Qualitative changes in the information society. In the social structure of post-industrial society, the number of people employed in the service sector is increasing and new elites are being formed: technocrats, scientists.

The very name "information society" first appeared in Japan. The specialists who proposed this term explained that it defines a society in which high-quality information circulates in abundance, and also has all the necessary means for its storage, distribution and use. Information is easily and quickly disseminated according to the requirements of interested people and organizations and is issued to them in a form that is familiar to them. The cost of using information services is so low that they are available to everyone.

Sociology gives a more formalized definition of the information society. In the history of its development, human civilization went through several socio-economic stages:

Agrarian Society;

Industrial society;

Post-industrial society.

The next stage of development should be called “information society”.

The socio-economic criterion that determines the stage of social development is the distribution of employment of the population. At the stage of an agrarian society, more than half of the population is employed in agriculture; in an industrial society, most of the population works in industry; if in a society more than 50% of the population is employed in the service sector, the post-industrial phase of its development has begun. According to this criterion, the stage of the information society begins under the condition that more than half of the population is employed in the field of information and intellectual production and services.

The socio-economic criterion is not the only one. An interesting criterion was proposed by Academician A.P. Ershov: the phases of progress towards the information society should be judged by the total bandwidth of communication channels... There is a simple idea behind this: the development of communication channels reflects both the level of computerization, and the objective need of society for all types of information exchange, and other manifestations of informatization. According to this criterion, the early phase of informatization of society begins when the aggregate capacity of communication channels operating in it is reached, which ensures the deployment of a sufficiently reliable long-distance telephone network. The final phase is when it is possible to implement a reliable and prompt informational contact between members of society on the principle “each with each”. In the final phase, the bandwidth of communication channels should be a million times greater than in the first phase.

According to a number of experts, the United States will complete the transition to the information society by 2020, Japan and most Western European countries by 2030–2040.

Russia's entry into the information society has its own characteristics associated with the current stage of its development. In Russia, there are a number of objective prerequisites for the transition to the state of the information society. Among them: the rapid development of the material base of the information sphere, the informatization of many branches of production and management, active entry into the world community, the preparedness of public consciousness, etc. human and scientific and technical potential of Russia.

Trends in the development of the information society

Changing the structure of the economy and the structure of labor

The transition to an information society is accompanied by a shift in the center of gravity in the economy from the use of materials to the provision of services, which entails a significant reduction in the extraction and processing of raw materials and energy consumption.

The second half of the twentieth century, thanks to informatization, was accompanied by an overflow of people from the sphere of direct material production to the information sphere. Industrial workers, who in the middle of the twentieth century made up more than 2/3 of the population, today in developed countries make up less than 1/3. The social stratum, which is called “white collar workers”, has grown significantly - people of hired labor who do not directly produce material values, but are engaged in information processing (in a broad sense): teachers, bank employees, programmers, etc. So, by 1980, 3% of workers were employed in agriculture in the USA, 20% in industry, 30% in the service sector, and 48% of the population was employed in the information sphere.

Informatization has also changed the nature of labor in traditional industries. The emergence of robotic systems, the widespread introduction of elements of microprocessor technology is the main reason for this phenomenon. The machine tool industry in the United States employed 330,000 people in 1990, and by 2005 there were 14,000 people left. This happened due to the massive reduction of people on the assembly lines, due to the introduction of robots and manipulators instead.

Another characteristic feature in this area is the emergence of a developed market for information products and services.

Development and mass use of information and communication technologies

Explosive development lies at the heart of the information revolution information and communication technologies... In this process, a feedback is clearly observed: the movement towards an information society sharply accelerates the development processes of these technologies, making them widely in demand.

However, the rapid growth in the production of computer technology, which began in the middle of the twentieth century, did not cause the transition to the information society. Computers were used by a relatively small number of specialists as long as they existed in isolation. The most important stages on the way to the information society were:

· Creation of telecommunication infrastructure, including data transmission networks;

· The emergence of huge databases, access to which through the network got millions of people;

· Development of uniform rules of behavior in networks and search for information in them.

A huge role in the discussed process was played by creation of the internet... Today the Internet is a colossal and rapidly growing system, the number of users of which by the beginning of 2007 exceeded 1 billion people. It should be noted that the quantitative characteristics of the Internet are becoming obsolete faster than the books in which these indicators are printed.

The growth rate of the number of network users is fairly stable at about 20% per year. The first place in terms of the number of Internet users is occupied by the United States - about 200 million Americans are connected to the global network (all data at the beginning of 2007). In second and third places are China and Japan with 111 and 87 million users, respectively. In Russia, the number of people connected to the Internet is 21.8 million, which is 17.5 percent more than in the previous year. This indicator allowed Russia to take 11th place in the ranking of the most Internet-connected countries. Note, however, that “connected” does not mean “regularly using”; in statistics of this kind all over the world there are difficulties in data interpretation.

According to some indicators related to the Internet, our country is in the lead. Thus, in terms of the number of users of fiber-optic networks, Russia ranks first in Europe. This is due to the fact that with the relatively late start of mass Internetization, it was easier for Russian providers to develop new and technologically more advanced Internet access channels than to modernize existing ones.

Information and communication technologies are constantly evolving. Gradually happens universalization of leading technologies, i.e. instead of creating their own technology for each task, they are developing powerful, versatile technologies that allow for many use cases. An example of this is office software systems in which you can perform many different actions, from the simplest typing to the creation of fairly specialized programs (say, payroll using a spreadsheet processor).

The universalization of information technology promotes widespread use of multimedia. A modern multimedia system is capable of combining functions, for example, of a computer, TV, radio, multi-projector, telephone, answering machine, fax, while providing access to data networks.

The improvement of computing technology leads to the personalization and miniaturization of information storage devices. Tiny, palm-sized devices with all the functions of a personal computer allow a person to acquire their own universal reference book, the amount of information which is comparable to several encyclopedias. Since this device can be connected to the network, it also transmits operational data - for example, about the weather, current time, the state of traffic jams, etc.

Overcoming the information crisis

The information crisis is a phenomenon that became noticeable already at the beginning of the twentieth century. It manifests itself in the fact that the flow of information that poured into a person is so great that it is inaccessible to processing in a reasonable time. This phenomenon takes place in scientific research, and in technical developments, and in social and political life. In our increasingly complex world, decision-making is becoming an increasingly responsible business, and it is impossible without completeness of information.

The accumulation of the general volume of knowledge is accelerating at an astonishing rate. At the beginning of the 20th century, the total volume of all information produced by mankind doubled every 50 years, by 1950 it doubled every 10 years, by the end of the 20th century - already every 5 years, and this, apparently, is not the limit.

Here are some examples of the manifestations of the information explosion. The number of scientific publications in most branches of knowledge is so great, and traditional access to them (reading journals) is so difficult that specialists cannot manage to navigate them, which gives rise to duplication of work and other unpleasant consequences.

It often turns out that it is easier to redesign some technical device than to find documentation about it in countless descriptions and patents.

A political leader who makes a responsible decision at a high level, but does not own the completeness of information, will easily fall into a mess, and the consequences can be catastrophic. Of course, information alone in such a case is not enough; adequate methods of political analysis are also needed, but without information they are useless.

The result is information crisis which manifests itself in the following:

· The information flow exceeds the human capacity for the perception and processing of information;

· There is a large amount of redundant information (the so-called "information noise"), which makes it difficult to perceive information useful to the consumer;

· Strengthening economic, political and other barriers that prevent the dissemination of information (for example, due to secrecy).

A partial way out of the information crisis is seen in the use of new information technologies. The introduction of modern means and methods of storing, processing and transmitting information greatly reduces the barrier to access to it and the speed of search. Of course, technologies alone cannot solve a problem that is both economic (information costs money) and legal (information has an owner), and a number of others. This problem is complex, so it should be tackled by the efforts of both each country and the world community as a whole.

Freedom of access to information and freedom of its dissemination

The discussed problem lies more in the political and economic plane than in the technical one, since modern information technologies, purely technically, have opened an endless space for information exchanges. An information society is impossible without freedom of access to information. Freedom of access to information and freedom of its dissemination is a prerequisite for democratic development, contributing to economic growth, fair competition in the market. Only relying on complete and reliable information, it is possible to make correct and balanced decisions in politics, economics, science, and practice.

Freedom of dissemination of information of a cultural and educational nature is of great importance. It contributes to the growth of the cultural and educational level of society.

At the same time, the problem of freedom of access to information has an opposite side. Not all information of state, corporate or personal importance should be freely circulated. Everyone has the right to personal secrets; likewise, a state or corporation has secrets vital to their existence. There should be no freedom to disseminate information that promotes violence and other, unacceptable for society and the individual, phenomena. Finding a compromise between freedom of access to information and inevitable restrictions is not an easy task.

Growth of information culture

The modern understanding of information culture is the ability and needs of a person to work with information by means of new information technologies.

Purposeful efforts of society and the state to develop the information culture of the population are mandatory when moving towards an information society. One of the important tasks of the computer science course is the development of elements of the information culture of students. This task is complex in nature, it cannot be solved only by the school. The development of elements of information culture should begin in childhood, in the family, and then go through the entire conscious life of a person, through the entire system of education and upbringing.

Information culture encompasses much more than a simple set of technical information processing skills using computers and telecommunications. Information culture should become a part of universal human culture. A cultured (in a broad sense) person should be able to evaluate the information received qualitatively, understand its usefulness, reliability, etc.

An essential element of information culture is the mastery of the method of collective decision-making. The ability to interact in the information field with other people is an important sign of a member of the information society.

Changes in education

Big changes are taking place as we move towards an information society in education. One of the fundamental problems facing modern education is to make it more accessible to everyone. This accessibility has economic, social and technological aspects.

However, the problems of building the education system in the information society are not limited to technologies. By virtue of its dynamism, this society will require from its members continuous, over the course of tens of years, training. This will allow a person to keep up with the times, be able to change profession, take a worthy place in the social structure of society. In this regard, even a new concept arose: “the principle of lifelong professional development”. Economically developed countries have already embarked on the path of creating a system of continuous education, including preschool and school education, vocational education, a system of professional retraining and advanced training, additional education (sometimes non-formal), etc. The level of quantitative and qualitative development of the educational system makes it possible to judge the degree of advancement of the country along the path to the information society.

Changing the way of life of people

The formation of the information society has a significant impact on the daily life of people. From the examples already available, one can foresee that the changes will be profound. Thus, the massive introduction of television in the 60s and 70s of the twentieth century significantly changed the life of people, and not only for the better. On the one hand, millions of people have the opportunity to access the treasures of national and world culture, on the other hand, live communication has decreased, more stereotypes implanted by television have appeared, and the reading circle has narrowed.

Let us consider the individual components of the way of life, analyzing what has already taken place and what is being born in our time.

Job. According to a sociological study conducted in the United States, already now up to 10% of workers can do their job without leaving home, and 1/3 of all newly registered firms is based on the widespread use of self-employment, not associated with regular coming to the office.

Studies. In a number of countries, the number of children not attending school, but being educated at home using computer programs and telecommunications, is increasing. If this tendency continues to develop, the school faces the most serious danger since its inception as a mass public institution. If we consider that the school not only teaches, but also instills in children the skills of socialization, social behavior, then such a development causes a certain concern.

Leisure activities are changing before our eyes. Computer games, already taking a significant amount of time for some people, are being transformed into network games with the participation of several remote partners. The time spent on “walking” on the Internet without a specific purpose, as well as on the so-called “chat”, with not too meaningful messaging is growing. At the same time, educational trips to educational sites, virtual museums, etc. are being implemented. As mentioned above, information culture is only a part of the culture of a common humanity, and the form of spending leisure time is determined primarily by the general culture of a particular person.

A recent advancement in internet technology is shopping trip real goods to a virtual online store - is already beginning to noticeably affect the trading system.

The dwelling of a person has a tendency to more and more "informatization". Houses are already being commissioned, in which instead of a wiring harness (electrical wiring, telephone, television, burglar and fire alarms, etc.), only one power cable and one information cable are included. The latter takes care of all information communications, including the provision of many cable TV channels, Internet access, etc. A special electronic unit in such an apartment will control all devices, including household appliances and life support systems, and help the inhabitant of the apartment live as comfortably as possible. Such a house is called “smart”.

Since for many people the car has become an extension of their habitat, the emergence of “ smart cars ” also important. Such a car, in addition to the already obligatory microprocessor devices serving its technical part, is constantly connected with city information services, suggesting the most optimal route at the moment (taking into account the busyness of the tracks). In addition, the “smart” car is linked to the “smart home” of its owner, and this house can be controlled from it.

The dangers of the information society

While admiring the opportunities that the information society brings, one should not forget about the contradictions that it potentially contains and which are already manifesting.

It should be understood that the concept of "information society" does not lie in the same circle of concepts that are associated with the concepts of "capitalism", "socialism", etc., i.e. does not directly indicate the nature of property relations and the economic structure. In the same way, it should not be perceived as another utopia that promises universal happiness.

Here are some of the dangers and challenges on the road to an information society:

· A real possibility of destruction by information technologies of the private life of people and organizations;

· The danger of an ever-increasing influence on society from the media and those who control these means;

· The problem of selection of high-quality and reliable information with a large volume;

· The problem of adaptation of many people to the environment of the information society, to the need to constantly improve their professional level;

· A collision with virtual reality, in which illusion and reality are difficult to distinguish, creates for some people, especially young people, little studied, but clearly unfavorable psychological problems;

· The transition to an information society does not promise any changes in social benefits and preserves the social stratification of people; moreover, information inequality can add to existing types of inequality and thereby increase social tension;

· The reduction in the number of jobs in the economy of developed countries, which is not fully compensated by the creation of new jobs in the information sphere, leads to a dangerous social ailment - mass unemployment.

The so-called “ information wars”. This term is interpreted as an open or hidden informational impact of state systems on each other in order to obtain a certain gain in the political or material sphere. The main targets of defeat in such wars will be the information infrastructures and psychology of the enemy.

Information war is understood as a complex impact on the system of state and military control of the opposing side, on its military-political leadership. In principle, this impact should, even in peacetime, lead to the adoption of favorable (for the side - initiator of information pressure) decisions, and in the course of a conflict completely paralyze the functioning of the enemy's command and control infrastructure. Information confrontation preceding information war is realized by influencing the information and information systems of the enemy while strengthening and protecting their own information and information systems and infrastructure. At a certain stage, an information war can turn into a conventional one, using traditional types of weapons to suppress a weakened enemy. Unfortunately, there are already examples of information wars that have taken place.

Civilization in the process of its development went through several stages, at each of which the level of life of both individuals and communities depended on their awareness and ability to efficiently process data. The stages of creating new means and methods of data processing that have entailed significant changes in society, that is, which have changed the mode of production, lifestyle, value system, are called information revolutions.

Information revolutions caused a gradual transition from an agrarian society to an informational one, where intelligence and knowledge are the means and products of production.

Why is society called informational?

The information society is a new historical phase in the development of civilization, in which data and knowledge are the main products of production.

The name "information society" first appeared in Japan. The specialists who proposed this term explained that it defines a society in which high quality circulates in abundance, as well as all the necessary means for its storage, distribution and use. Information is easily and quickly disseminated according to the requirements of interested people and organizations and is issued to them in a form that is familiar to them. The cost of using information services is so low that they are available to everyone

The term "information" ("computerized") society is understood as one, in all spheres of life of the members of which computers are included, and services that satisfy the information needs of the user, as well as other means of informatics as tools of intellectual labor.

The information society is also called the knowledge society or the society of global competence, since the main requirements of the 21st century society for the training of competitive specialists include:

• ability to think critically;
• universal, systemic knowledge;
• key competencies in information and communication technology (ICT);
• ability to make decisions;
• the ability to manage dynamic processes;
• ability to work in a team (team)
• fruitful communication skills.

These skills were formulated by twenty leading companies in the world that are engaged in forecasting the development of the economy for the future and the development of appropriate tools and technologies for the effective implementation of various processes: economic, social, educational, and are called skills of the XXI century.

In the information society, the acquisition of key basic knowledge and skills, which include, in particular, knowledge of the possibilities of using modern computer systems and the ability to apply them in practice, is the key to the success and creative realization of each person. This is what caused the emergence of a new category of culture - informational.

Information culture - the ability to purposefully work with data and use information and communication technologies, modern technical means and methods for their receipt, processing and transmission.

Information culture manifests itself in humans:

• in specific skills of using various technical devices - from a telephone to a personal computer and network devices;
• in the ability to use information and communication technologies in their activities;
• in the ability to receive data from various sources - from periodical printed sources to electronic communications;
• in the ability to present information in an understandable form and use it effectively;
• in knowledge of analytical methods of data processing;
• in the ability to work with messages of various types.

Information culture encompasses much more than a simple skill set of technical data processing using computers and telecommunications. Information culture should become a part of universal human culture. A cultured (in a broad sense) person should be able to evaluate the information received qualitatively, to understand their usefulness, reliability, and the like.

An essential information culture is the ability to make collective decisions. The ability to effectively interact with other people is an important sign of a person in the information society.

For the effective use of information and communication technologies in professional activities, each person must have information competence, which implies the ability of a person to navigate in the information space, to operate with data based on the use of modern information and communication technologies in accordance with the needs of the labor market for the effective performance of professional duties. For students, information competence can mean the formed ability to effectively use information and communication technologies for teaching.

What does informatics do as a science and as a branch of human activity?

Computer science, as a relatively young science, emerged in the middle of the XX century. A prerequisite for this was a sharp increase in the volume of information data and messages that had to be processed by a person. The computer appears, and then the powerful - technical means that allow you to store, process and transfer large amounts of data.

The main goal of informatics as a science is the search for new knowledge in various fields of human activity using computer technology.

Informatics is a science that studies the structure and general properties of data, as well as methods and means of their creation, search, storage, processing, transmission and use in various fields of human activity.

The term informatics originated in the early 60s of the XX century. in France (from the French information - information and automatique - automation) to denote the automated processing of various data. In English-speaking countries, this term corresponds to the synonym Computer Science, since the term informatics means not only a reflection of the achievements of computer technology, but is also associated with the processes of transferring and processing data of various nature.

The main directions of development of informatics are: theoretical, technical and applied informatics. Theoretical informatics is designed to develop general theories of search, processing and storage of data, identification of patterns of creation and transformation of data, the use of modern information technologies in various spheres of human activity, the study of the relationship "man - electronic device", the development of information technology. Technical informatics examines automated data processing systems, the creation of a new generation of computer technology, flexible technological systems, robots, artificial intelligence, etc. information society requests.

What technologies are called information technologies?

For the effective processing of various data in the modern information-rich environment, which is changing extremely rapidly, and making timely and correct decisions based on the results obtained, new knowledge and skills are needed, or rather, mastery of technologies.

The term "technology" comes from the Greek. τεχνη - art, craftsmanship, technique, skills and λογος - word, ability to convey.

Technology is a set of methods and means for people to implement a specific complex process by dividing it into a system of sequential interconnected procedures and operations performed more or less unambiguously and which aim to achieve high efficiency of a certain type of activity.

The general level of development and the totality of created and used technologies is an important component of the culture of society, significantly affects the sustainability of economic development, and therefore is one of the characteristic features of civilization.

Information technology (IT) is a set of methods and techniques used to collect, store, process, distribute, display and use various data for the interests and needs of users.

Information technology reflects the modern understanding of the processes of data transformation in the information society. It is a set of clear, targeted actions for processing data using a computer.

In the modern information society, the main technical means of processing various data are computers of various types. Programs are used to implement data processing methods. The combination of information and modern communication technologies, providing the transmission of messages and data by various means (computer networks, telephone, fax, television, satellite communications, etc.), has radically changed the level and forms of business and social activity of people.

Information technology has gone through certain stages in its development:

Various classifications of information technology.

According to the methods and means of data processing, the following classification of information technologies is distinguished.

1. Global - technologies that include models, methods, ways of using data in society.
2. Basic - information technology focused on a specific area of ​​application.
3. Specific - technologies that process data in the process of performing real user tasks.

According to the subject areas served, they are distinguished: technologies with a scope of application in accounting, banking and taxation, for the provision of insurance, e-government, statistics, e-commerce, education, medicine.

According to the types of data, technologies for processing are distinguished:

• data using algorithmic languages, table processors, database management systems;
• texts using a word processor;
• graphic images using graphic editors;
• knowledge using expert systems;
• objects of the real world using multimedia technologies and the like.

There are other classifications of information technology.

Some interesting facts about the modern information society:

• The amount of knowledge generated by the world community doubles every 72 hours;
• 204,000,000 messages are sent by e-mail every minute;
• The amount of data transmitted by artificial satellites for two weeks is sufficient to fill 19 million volumes;
• In industrialized countries, students at the time of graduation receive more information than their grandparents in their entire lives;
• In the next three decades, society will undergo as many changes as there have been in the last three centuries.

Intellectual property and copyright

Intellectual property is the results of intellectual activity and means of individualization, protected by law.

Let's consider the main characteristics of intellectual property.

1. Intellectual property is intangible. This is its main and most important difference from the ownership of things (property in the classical sense). If you have a thing, you can use it yourself or transfer it to another person for use. However, it is impossible for two people to use one thing at the same time independently of each other. If you own intellectual property, you can use it yourself and at the same time grant rights to it to another person. Moreover, there may be millions of these persons, and all of them can independently use one object of intellectual property.
2. Intellectual property is absolute. This means that one person - the owner of the rights - is opposed by all other persons who, without the consent of the owner of the copyright, have no right to use the object of intellectual property. Moreover, the absence of a prohibition to use the object is not considered a permission.
3. Intangible objects of intellectual property are embodied in tangible objects. By buying a disc with music, you become the owner of the thing, but not the copyright holder of the musical works that are recorded on it. Therefore, you have the right to do whatever you want with the disc, but not with the music. It is unlawful, for example, to change a piece of music, arrange or otherwise process it without the consent of the author. Copyright governs relations arising in connection with the creation and use of works of science, literature and art. Copyright is based on the concept of "work", which means the original result of creative activity, exists in any objective form. It is this objective form of expression that is the subject of copyright protection. Copyright does not apply to ideas, methods, processes, systems, methods, concepts, principles, discoveries, facts.

The software is an object of intellectual property, all rights to which belong to the person who created it, or the developer company. This right is protected by the Law on Copyright and Related Rights. Under this law, when selling software, the developer does not transfer his rights to a particular program to the end user, but only allows (licenses) this program. A special mark is often displayed on the packaging of a software product, indicating that there is a license agreement that defines the basic rights and obligations of the manufacturer and purchaser of the resulting software product. The text of the license agreement is displayed during the installation of the software on the computer.

Unfortunately, not all software products on the market are legal. From a legal point of view, pirated software includes all computer programs that are distributed, installed on computers, and used in violation of the terms of their license agreement. For example, self-created copies of a licensed program cease to be legal, and such actions are copyright infringement and provide for legal liability.

Ethical standards in the information society

Information ethics is concerned with moral issues arising from the development and application of information technology. Information ethics is an integral part of computer ethics.

Computer ethics is concerned with the consideration of technical, moral, legal, social, political and philosophical issues. The problems discussed in it can be divided into several groups.

1. Problems of developing moral codes for computer professionals and ordinary users, whose work is related to the use of computer technology.
2. Problems of protecting property rights, copyright, privacy and freedom of speech in the field of information technology.
3. A group of crimes that arise with the emergence of computer technologies, the determination of their status, that is, mainly legal problems.

These problems are only part of computer ethics.

Key provisions of the Code of Computer Ethics:

1. Do not use your computer to harm other people.
2. Do not interfere with or interfere with the work of users of computer networks.
3. Do not use files that are not intended for free use.
4. Do not use your computer to steal.
5. Do not use your computer to disseminate false information.
6. Do not use pirated software.
7. Do not misappropriate someone else's intellectual property.
8. Do not use computer equipment or network resources without the permission of the owner or appropriate compensation.
9. Think about the possible consequences for society from the created programs and developed information systems.

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State autonomous educational institution of secondary vocational education "Aginsky medical college named after V.L. Chimitdorzhieva "

abstract

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 XX century in developed countries, it becomes obvious that information technologies and processes begin 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 technologies 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.

Further, 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 origin, the main theoretical ideas and concepts. In addition, it is important to trace the current trends in the development of society associated with the widespread dissemination of information technologies, which will make it possible to draw a conclusion about how the process of development of the information society is currently going, 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 distinguished - qualitative changes in all spheres of society, caused by the introduction of new means of transmitting and storing information. It is customary to single out four information revolutions that have had a decisive impact 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. The possibility of undistorted transfer of knowledge and its preservation for future generations appeared.

The second revolution was associated with the development of printing, which in turn was closely associated with the transition to an industrial society. Typography has opened up the opportunity to replicate 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 huge distances almost instantly, as well as store it on magnetic and other media.

And, finally, the fourth revolution, which took place 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 programmed control, their widespread introduction into human activities, and also the creation of computer networks. This entailed fundamental transformations in the methods of formation, organization and dissemination of information. Also during this period, significant progress was 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 emergence of the information industry, associated with the production of technical means, methods, technologies for the production of new knowledge. In fact, this revolution integrates the effects of all the previous ones, for it creates a technological basis for the unification of the intellectual abilities of all mankind. Like no previous discovery or invention in the world of information and communication, this information revolution (sometimes the terms "computer revolution" or "network revolution" are used) has a powerful impact on all spheres of society: politics, economy, culture and, of course, on 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. Nevertheless, 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 features.

It should be noted that, truly research in the field of information began to be engaged only in the XX century. For example, in the 1920s, attempts were made to study the properties of information as a set of facts, based on the theory of journalism. Then K. Shannon created statistical information theory (Professor LI 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 studies have 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 not accessible to humans, has an informational structure everywhere. There are different views on information from the point of view of philosophy. Such a scientific direction as the philosophy of information appears, 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 XX century, information and information processes were not considered as something independent. And from the point of view of materialistic 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 goal of serving it. So, for example, the rate of growth of knowledge, 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 by itself is not capable of increasing the production of material and cultural values, and that it is beneficial only when it is embodied in technology 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 all-round development and improvement. Therefore, the place of social information depends, first of all, on the nature of the society itself, on its inherent system of social and, above all, economic relations. Social information characterizes public consciousness, taken in its regulatory aspect. And this means that in all cases, social information is a product and reflection of social life to the same extent that public consciousness is such a product and reflection. Being secondary in relation to social being, social information, at the same time, in an ever-increasing degree has an active opposite effect on it, which finds its expression 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 life, material production will always be the determining, primary factor, and social information - the secondary and determinable factor.

However, already in the middle of the 20th century, the developed capitalist countries entered the post-industrial phase of development. Fundamental changes are taking place in the structure of society, in the sphere of economy, employment, production, which is 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 are constantly growing. There comes a realization 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 the previous views on the role of information and information processes in society become untenable, and this prompts researchers to look for new approaches to assessing the problem.

2. Information Society Concept

As mentioned earlier, starting from the end of the 60s of the XX century in the developed capitalist countries (primarily in Japan and the USA), it becomes obvious that information and information resources begin 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 it was before. All this led to the emergence of a new approach to assessing the impact of information and information processes on society - the concept of an information society, in which information occupies a dominant position. The invention of the term is attributed to Yu 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: "The Japanese Information Society: Topics and Approaches" (1969), "Outlines of the Policy 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 process of computerization will give people access to reliable sources of information, relieve them of routine work, and ensure a high level of production automation. At the same time, the production itself will also 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 first formulated that "the production of an information product, and not a material product, will be the driving force behind the education and development of society." The works of W. Martin, M. Castells, M. McLuhan, J. Masuda, T. Stonier and other researchers also had a significant impact on the development of the concept of the information society.

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

Despite the diversity of views of various researchers, some common fundamental features of the information society can still be identified:

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 of 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;

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

Creation of a global information space, providing: effective information interaction of people, their access to world information resources and meeting their needs for information products and services;

Deep changes in the models of social organization and cooperation, when in all spheres of society there is a replacement of centralized hierarchical structures with flexible network types of organization, adapted to rapid changes and innovative development.

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

3. The origins of the information society and some basic concepts

3.1 Information society as the development of post-industrialism ideas

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, "Shock of the Future" (1970), "Third Wave" (1980) and others. An important place in his works is occupied by the so-called concept of three waves. Toffler identifies three main stages (waves) of human development - agrarian, 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 highly conflicting information, it helps to see what is under the “raging 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, Central America had fundamental common features. The land was the backbone of the 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 power was rigidly authoritarian, the social origin of a person determined his place in life.

Toffler calls the Industrial Revolution "the second wave", which changed the previously formed social institutions and changed the way of life of people. 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 of the world and new scientific and technological advances in informatics, electronics, molecular biology, which allow you 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 labor, to the emergence of so-called "electronic cottages", which will make it possible to transfer work from an office to an employee's home. In addition to saving time and reducing transport costs, the cost of providing centralized jobs, the introduction of "electronic cottages" will, according to Toffler, strengthen the family and strengthen the trend towards the revival of attractiveness for life in small towns and rural settlements.

Considering the development trends of the media, Toffler notes the increase in their interactivity due to the introduction of new networked computer technologies. He argues that the era of non-mass media is coming, while along with the new technosphere a new infosphere appears, 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 the trends and prospects of creating a new intellectual environment based on computer networks.

Describing the tendencies of the inevitable introduction of information technologies into the everyday life of a person, E. Toffler also identifies important social and philosophical problems. "Will it not turn out that intelligent machines, especially those connected in communication networks, go beyond our understanding and become inaccessible to control over them?"

Considering the structure of production in a new society, Toffler identifies the tendency for the demassification of production. In his opinion, qualitative changes in the technosphere and the infosphere have combined, fundamentally changing the way of production of products. The production system is gradually moving from traditional mass production to a complex mixture of mass and no longer mass production. The ultimate goal of this process is custom-made products only, which is carried out as a result of an automated, continuous process under the ever increasing direct control of the customer.

We 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 will steadily decline as the importance and expansion of the information industry grows. The revolution in the organization and processing of information and knowledge, in which the computer plays a central role, is unfolding simultaneously with the formation 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 methods of production of knowledge, as well as for the nature of human labor. The revolution in the organization and processing of information and knowledge, in which the computer plays a central role, is unfolding simultaneously with the formation of a post-industrial society. " Moreover, according to Bell, three aspects of postindustrial society are especially important. This refers to the transition from an industrial society to a service society, the decisive importance of codified scientific knowledge for the implementation of technological innovations and the transformation of a new "intelligent technology" into a key tool for systems analysis and decision 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 technologies, which are 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 between 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 a literal sense, but should be considered as a guideline, as a certain trend. According to him, in general, this model is oriented towards the future; for a gradual transition to an information society, a number of changes must occur. First of all, the changes concern the structure of the economy and the distribution of labor, the growing role of information, the widespread use of computers, the introduction of information technologies in education, etc.

Martin defines the information society as a society in which the quality of life as well as the prospects for social change and economic development are increasingly dependent on information and its exploitation. In such a society, living standards, forms of work and recreation, the education system and the market are significantly influenced by advances in 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 system of values ​​of modern man and the transformation of the nation 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 received a real chance to transform a capitalist society into a society based on knowledge.

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Are there internationally accepted definitions of the information society?

1. The question is posed very correctly, tk. In Russian literature, there are many non-conceptual uses of this term, everyday or purely author's interpretations that are not related to the established tradition of using the term in Western literature, where it was formulated.

In 1973, the famous American scientist D. Bell in the work “The Coming Post-Industrial Society. The experience of social forecasting ”put forward the concept of the transition of Western society, characterized as an“ industrial society ”, into the post-industrial stage, called the post-industrial society. Although Bell considered many of its features, which did appear after two decades, the term itself has not been deciphered. Just as the term "pre-industrial society" requires disclosure of its content (agrarian, traditional), post-industrial society is required to disclose its essence. The prefix "post" only indicates that this is a society that comes after the industrial, after it.

Back in 1972, the Japanese set the task of information development of their society, declared the need to make it informational. Before Bell's concept, this was simply a characteristic of a program to increase the role of information in society. But, taken together, they formed the concept of "information society", which defines the essence of post-industrial society as a society in which not industry, but information plays a decisive role. It is a society whose productivity is determined by the information sector more than by the manufacturing and service sectors. J. Nesbit called the transition to the information society one of the ten most important trends in the transformation of the West, and later the world as a whole. M. Kassel in the work “Information Society. Economy, Society, Culture ”examined the essence of the information revolution.

Currently, the importance of knowledge in the information sector has been highlighted, which has led to the spread of the terms "knowledge society", "knowledge economy". In accordance with these changes, the West, as a post-industrial society, has concentrated on the production of product models, and their material embodiment has largely moved to non-Western industrial countries, many of which are trying to master high technologies, including information and knowledge application technologies. However, they remain industrial societies. It should be clearly understood that the term "information society" is fully applicable only to Western societies.

Doctor of Philosophy, Prof., Head. Sector of Social Philosophy of the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences

V.G. Fedotova

2. There are many definitions of the information society, which are quite actively referred to by authors in different countries.

After the publication in 1983 of the book by I. Masuda, one of the authors of the "Plan for the Information Society" developed in Japan in the early 70s of the XX century, the early interpretations of the information society proposed by the Japanese became the subject of attention of the world scientific community. The invention of the term "information society" is attributed to professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology Yuri Hayashi. The contours of the information society were outlined in reports submitted to the Japanese government in the late 1960s and early 1970s by organizations such as the Economic Planning Agency, the Institute for the Development and Use of Computers, and the Industrial Structure Council. The titles of the reports are indicative: "The Japanese Information Society: Topics and Approaches" (1969), "Plan for the Information Society" (1971), "Contours of a Policy to Promote the Informatization of Japanese Society" (1969). The information society was defined here as one where the process of computerization will 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, the production itself will also change - its product will become more "information-intensive", which means an increase in the share of innovation, design work and marketing in its value; the production of an information product, and not a material product, will be the driving force behind the education and development of society.

It should be noted that even earlier, in the 40s, the Australian economist A. Clark wrote about the perspective of the information and service society, and in the 50s the American economist F. Mahlup spoke about the onset of the information economy.

The Japanese version of the concept of the information society was developed, first of all, to solve the problems of economic development in Japan. This circumstance led to it in a sense, limited and applied. However, in the 70s, the idea of ​​an information society became popular in the United States and Western Europe and acquired the features of a universalist ideology.

American sociologist D. Bell, the author of the famous concept of post-industrial society, presented a version of the convergence of the ideas of post-industrialism and the information society in his 1980 book "The Social Framework of the Information Society." Bell's expression "information society" is a new name for post-industrial society, emphasizing not its position in the sequence of stages of social development - after an industrial society, but the basis for determining its social structure - information. Here, as in the book "The Coming Post-Industrial Society", primary importance is attached to the information included in the functioning of scientific knowledge and obtained through such knowledge. Bell's interpretation of the information society has all the main characteristics of a post-industrial society (service economy, the central role of theoretical knowledge, future orientation and the resulting technology management, the development of new intellectual technology). However, if in the "Coming Post-Industrial Society" electronic computing technology was considered as one of the science-intensive industries and as a necessary tool for solving complex problems (using systems analysis and game theory), then in the "Social Framework of the Information Society" great importance is attached to the convergence of electronic computing technology with communication technology. “In the coming century,” D. Bell asserts here, “the formation of a new social order based on telecommunications will acquire a decisive importance for economic and social life, for the methods of production of knowledge, as well as for the nature of human labor activity”.

From the end of the 60s of the XX century to the present day, many interpretations of what an information society is have been proposed. With all the variety of accents, the degree of attention paid to certain technological, economic or social processes, the information society is considered within the framework of the basic concepts as having at least the following characteristics. First of all, it is a high level of development of computer technology, information and telecommunication technologies, the presence of a powerful information infrastructure. Hence - such an important feature of the information society as an increase in the possibilities of access to information for an ever wider circle of people. Finally, almost all concepts and programs for the development of the information society proceed from the fact that information and knowledge become in the information age a strategic resource of society, comparable in importance to natural, human and financial resources.

Within the framework of the ideology of the information society, already in the 70s, various directions and tendencies emerged, focusing attention on certain aspects of relations existing in society regarding information and technical and technological means of its transmission, storage and processing, considering various social prospects as possible , desirable or negative.

In the book by S. Nora and A. Mink “Computerization of society. Report to the President of France ”, the information society was characterized as a complex society in whose culture serious problems arise. The authors are confident that it is impossible to understand these problems in line with Bell's post-industrial approach (it is noteworthy that the English translation of the book was published with a foreword by D. Bell). This approach, they argue, allows us to see in the future only a "tranquilized" post-industrial society, where the abundance and convergence of living standards will unite the nation around a huge culturally homogeneous middle class and overcome social contradictions. The postindustrial approach is productive when it comes to the information that guides the behavior of producers and buyers, but is useless when confronted with problems outside the realm of business and dependent on the cultural model. The title of one of the chapters of the book by S. Nora and A. Mink is "Will a computerized society be a society of cultural conflicts?" Assuming that the information society will be less clearly socially structured and more polymorphic than an industrial society, the authors predict that one of the factors of polymorphism will be the attitude of various groups to the trend of language simplification, associated, not least, with the economy of databases and various forms of electronic -mediated communication. The information society, they predicted, will be a society of struggle for language between different groups.

The most influential sociological concepts, put forward in the initial period of the formation of the ideology of the information society, emphasized the value of scientific, theoretical knowledge and / or reliable information, predicted an increase in their role in society with the development of computer and telecommunication technologies. Subsequently, tendencies that emphasize the importance of unscientific information and connect the prospects for the formation of an information society with the “loss of scientific discourse of its privileged status” are intensifying. The position of M. Poster, an American sociologist who belongs to the French intellectual tradition of structuralism and poststructuralism, is indicative in this respect. From the point of view of this author, an adequate sociology of electronically-mediated communications is possible only if science is viewed as one of the types of discourse on an equal basis with others. Posters consider it wrong to interpret information as an economic entity and provide a theoretical basis for the distribution of commodity relations in the information sphere. The poster emphasizes that the ease of copying and distributing information destroys the legal system, the foundations of which were formed to protect private property in material things. He insists that in the era of convergence of computing and communications technology, it is impossible to adequately understand social relations without taking into account the changes in the structure of communication experience. It is noteworthy that M. Poster wrote about the possibilities of information modeling as “modeling oneself” in the late 1980s, when the Internet was not yet a daily routine for millions of people. In the nineties and zero, new cultural phenomena generated by the rapid development of information and communication technologies became the object of attention of many authors.

To use for the benefit of people the opportunities provided by modern information and communication technologies is the main pathos of official strategies and programs for the development of the information society, adopted by the governments of different countries, interstate associations, and regional authorities. The Okinawa Charter for the Global Information Society, adopted by the G8 leaders in the summer of 2000, states: “The information society, as we see it, allows people to better use their potential and realize their aspirations. To this end, we must ensure that IT [Information and Communication Technology] serves the complementary goals of sustaining economic growth, enhancing social welfare, fostering social cohesion and realizing their full potential in promoting democracy, transparent and responsible governance of international peace and stability. Achieving these goals and addressing emerging challenges will require the development of effective national and international strategies. ”

In the Declaration adopted by the participants in the World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva in 2003, the first section is titled “Our Common Vision for the Information Society”. It begins with these words: “We, the peoples of the world, gathered in Geneva on December 10-12, 2003 to host the first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society, declare our shared commitment and determination to build a people-centered, inclusive for all and a development-oriented information society in which everyone can create, access, use and share information and knowledge in order to enable individuals, communities and peoples to realize their full potential, contributing to their sustainable development and by enhancing their quality of life, based on the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and fully respecting and supporting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. "

The "Strategy for the Development of the Information Society in the Russian Federation" proclaims the goal of the formation and development of the information society "to improve the quality of life of citizens, to ensure the competitiveness of Russia, to develop the economic, socio-political, cultural and spiritual spheres of society, to improve the system of public administration through the use of information and telecommunication technologies ".

The quantitative indicators provided for by such documents characterize the technological and economic aspects of the information sphere. "Strategies for the Development of the Information Society in the Russian Federation" provides for a number of benchmarks for indicators of the development of the information society, which must be achieved by 2015, including the level of accessibility of basic services in the field of information and telecommunication technologies for the population (100%), the level of use broadband access lines per 100 people (15 lines by 2010 and 35 by 2015), the number of households with personal computers (at least 70% of the total number of households), the share of library collections converted to electronic form, in the total volume of collections of public libraries (at least 50%), the share of domestic goods and services in the volume of the internal market of information and telecommunication technologies (more than 50%); growth of investments in the use of information and telecommunication technologies in the national economy (not less than 2.5 times compared to 2007). Obviously, such indicators make it possible to judge, first of all, about the success in creating a modern information and telecommunication infrastructure and the corresponding level of accessibility of information and technologies for the population.

One of the important indicators stipulated by the "Strategy" is Russia's place in international rankings of information society development - among the twenty leading countries of the world by 2015. It should be emphasized that such ratings are based mainly on data characterizing the diffusion of technology. So the index of the International Telecommunication Union takes into account 11 indicators. Among them are those that characterize access to information and communication technologies (including mobile communications and landline phones), the prevalence of broadband communications, the number of Internet users and their literacy, the number of households with computers. Data for 2002-2007 indicate that, despite all efforts in developing countries, the digital divide between developed and lagging countries has not been bridged. The index of development of information and communication technologies is also called the index of the development of the information society. Obviously, in such cases, the information society is understood as the corresponding components of the technosphere and market segments.

Against this background, the desire to oppose the knowledge society to the information society seems quite understandable. The UNESCO report states: “The concept of the information society is based on advances in technology. Knowledge societies imply broader social, ethical and political dimensions. ” It is noteworthy that the first chapter of the report is called "From the Information Society to Knowledge Societies", and the formation of the global information society is assigned the role of a means of creating "real knowledge societies." have long been discussed in the context of the information society. The foregoing fully applies to the problem of the "cognitive gap", which is recognized today as one of the most important problems of the formation of knowledge societies. The concept of the "cognitive divide" is directly related to such concepts as the "digital divide" and "information inequality".

In the literature, one can find different interpretations of the relationship between the concept of an information society and the concepts of a knowledge society and a post-industrial society. It is sometimes said that a post-industrial society is replacing an industrial one (as can be seen from the name), after a while the post-industrial society becomes an information society (i.e. an information society is a stage in the development of a post-industrial society), and the information society is followed by a knowledge society. This way of "ordering" can be explained, apparently, by the fact that the corresponding ideas acquired wide popularity in just such a sequence. However, all these ideas were put forward almost simultaneously, and the social, technological and economic processes interpreted with their help are closely intertwined.

From the outside, it looks surprising the carefree attitude of people engaged in such topics to the issues of conceptual consistency, terminological certainty, variability of meanings and the appropriateness of introducing new concepts, author's priority and commensurability of descriptions. Nevertheless, here the main points of attraction of research interest, and the general content in various characteristics of the emerging order, and repeated methods of correlating the present with the past and future, allowing one to make predictions and create plans, are quite clearly visible.

Material prepared by leading researcher IP RAS I.Yu. Alekseeva based on the work of: Alekseeva I.Yu. What is a Knowledge Society? M .: Kogito-Center, 2009.

Masuda Y. The Information Society as Postindustrial Society. Wash .: World Future Soc., 1983

Masuda Y. The Information Society as Postindustrial Society. Wash .: World Future Soc. 1983, p. 29.

Clark C. The Conditions of Economic Progress. L., 1957

Machlup F. The Production and Distribution of Knowledge in the United States. Princeton, 1962

Bell D. The Social Framework of the Information Society. Oxford, 1980. In Russian. lang .: Bell D. Social framework of the information society. Abbreviated. transl. Yu. V. Nikulicheva // New technocratic wave in the West. Ed. P. S. Gurevich. M., 1988

Bell D. The Coming of Post-Industrial Society. A Venture in Social Forcasting. N.Y., Basic Books, Inc., 1973. Russian translation of this book, edited by V.L. Inozemtsev, was published in 1999.

Bell D. Social framework of the information society. Abbreviated. transl. Yu. V. Nikulicheva // New technocratic wave in the West. Ed. P. S. Gurevich. M., 1988, p. 330

Thus, the “Concept of Moscow's Movement to an Information Society” states: “There is no generally accepted definition of an information society, but most experts agree that its essence is determined by several interrelated processes”. The following are noted as such processes: “information and knowledge are becoming an important resource and truly driving force for socio-economic, technological and cultural development”; “A market for information and knowledge is being formed as a factor of production on a par with the markets for natural resources, labor and capital”; "The share of industries providing the creation, transmission and use of information is growing rapidly"; “A developed information infrastructure is turning into a condition that determines national and regional competitiveness no less than, for example, transport communications”; "The development and active implementation of new information and communication technologies (ICT) in all spheres of activity significantly changes the models of education, labor, social life and recreation" (See: "The concept of Moscow's movement towards an information society // Information society. International information and analytical journal. 3, 2001, p. 7). The "Strategy for the Development of the Information Society in the Russian Federation" indicates freedom and equality in access to information and knowledge as one of the basic principles, and ensuring a high level of accessibility of information and technologies for the population (See: Strategy for the Development of Information society in the Russian Federation of February 7, 2008 N Pr-212 // Russian newspaper. Federal issue No. 4591 of February 16, 2008).

See: Poster M. The Mode of Information: Poststructuralism and Social Context. Cambridge: Polity Press, 1990

United Nations
UNESCO. World Summit on the Information Society (Geneva, 2003). Building the Information Society - A Global Challenge in the New Millennium: Declaration of Principles (Document WSIS-03 / GENEVA / DOC / 4-R, 12 December 2003)

Strategy for the development of the information society in the Russian Federation of February 7, 2008 N Pr-212 // Rossiyskaya Gazeta. Federal issue No. 4591 dated February 16, 2008)

To knowledge societies. UNESCO World Report. Paris: UNESCO Publishing, 2005, p. 19

In 1996, the first book from the trilogy by Manuel Castells "The Information Age: Economy, Society and Culture" was published. In his truly large-scale work, the scientist analyzed in detail the processes of social development throughout the twentieth century and formulated the concept of information capitalism, revealing the main features of the modern information society (see the subsection "Information capitalism of Manuel Castells").
In 1999, Don Tapscott published the book "Digital Society: The Pros and Cons of Networked Intelligence", in which he presented his attempt to comprehend the global nature of the changes taking place in humanity. Tapscott notes that education is currently the most modernized area. The traditional educational system no longer provides graduates with a long-term job security, since the rapid pace of knowledge renewal requires constant retraining. In the electronic society, the very idea of ​​learning, the relationship between learning and work and everyday life is being revised: the information society is based on mental work, therefore, work is increasingly intertwined with learning, which turns into a lifelong occupation. Tapscott identifies the key features of a new society: knowledge orientation, digital representation of objects, virtualization of production, innovative nature, integration, convergence, elimination of intermediaries, transformation of manufacturer-consumer relations, dynamism, globalization, and a number of others.
Domestic specialists began to actively address the problems of the post-industrial / information society only in the last decades of the twentieth century. From the standpoint of the formational approach, Soviet researchers criticized the concept of post-industrial society and did not have the opportunity to correlate Western developments with the realities of the life of the Soviet state. However, in the late 80s - early 90s of the last century, works by domestic authors began to appear, devoted to the problems of the formation of a global information society and the inclusion of Russia in this process.

A. I. Rakitov noted that the transition to a new information society becomes possible when social activity is aimed primarily at the production of services and knowledge. The main task of the information society is related to ensuring the right and opportunity of a citizen, regardless of the time and place of his location, to receive the information he needs.
Rakitov describes the information society in accordance with the following characteristics: whether any citizen, group of persons, or social organization has a realizable opportunity at any time and anywhere in the country to gain access to information necessary to solve individually or socially significant problems; production and functioning in the free access mode of modern information technologies, the use of which can be carried out by any individual, group or organization; the presence of a developed infrastructure that allows the creation and storage of national information resources, which, in turn, are effectively used to maintain an appropriate level of scientific, technical, technological and social progress in general; acceleration of automation and computerization of technological and production processes, the control system as a whole; transformation of basic social structures, as a result of which there is a development of the service sector, an expansion of the profiles of information activities.
Famous Russian experts on the problems of the information society G. L. Smolyan and D. S. Chereshkin, analyzing the essence and specifics of the new stage of social development, including in relation to Russian reality, have identified a number of signs of the information society. The researchers rank as the most important characteristics: the creation of a single information space, the intensification of information processes, as well as economic integration of states; the emergence and in the future the predominance of new technological structures in the economies of countries, the essence of which is to ensure mass production and use of network information, communication, computer technologies; raising the level of education through
use in educational processes of information exchange systems operating at various levels - from regional to international; increasing requirements for qualifications, professionalism and creativity of employees.
Among the many different approaches, concepts and theories describing the phenomenon of the information society, one can single out some universal characteristics that are somehow recognized by almost all researchers. So, the global information society is most often understood as a society of a new type, the foundation of which is the accelerated and inclusive development, dissemination and convergence of information and communication technologies. It is a knowledge society that presupposes a special role for the cognitive component, in which the main competitive advantage and the key to success are knowledge and skills that make it possible to obtain and use information in conditions of secure and guaranteed unhindered access to it. The new information society is global in nature, in which the exchange of information is not limited by temporal, spatial or political barriers. Finally - and in this scientists see the humanistic orientation of the information society - it contributes to the interpenetration of cultures, and also provides individuals, groups, communities with new opportunities for self-realization.
At the same time, it should be noted that not all the arguments of the supporters of the concepts of post-industrial and informational societies have met and are receiving indisputable approval. A skeptical attitude to the information society as a new social reality is contained in the studies of G. Schiller, M. Aliett, D. Harvey, E. Giddens, J. Habermas. Representatives of this group agree that information plays a key role in modern society, but its forms and functions are well known, obey established principles and do not lead to qualitative changes in social relations. A serious critical analysis of ideas, approaches and concepts describing a new type of society is

was written by F. Webster, who outlined the conceptual and methodological shortcomings of the most recognized theories of the information society (see the subsection "Frank Webster: a critical analysis of theories of the information society").