The Information Society: A Sceptical View

Citation

Jelušić, S. (2004), "The Information Society: A Sceptical View", Journal of Documentation, Vol. 60 No. 2, pp. 226-228. https://doi.org/10.1108/00220410410522313

At first glance this book is attractive by its subtitle: a sceptical view. A flood of articles and books on the information society makes it difficult to select and decide what to read, and more importantly, what to recommend to students. But in this case, the attractive subtitle adds a slight sense of provocation and makes one look at Christopher May's book more closely.

The table of contents looks like a good curricula for advanced students in some sociology of information course:

1. 1.

   What is the global information society?

2. 2.

   Locating the “information age” in history.

3. 3.

   Information capital, property and labour.

4. 4.

   Communities, individuals and politics in the information age.

5. 5.

   W(h)ither the state?

6. 6.

   Back to the future.

If you find the content interesting you might do another quick test and if that goes well – read it, because the titles of the chapters indicate a range of topics that certainly are important. No doubt it will be interesting to see what the author's opinion of the moving forces behind the contemporary (information) society are. If you check the references, you will find quite a number of authors you expected to find. Let us mention just a few, some of them dating back to the 1970s, to illustrate the good feeling one gets by looking at the well known sources: Daniel Bell, Albert Camus, Manuel Castells, Henry Lefebvre, Marshal McLuhan, Karl Marx, Nick Moore, Louis Mumford, John Naisbitt, Jeremy Rifkin and several others. It is like going to an imaginary bookshelf. Therefore, if you are pleased with the second test – read this book.

This is a book about the contemporary society, looking at the ways the global information trends are affecting it. Our discussions about contemporary society seem to be polluted with myths and illusions of great changes that new technology will bring. Christopher May considers these myths and tries to track the real changes and find out if there are any benefits for a contemporary man. There is no doubt about changes that technology brings, but the question is: does it affect the basic principles of production and distribution of power and wealth. From Cristopher May's viewpoint: “… the ‘new age’ arguments do not really hold up, (and) there is still the possibility that the literature of the information society points to some profound changes in particular aspects of our lives” (p. 48). Using the methodology of political economics May concludes that technological advancements through history have always had the aim to make new profits for owners of technology, and could not find enough support for claims about great changes. On the contrary, technological advancements have accomplished much more sophisticated methods of enlarging profits in shorter periods of time than before the invention of information and communication technology. This technology has enabled the capitalist production system to become global, and to diminish the state influence on global business. As far as the position of workers is concerned, not much has changed for the better since the industrial production system: “… the argumet that all work in the information society is highly skilled is no more convincing”, “… atomization of the workforce and ‘dumbing down’ are likely to be evident” (p. 62).

Dangerous trends are appearing. These trends seem to abolish the concept of a social state. With disintegration of the only real enemy of the capitalist world, the communist block, there is now no real force to object to the concept and the fulfillment of capitalist aims. The disappearance of a social state is described by the growing trend of “portfolio” workers which “enables companies to retreat from responsibilities for their workforces that were fought for throughout the twentieth century” (p. 68). In May's opinion this is not the case only with blue collar workers but also with “production of knowledge”. The products of knowledge workers become the property of the employer, and the situation is not much better with the artistic production that becomes subject to copyright. Christopher May is raising crucial questions regarding the society that has lost the balance between the socialist and the capitalist concept of the society. It is important that the author is concerned with the human situation in contemporary society and is breaking the myths that the political‐industrial‐ army‐marketing establishment is offering as a solution for a modern man. It is this establishment that is making best use of information and communication technology regardless of blue collar or knowledge workers. “The white collar worker, as well as the portfolio working, flexible professional on contract or project‐based employment, no longer enjoys the security of their predecessors” (p. 76). With the development of global economies, a trend of labour displacement is taking place, leaving workers in developed countries with fewer jobs. The struggle between capital and politics, concerning important decision making in the context of global economies takes a big portion of May's concern in this book. Here he builds his conclusions by drawing attention to the media sphere, a real battlefield for power and decision making. Being critical about the influence of information and communication technology on political life, he reminds us of something we might have forgotten, that the plurality “that is often claimed for the new information politics already existed at the end of the nineteenth century” (p. 112). This reminder, along with other conclusions in this book make us wonder about the claims of great changes brought by the information and communication technology. The chapter on the changing role of the state is important in this regard. May expresses the notion of the state having to adapt to a global economy if it wants to keep its role as a society regulator. This topic, together with others brought to our attention by May, deserve our attention because the state remains the main framework for all activities regarding the contemporary society. It should be emphasized that this book is a respectable discussion of individuals’ possible choices in a modern society. The basic questions remain the same throughout human history. The myth of ICT has changed society but not by itself. Choices and decisions have been made, and they will have to be made in the future as well. May believes it is possible to make good decisions, but carefully enough, he is familiar with all the traps of predicting future. This book leaves us with the sense of responsibility in all regards. Responsibility to look at our present sceptically, and make careful decisions for the future.