, the Russian government adopted a strategy for the development of the information society, which is valid until 2020. The government has set itself the following tasks:

Creation of information and telecommunications infrastructure to provide on its basis high-quality services for access to information.
Based on the development of technology, improve the quality of education, medical care and social protection.
Improving the system of state guarantees of human rights in the information sphere.
Using information and improve the economy.
Increase the efficiency of public administration.
Develop science, technology and engineering to train qualified personnel in the field of information technology.
Preserve culture, strengthen moral and patriotic principles in the public consciousness, develop a system of cultural and humanitarian education.
Counteract the use of information technology advances as a threat to the country’s national interests.

To solve such problems, the state apparatus is developing special measures for the development of a new society. Determine benchmark indicators of dynamics and improve policies in the field of use of information technologies. Create favorable conditions for the development of science, technology and equal access of citizens to information.

conclusions

So, what is the information society? This is a theoretical model that is used to describe a new stage of social development that began with the beginning of the information and computer revolution. The technological basis in this society is not industrial, but information and telecommunication technologies.

This is a society where information is the main economic resource, and due to the pace of development, this sector comes out on top in terms of number of employees, share of GDP and capital investment. A developed infrastructure can be traced that ensures the creation of information resources. This primarily includes education and science. In such a society, intellectual property is the main form of property.

Information is turning into a product of mass consumption. Everyone living in society has access to any type of information; this is guaranteed not only by law, but also by technical capabilities. In addition, new criteria for assessing the level of development of society are emerging. For example, an important criterion is the number of computers, Internet connections, mobile and home phones. By merging telecommunications, computer-electronic and audiovisual technology, a single integrated information system is created in society.

Today, the information society can be regarded as a kind of global phenomenon, which includes: the global information economy, space, infrastructure and legal system. Here, business activity becomes an information and communication environment, the virtual economy and financial system are spreading more and more widely. The information society gives many opportunities, but it did not arise out of nowhere - it is the result of centuries of activity of all mankind.

The information (post-industrial) era began around the middle of the 20th century with the emergence of pockets of post-industrialism in industrialized countries. They quickly turned into regions of post-industrialism. Post-industrial society is becoming the leading one in the world. International organizations of a post-industrial type appear, and the UN becomes a body of the post-industrial era. The basic systems of the information society are also changing.

Technological basis This society consists of information technology, automation of production processes based on computers and cybernetics, globalization of information and technological relations. The basis of informatics is mental work, spiritual capital and knowledge (theoretical and applied), information technology, and computer technology.

Demosocial system The information society is characterized by: the emergence of a mass of migrants and national diasporas, the growth of megacities, a mass consumer society, mass culture, environmental pollution, a significant middle class, a demographic explosion, confirming the fears of Malthus.

Economic system characterized by: automation and computerization of production processes; growth in the number and power of transnational companies (TNCs); private, collective and state property; dominance service sector(medicine, education, leisure, etc.); production, exchange and consumption of knowledge (information); turning science into a direct productive force of society, and technical specialists (experts, consultants) into a leading professional group; dominance of financial capital.

Politic system information societies are characterized by: a strong democratic legal social state; developed civil society (parliamentary democracy, free media, etc.); taking into account the interests of different social classes; middle class political culture; the growing influence of international political organizations.

For spiritual system industrial society is characterized by: the transformation of science into the leading form of social consciousness; the flourishing of the system of general, secondary and higher education; weakening influence of world religions; the development of art and the emergence of its new directions; postmodern thinking; growing influence of mass culture; dominance of television, etc.

Social subjectivity characterized by a strengthening of the role of the spiritual and a weakening of the unconscious, the growth of the value-rational, the spread of solidarist principles, the co-evolution of liberal, social democratic, conservative, communist and religious ideologies.

In the information age, countries with different types of societies (formations and civilizations) coexist: liberal-capitalist, Soviet, social-democratic, etc. Between world religions, related religious communities and world civilizations and within them, there is a struggle for dominance and creation new world society, formation and civilization of earthlings. All this is accompanied by a deepening environmental crisis.

The urban population becomes predominant. Man is forced out of material production; it is being replaced by machine guns. Scientific and technological progress is accelerating, the structure of employment of the population is changing. The personnel of information enterprises requires a new management style: creative, intellectual, moral. Labor motives are improving: workers prefer lower wages, but work according to their interests, which gives them the opportunity to make their own decisions. More and more people combine family, work, self-education and sports in their lives.

The institutional structure of the information society so far includes six types of enterprises: economic (banks, exchanges, savings banks, etc.), social (pension, medical, sports, etc.), scientific, production (industry, construction, agriculture , transport), voluntary (organization of the environment, assistance to the elderly, etc.), households. Universities, research centers, and academic institutions are becoming the main institutions (institutions) of post-industrial societies.

The information society is based on TNCs. The development of the world under the influence of TNCs “corresponds to the natural tendencies of universal evolutionism - the mechanisms of self-organization that determined the development of all living things.”

The previously backward countries of Asia followed the path of liberal capitalist and then bourgeois socialist societies. For example, from 1950 to 1990, South Korea's GDP grew 120 times. The world system of socialism began to lose the scientific, technical, economic and demosocial confrontation with social democratic societies. New technologies, product samples, improving the lives of ordinary people showed the weakness of Soviet society (formation and civilization). In 1991, the world system of socialism and the USSR collapsed. The countries of the Soviet bloc were not ready for the post-industrial era.

As a result of the collapse of the socialist system, the world balance of countries with different types of societies was disrupted. There was a separation of developed (“golden billion”), developing and undeveloped countries. A hierarchical pyramid of countries has emerged: post-industrial capitalism (USA), bourgeois socialism (“old” European democracies), bourgeois socialist orientation (Eastern Europe), Soviet socialism (Cuba, North Korea), state capitalism (Russia and some other CIS countries); colonial capitalism (many African countries).

Expansion has increased American civilization in the sphere of worldview, institutions, lifestyle. It meets fierce resistance in other civilizations: Islamic, Buddhist, Orthodox. The Islamic civilization included countries with different social formations - from post-industrial (Saudi Arabia) to primitive communal (Afghanistan). Civilizational confrontation sometimes turns out to be more important than formational uniformity.

The current world is a hierarchy of all technological and civilizational types of societies: agricultural, industrial, information. Information societies play a leading role in relation to industrial ones, and the latter - in relation to agricultural ones. The base of this pyramid is narrowing, and the central - industrial - part is expanding. This corresponds to the stratification pyramid in developed countries of the world. It is obvious that for a growing humanity, the transition of most agrarian societies to industrial ones, and the latter to information ones, is fraught with environmental disaster: the natural environment cannot withstand the technogenic load. There is a need to slow down technological transition and manage globalization.

In the context of globalization, the deepening environmental crisis, and post-industrialization, a renunciation of profitability and power as defining values is required, and therefore a renunciation of the economic greed and political ambition of entire classes and peoples of developed countries. To do this, it is necessary to mitigate the demosocial gap, the dominance of some countries over others on property, political, national and other grounds. The problem of creating an ecological society of earthlings has risen to its full potential. In this regard, N. Moiseev, like other scientists, do not exclude the emergence of a new international totalitarianism, a kind of post-industrial Middle Ages.

September 11, 2001 was apparently evidence that the neoliberal society (formation and civilization) of the United States was causing outrage in the world. The worldview of individualism, the superiority of the strong and rich, the exploitation of the world, double standards, and the movement toward environmental disaster received opposition from Islamic fundamentalism. It became clear: to make the world safer, we need to make it more just. This is the only way developed countries can get rid of terrorists who are getting closer to increasingly dangerous types of weapons.

The world is faced with the need to radically change international relations in the context of the ongoing scientific revolution, an approaching environmental disaster, and blatant social inequality between countries. To solve these problems, the UN and its institutions need to return to the fight against the aggressive aspirations of the “advanced” countries. Relationships between countries from different historical eras should be reconsidered towards greater equality and justice. The West needs to share more with other countries rather than exploit them; it is necessary to impose stricter restrictions on the sale of weapons from developed countries to other countries and thereby stop the arms race; we finally need to start creating world democratic state, civil society, economy and spirituality.