Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
SMIT IBBT
Leo Van Audenhove
SMIT Studies on Media, Information and Telecommunication Pleinlaan 2 1050 Brussels Belgium T. +32 2 629 24 18 F. +32 2 629 28 61 - smit@vub.ac.be http://smit.vub.ac.be
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Every new media: discourse of emancipation Internet walhalla of free information High hopes for educational and social use eEurope
hope that Internet leads to social cohesion Hope that Internet new motor of ec. growth
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Access to internet in developing countries lowers the barriers for access to information
contributing to enhanced performance in all sectors contributing to individual empowerment
very powerful images because some truth in them question whether can be implemented on large scale
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Discussion
On each point group discussion Start with an open discussion Would like you to reflect on basis of
what you have seen in the course your own experiences in the field
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Information is available
Assumption: The Internet is a sea of information where individuals and institutions have access to information for empowerment and development. What information is available, what information not? Western Bias in information production and provision
e.g. production of scientific material about DC
Internet changes the possibilities of access Internet does not change the fact that production largely Western
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Overload:
Availability might become a problem in itself Selection becomes more important Costs time and money
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Information is free
Assumption: The Internet and the enormous amount of information available will drive the cost of information down. Two tendencies in information provision Increasing amount of information free
Eldis: scientific/policy material on different policy areas for DC
Question is what information is for free and what information is not for free?
Impression that strategic information and selection becoming expensive Contextualization of information remains expensive
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Information is Knowledge
Assumption: Access to the information on the internet leads to knowledge generation Knowledge= organised information
Embedded in a social context Ability to make sense of information, how to relate it to ones own life
Difficult to acquire
Explicit knowledge: conscious, encodable, transferrable Tacit knowledge: unconscious, not encodable, has to be learned
Wisdom=
Capacity to know what body of knowledge to use to solve a significant problems Knowing what questions to ask about knowledge
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Evolution:
technological change as the starting point of critique IS seen as new phase in capitalism Melody, Mansell, Freeman, Soete, Castells, Antonelli, etc.
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In this session we focus on the second category authors starting from technology change
embedding it in broader economic and social processes
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Why focus? a more correct interpretation of what is really happening sheds more realistic light on possibilities of developing countries to leap-frog (to jump stages of development)
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Problem of theories
Rather complex, dense and confusing see ICTs as all-pervasive, changing all sectors do not distinguish between changes in specific sectors, at economic levels or at level of social institutions and structures Goal of this session (and article) rephrase theories according to level of argumentation look at implications for developing countries
all too often theories of the information society are seen as universally valid critical authors much more cautious
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Division is somewhat artificial Most authors combine different levels BUT: can be very useful as a tool to better understand theory
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Why information industry of utmost importance? Information industry one of few growing sectors in West
in many traditional sectors delocalization of production hope that employment in information industry (services) will balance the loss
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What is the position of the developing countries Technologically two options try to become part of information industry
enormous investment and capacity needed road might be long and many losers
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Culturally risk of being swamped with Western content and services interactivity of new technologies potentially provides a channel back (e.g. Internet) structural imbalance will remain high
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What does that mean for policy? Knowledge Society in the West supported by complex web of public and private institutions that support education, research and innovation life long learning flexibilization of employment What does it mean for developing countries information society is a knowledge society not only question of access to information question of education, research, connection between research and education, industrial development, etc.
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two consequences high performance ICT networks important for communication geographic proximity highly important
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What does that mean for policy? in West stimulation of technology valleys
Silicon Valley, Munich Area, Paris Area, etc. invest in high performance ICT and transport infrastructure
What does that mean for developing countries? very difficult to become part of the industrial network invest in ICT infrastructure and skilled labour
Malaysia: MultiMediaCorridor South Africa: plans to develop Joburg-Pretoria ax
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What is the role of policy in the powerless state? Create an enabling environment for investment
High skilled (low wage) workers
Good educational system Pleasant environment to live
generic labour:
non skilled workers easily replaceble by either technology or delocalization of production not allowed to move globally
e.g. economic asylum seekers in the West
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What does it mean for society rebalancing of wages - growing inequality together with pressure on taxes to keep economic activity within countries
in the West pressure on the Welfare state
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