First Published in 1989. There is still much concern over social problems. Invasion of privacy, computer crime, control of information, information inequity, and unemployment due to automation continue to be studied as their existence is no longer a matter of speculation. The emphasis of this book is less on the consequences of information technology than on understanding the nature of information societies.
...makes provocative reading for a wide audience and is sure to stimulate heated discussion and debate.
-Science Books & Films
...provides a valuable introduction to the emerging concepts and approaches for operationally defining an `information society.' The work's strength is its attention to social, structural and economic factors which are useful in identifying postindustrial societies....offers an exciting analysis of an emerging frontier that will continue to command the interests of social scientists in years to come.
-Journalism Quarterly
Contents: C. Steinfield, J.L. Salvaggio, Toward a Definition of the Information Society. B.J. Bates, Evolving into an Information Society: Problems and Issues. J.R. Schement, The Origins of the Information Society in the United States: Competing Visions. J.K. Larsen, E.M. Rogers, Silicon Valley: A Scenario for the Information Society of Tomorrow. W.H. Dutton, J.G. Blumler, A Comparative Perspective of Information Societies. D. Bell, Communication Technology: For Better or for Worse? H.I. Schiller, Information for What Kind of Society? J.L. Salvaggio, Is Privacy Possible in an Information Society?