The Information Society: A Sceptical View

Citation

Hornby, S. (2002), "The Information Society: A Sceptical View", Journal of Documentation, Vol. 58 No. 6, pp. 707-708. https://doi.org/10.1108/jd.2002.58.6.707.6

This is a well written, cogent and logical exposition of debates and discussions surrounding aspects of the information society. The text is accessible, enjoyable and well referenced and will be invaluable for undergraduate and postgraduate students who have an interest in the information society. The author examines, in some detail, accepted wisdom about the changes that have taken place in society and the social transformations that are perceived as inevitable consequences of these changes.

The book has a clear and logical structure from the early chapters that introduce the reader to the main definitions of the information society using key theorists to illustrate the development of the theoretical perspectives. This examination leads the reader to what the author views as the four central claims about the information society:

1. 1.

   (1) That the information society, through the use of the new information and communications technologies will lead (and some would argue, has led) to a social revolution.

2. 2.

   (2) That the technologies have brought about shifts in working practices, changes in contracts of employment and the growth of the service sector which in turn leads to a new economy.

3. 3.

   (3) That the technologies have restructured the political scene, the way that politicians are held accountable and the way that citizens participate in politics is changing.

4. 4.

   (4) That the growth and use of technologies will inevitably lead to the decline of the state.

Using the literature and memorable examples these claims are then considered in detail throughout the rest of the book. The author exposes some of the flaws in these arguments and provides alternative interpretations and scenarios. It is a forceful text that is fearless in articulating arguments that challenge much that has been written on the information society. The author sees continuity alongside change and views with scepticism some of the more deterministic claims for our “new” society.

While the above may lead you to think that The Information Society: A Sceptical View is a negative view of the information society and a pessimistic vision of the future nothing could be further from the truth. The author is essentially an optimist as he says:

There is nothing natural, nothing inevitable about the information society: while we can only make our own history in the circumstances we find ourselves in, we should recognize that these circumstances are not as fixed or narrow as may commentators on the information society tell us.

This is a book that I will be recommending to my students.