In the information society, it becomes the main resource. What is the Information Society? Definition

The history of mankind can be viewed as the history of the development and globalization of information. The change in social formations and technological progress are the result of the redistribution of access to information and the motivation of the individual to improve the quality of his life. At the same time, the emergence of new information is associated precisely with the process of human creativity, with his mental activity. The very act of realizing reality is purely individual, but it requires previously accumulated information by society and the result of it also becomes information demanded by other people. It is the process of cognition and the growth of information associated with it that is the vector of human evolution, a vector composed of opposite trends in the development of society, various interests of individuals and social groups of people. The struggle of man for liberation from slavery to nature, brought to its critical phase in the struggle for freedom from exploitation of man by man, can only be won when all the information accumulated by society becomes really available to every individual, when the only goal of society is to provide opportunities for creative human activity.

How far is the future when the goal of a person's spiritual development will be the person himself, and not the advantages that he needs in achieving the most comfortable position in society? How will the full and prompt access of everyone to any information accumulated by humanity affect public relations? These and similar questions have become especially urgent at the present time. The development of information technologies, unique in its rapidity (television and radio broadcasting, computerization and the development of global telecommunications), which began in the last third of the last century, allowed numerous sociologists and futurologists to announce the onset of a new era in the development of mankind - information society... The growth in the number of studies and the creation of new research groups, centers and foundations dedicated to the information society turned out to be no less than the truly gigantic growth in the capabilities of information technologies themselves. Moreover, on March 27, 2006, the UN General Assembly even decided to declare World Information Society Day, which was May 17, previously celebrated as World Telecommunication Day. And although in the same 2006, at the conference of the International Telecommunication Union, the name of the day was adjusted to World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, the attention to the new concept has not diminished.

An attempt by Frank Webster to give a critical analysis of various theories of the information society within the framework of one book, only makes it possible to realize the multiplicity of existing views on the consequences of the information explosion. However, the abundance of sometimes contradictory theories only testifies to the insufficient depth of understanding by sociological science of the processes taking place at the present time. The concept of the information society today rather denotes the need for research modern trends, the need to move from a statement of numerous changes in the life of society in the context of information globalization to a real analysis of the impact of information technology on the change in social relations. “Although as a heuristic,” notes Webster (p. 30), “the term information society has some value for exploring the basic characteristics of modern world, yet it is too inaccurate to accept it as a scientific definition. "

Developing his idea of ​​post-industrialism, Bell viewed information or theoretical knowledge as the most striking characteristic of post-industrial society. Moreover, the "axial principle" of such a society "is the enormous social significance of theoretical knowledge and its new role as a guiding force of social change." In Bell's interpretation, the information society is nothing more than a form of development of a post-industrial or service society, in which the share of services in the field of information technology and theoretical knowledge is dominant. Bell's point of view is the most widespread today, at the same time, like the theory of post-industrialism itself, Bell's theory of the information society does not allow revealing significant qualitative changes in social relations characteristic of the “new society”. "Adherents of this new society," Webster writes (p. 41), "from quests for quantitative changes in the dissemination of information, they move on to asserting that the quantitative aspect is an indicator of a qualitative change in social organization."

The growth of the high-tech sector is certainly overwhelming: the unprecedented success of the international software giant Microsoft; meteoric rise Google from a small project team to a multi-billion dollar empire providing services in the field of Internet applications; the merger of telecommunications and media corporations in the promotion of new integrated technologies. All this testifies to significant changes in the economy, however, the changes are rather quantitative than qualitative. Probably the largest study of socio-political change in the new era was carried out by Manuel Castells in his book The Information Age. Rightly believing that information has a meaning for any historical period, Castells, to designate a new era, introduces the concept of an "information society", indicating "an attribute of a specific form of social organization, in which, thanks to new technological conditions arising in a given historical period, the generation, processing and communication has become fundamental sources of productivity and power. "

Castells believes that the economy of a new stage in the development of mankind "is capitalist, in fact, more capitalist than any other economy in history" and even introduces a new term "informational capitalism": "the new system is characterized by the trend of increasing social inequality and polarization"(Emphasis by the author" Information age"). The information society, according to Castells, has a network structure, and as another type of owner is the “collective capitalist” who owns capital through “global financial markets”. In turn, the “collective capitalist” uses the labor of the “collective worker” who constantly loses and finds work, “circulating between different sources of employment (which is mostly random)”. In fact, Castells describes a society that is still built on the contradiction between labor and capital, but using the achievements of modern information technology. The antagonisms of public relations clothed in information technology lead, according to Castells, to the emergence and "widening of the digital divide, a divide that can ultimately involve the world in a series of multidimensional crises."

The information society of Castells is much more gloomy and contradictory than Bell's description of the information stage of the post-industrial era, however, in this case, the new era is distinguished exclusively by quantitative characteristics. It hardly makes sense to introduce a new concept of the information society if it is just a kind of currently existing social relations, no matter how they are graduated: capitalism or the post-industrial era. Information technologies, even with the explosive nature of their development, by themselves cannot change the social organization of society. Technology can neither reinforce existing contradictions nor weaken them, but they can create the basis for changing social relations. And such a basis is the automation of routine and physical labor, on the one hand, and full-scale access to all the information accumulated by humanity, on the other hand. Of course, it is still very early to say that such a basis exists, but the tendency towards its formation is obvious, and to one degree or another, theorists of the information society point to these circumstances.

The network structure of society and productive forces, which has been developing in recent decades, globalizes social relations. Transnational corporations, pursuing exclusively private interests of increasing efficiency, contribute to the development of infrastructure not only in developed countries, but also in backward regions in which their branches are located. In turn, the development of mobile communications and the Internet is destroying national and state frameworks; internationalizing the audience of media and information agencies, provides an opportunity to form diverse communities of interest. Of course, network communications are primarily designed to give corporations more tools in organizing their business and get additional features for the appropriation of someone else's labor, but on the other hand, these same telecommunications simplify and make available the exchange of information between people, regardless of their state or nationality.

Business requirements for transparency and accessibility of information necessary to improve management efficiency lead to the formation of global information bases data, access to which is provided to partners and customers. Entering the global financial markets requires corporations to have a clear behavioral discipline in communicating their actions. In fact, the technological structure of the future society is being formed, in which there will be no "closed" information, which is currently necessary for the competition, and all members of society will act as partners and clients of the companies. The integration of information systems of commercial and government structures also creates the basis for the unity in the exchange of information in the future. How quickly the process of information "opening" of business and government structures to society will proceed - now it is difficult to say, even difficult to believe in it, but the technological foundations are already being laid.

The displacement of routine work due to automation and technological advances in the globalization of access to accumulated information create the basis for the formation of the future information society, in which it will be possible to quickly obtain information about everything that happens or has happened to any person or community anywhere in the world. These can be development plans, and the results of the activities of a corporation, government spending for certain purposes or plans for visits and meetings of delegations, the actions of a loved one or the income of a neighbor. Moreover, such information will be available without restriction to every inhabitant of the planet. The availability of information will be as natural as communication between people on the street is now (although there were times when class or caste differences did not allow people to communicate easily). Information society- it is such a self-organization of people in which routine, non-creative activity is automated, and all the information accumulated by humanity is available to everyone.

There is no need to explain that such a fantastically arranged life is radically different from the modern one. It is absurd to say now that we are living in the era of the information society, but it is obvious that the historical logic of evolution leads humanity precisely to such self-organization, and the elements of the future society more and more appear in various types of human activity: in business, in the state, in society. Disclosure is incompatible if there is at least some damage caused by openness. Mystery, as an instrument of competition between states, corporations and people, must die out, and this cannot be done only on the basis of the introduction of new technologies (although the dissemination of information on the worldwide network illustrates, albeit in its infancy, the future freedom of information). Information transparency of society will require a special organization of people, built not on suppression and inequality, but on the basis of the liberation of the creativity of each individual. It is easy to understand that in the information society, changes will affect not only public relations, when it will be impossible to be the first only due to the possession of important information, and any power actions will be transparent, but also universal human morality, family, and the individual as a whole.

Outwardly, there is a certain correlation between the future information society and the communist ideal - a classless society that satisfies all human needs and provides everyone with equal opportunities to participate in the life of society. Since a person's needs are motivation for his activities, they cannot be fully satisfied: the satisfaction of some needs leads to the formation of others. Due to the displacement of physical labor and full-scale automation, the level of needs in the information society will shift from the field of physiological needs (security of existence, food and comfort of life) to the intellectual sphere (the need for knowledge and communication), and if such a shift is called the satisfaction of all needs, then information society, of course, looks like a communist ideal. "Freedom, equality and fraternity" - the slogan of the French Revolution is not popular among the modern elite of post-industrial society: those who have more than others are afraid of equality, and those in power are afraid of freedom and the encroachment on statehood in it. However, the same slogan, expressed as “freedom of dissemination of information, equality in access to information, brotherhood in communication”, is quite creative and can become the slogan of the enlightened part of humanity, the slogan of movement towards an information society.

Despite the “terrible” requirement for absolutely complete access to information for everyone, the information society is not as utopian as it seems at first glance, the tendencies of its construction are visible even now. These are the requirements for companies for the openness of commercial information on the stock market and the business's own striving for transparency of management, and the expansion of the types of reporting on its activities by the state, this is the increasing availability of information dissemination (especially via the Internet) and freedom in family relations, etc. etc. The real practice of using information technologies, both in business and in society and the state, imperceptibly for us, lays the foundations for such a unique self-organization of people. It is the openness of information and the automation of labor that should form the basis of the strategy for building an information society. A strategy that is not limited to two or three presidential terms or any other political terms, but a long-term strategy, covering several generations, taking into account not only technological capabilities, but also the possibilities of organizational development of public relations.

The information society is not utopian, if only because the principles of its organization have historical roots - the society of primitive people was arranged in a similar way: no one hid information, did not divide people into good and bad, poor and rich. The only (but essential) difference between the information society and the primitive is that the man of the future will become really free from the whims of nature. Labor activity will be basically creative - it will be the activity of a person with thinking, and not physical strength or correctly positioned limbs. In the struggle for freedom in front of nature, a person has lost freedom in front of another person, has lost the right to full access to information. Freed from natural dependence, the need to use physical and routine labor, a person will be able to gain both freedom in front of society and access to all accumulated knowledge, and the activities of society will be aimed, first of all, at the self-realization of each individual.

The change in social formations and technological progress are the result of the redistribution of access to information and the motivation of the individual to improve the quality of his life. At the same time, the emergence of new information is associated precisely with the process of human creativity, with his mental activity. The very act of realizing reality is purely individual, but it requires previously accumulated information by society and the result of it also becomes information demanded by other people. It is the process of cognition and the growth of information associated with it that is the vector of human evolution, a vector composed of opposite trends in the development of society, various interests of individuals and social groups of people. The struggle of man for liberation from slavery to nature, brought to its critical phase in the struggle for freedom from exploitation of man by man, can only be won when all the information accumulated by society becomes really available to every individual, when the only goal of society is to provide opportunities for creative human activity.

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 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 able to combine the functions of, for example, 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 - 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 large, 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 problem under discussion 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. * 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 very 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 currently route (taking into account the busyness of the routes). In addition, the “smart” car is associated with “ smart home”Of his master and from him you can control this house.

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 amount of it;

· 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 state systems against 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 information and Information Systems 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.

Russian Institute of Management

Course work

in the discipline "Theory of State and Law" on the topic:

"Information Society: Concept and Trends"

Is done by a student

_________________

reg. room _________________

Specialty: "Jurisprudence"

Moscow

1. INTRODUCTION

2. Main part. INFORMATION SOCIETY: CONCEPT AND TRENDS

2.1. Concept and essence of information

2.2. Development of ideas about information

2.3. The concept and essence of the information society

2.4. Causes and consequences of information revolutions

2.5. The emergence and main stages of development of the information society

2.6. Informatization of society at the present time

2.7. Information Society and Power

2.8. Computerization of modern society

2.9.

3. CONCLUSION

4. BIBLIOGRAPHIC LIST

1. INTRODUCTION

The information society is one of the theoretical models used to describe a qualitatively new stage of social development, which developed countries entered with the beginning of the information and computer revolution. The technological foundation of society is not industrial, but information and telecommunication technologies (ITT).

An information society is a society in which: Information becomes the main economic resource, and the information sector comes out on top in terms of development rates, in terms of the number of people employed, in terms of capital investment, in terms of GDP. ITT are becoming the main means of increasing production efficiency, strengthening competitiveness both in the domestic and world markets. There is a well-developed infrastructure that ensures the creation of sufficient information resources. This is primarily the education system and science.

There is a redistribution of resources in favor of science and education. In the United States, the so-called accumulated human capital is three times the assets of all American corporations.

Intellectual property is becoming the main form of ownership. In the competition for world championship, a new factor appears - the level of development of the information infrastructure and industry.

Information is becoming a subject of mass consumption. The information society provides any individual with access to any source of information. This is guaranteed by law (military and state secrets are also determined by law) and technical capabilities.

New criteria for assessing the level of development of society are emerging - the number of computers, the number of Internet connections, the number of mobile and fixed telephones, etc.

The legal foundations of the information society are being developed. A single integrated information system is being formed on the basis of technological convergence (merger of telecommunications, computer-electronic, audiovisual technology).

Unified national information systems are being created (in the USA - in the 80s, in Western Europe - in the 90s).

The information society is being formed as a global one and includes: the world "information economy"; a single world information space; global information infrastructure; the emerging world legislative and legal system.

In the information society, business activity flows into the information and communication environment. A virtual economy, a virtual financial system and the like are being formed, which raises the most important questions about the mechanisms of their regulation and connection with the real, "physical" economy.

2. The main part. INFORMATION SOCIETY: CONCEPT AND TRENDS

2.1. Concept and essence of information

Often the concept of "information" is used without thinking about the depth of its content, identifying the concepts of knowledge, data, information.

Obviously, the "everyday" use of the term "information" is completely inappropriate when it comes to the theory or theories of information. Often in these theoretical constructions the term "information" is filled with different meanings, and, therefore, theories themselves highlight only part of the facets of a certain system of knowledge, which can be called general information theory or "informology" - the science of the processes and tasks of transmission, distribution, processing and transformation of information.

The emergence of informology as a science can be attributed to the end of the 50s of our century, when the American engineer R. Hartley made an attempt to introduce a quantitative measure of information transmitted through communication channels.

The scientific definition of information is given quite simply if we assume that information is a dynamic object that does not exist in nature by itself, but is formed in the course of the interaction of data and methods. It exists only as long as this interaction lasts, and the rest of the time it is in the form of data.

The Soviet encyclopedic dictionary gives the following definition of information. Information (from Lat. Informatio - "explanation", "presentation"), initially - information transmitted by people orally, in writing or in another way (by means of conventional signals, technical means, and so on); since the middle of the 20th century, it has been a general scientific concept that includes the exchange of information between people, a person and an automaton, an automaton and an automaton.

Information is one of the basic concepts of cybernetics in the section of information theory. In information theory, mathematical methods are used to study ways of measuring the amount of information contained in any messages, and transferring information.

Information is the product of the interaction of data and methods, viewed in the context of that interaction.

Information appears in the process of communication with a specific object. Obtaining information is almost impossible without communication with the object.

For example, in order to fetch the necessary information from the newspaper, it is necessary to read the newspaper itself and draw conclusions, that is, to collect and process the information. If we just touch the newspaper, we will not receive the necessary information.

Communication - transmission of a message from one side to the other (who is with whom, by means of what, what is the content, the effects of communication).

Communication can occur at several levels - between individuals, between social groups, within one society, between different societies.

Various signs in communication are endowed with different meanings and presented in the form of codes.

Much of modern communication is organized in the form of institutions that appeal to a mass audience.

Communication is what is transmitted, it is the forms of ownership, internal structure, the value of the organization, the reaction of the audience.

In our definition, it is important to clarify "... viewed in the context of this interaction." Here are some examples of why this is really important. Books are known to be data stores. They are designed to receive information by reading. But if you try different books by touch or taste, you can also get information.

Such methods will make it possible to distinguish between books made in leather, cardboard and paper bindings. Of course, these are not the methods that were suggested by the authors of the books, but they also provide information, although not complete.

Analyzing the information value of newspapers, magazines, TV shows, we can come to the conclusion that it depends both on the data and on the methods by which they are consumed. It's one thing to watch a TV movie carefully, listening to every word, and quite another to watch it while talking on the phone.

2.2. Development of ideas about information

Despite the fact that the concept of information is very widely used in science and in everyday life, its strict scientific definition did not exist until recently. To this day, different scientific disciplines introduce this concept in different ways. There are three possible approaches here: anthropocentric, technocentric and indeterminate.

The essence anthropocentric approach is that information is identified with information and facts, which theoretically can be obtained and assimilated, that is, converted into knowledge... This approach is currently the most widely used. We can observe its examples, in particular, in Russian legislation.

"Information is understood as information about persons, objects, facts, events, phenomena and processes, regardless of the form of their presentation"

(The federal law No. 24-F3 No. "On information, informatization and protection of information" dated 25.01.95, "Rossiyskaya Gazeta" No. 39 dated 22.02.95)

The essence technocentric approach is that information is identified with data. This approach is very widespread in technical disciplines. For example, we often come across references to the fact that "information is transmitted over computer networks", "information is processed by computers", "information is stored in databases." In all these cases, there is a substitution of concepts.

The fact is that only data is transmitted over computer networks, computers process only data, and databases also store only data. Whether this data will become information, and if so, which one, depends not only on the data, but also on numerous hardware, software and natural methods.

We do not find clear signs of a technocentric approach in Russian legislation, but they are found in the legislation of other states, for example, Germany. In particular, concepts such as information, access to information, modification of information, all cases when it comes to the operation of technical systems are presented as data, data access, data modification.

Non-deterministic approach to the concept of information is also encountered quite widely. It consists in rejecting the definition of information on the grounds that it is fundamental, such as matter and energy. In particular, we will not find a definition of information in the Law on State Secrets and in the Law on Mass Media, although this concept is used in both legal acts.

The lack of a definition of the concept used is not at all an oversight of the legislator. In many cases, the refusal to define information can be considered traditional. So, for example, we will not find a definition of information in such a respected reference publication as the Encyclopedia Britannica. The definition can be obtained only indirectly through the article "Information Processing and Information Systems", which says that "... this term is used in relation to facts and judgments received in everyday life from other living beings, from the media, from electronic databases, and also by observing environmental phenomena. "

Both anthropocentric and technocentric approaches are mixed here, after which the definition is reduced to the everyday level. At the same time, an extensive list of literature published over the past 50 years is given, the analysis of which did not give a direct definition.

2.3. The essence and concept of the information society

First, you need to understand exactly what a "post-industrial society" is.

The society in which we live at the beginning of the XXI century is called the information society.

The term "information society" appeared in the United States in the theory of the same name in the 70s of the XX century. So they began to call a society that has outgrown industrial.

In modern literature, many definitions are given to post-industrial society, but in my course work I chose, in my opinion, the most complete and accurate definition.

So, between the postindustrial society and the informational one, one can put an equal sign, since modern post-industrial society in its daily activities does not do without information technology.

Information society - the concept of a post-industrial society; a new historical phase in the development of civilization, in which information and knowledge are the main products of production.

Postindustrial society, in turn, is a society in which the service sector has priority development and prevails over the volume of industrial production and agricultural production.

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 hallmarks of the information society are:

1.) increasing the role of information and knowledge in the life of society;
2.) an increase in the share of information communications, products and services in the gross domestic product;
3.) creation of a global information space that provides:

a) effective communication of people;

b) their access to world information resources;

c) meeting their needs for information products and services.

The service sector implies mass service of the population. It is thanks to the emergence of such a sphere as the service sector that the emergence of a global information infrastructure took place, the users of which are the entire information society.

New information technologies are used in almost all areas of activity and have a huge impact on social reality, greatly changing it.

Philosophers associate the main change with the emergence of a new social structure - information infrastructure.

First of all, let's give a definition to the concept of "information infrastructure".

Information infrastructure is a set of tools for the processing and use of information, united in computer and information networks. Toffler believes that the information infrastructure will become the basis for the social and economic activity of the future, and will also allow any person at any time and in any place to receive all the information he is interested in.

Global information infrastructure (GII) is an information education that began to form in 1995 by a group of developed countries.

The global information infrastructure is being developed as a global information network for the mass service of the planet's population based on the integration of global and regional information and telecommunication systems, as well as digital television and radio broadcasting systems, satellite systems and mobile communications.

So, the information revolution has launched the process of building an information society. Some theorists (for example, J. Masuda) predict its establishment in developed countries in the middle of the XXI century.

2.4. Causes and consequences of information revolutions

Until the 16th century, the activities of society were aimed at mastering the substance, that is, the knowledge of the properties of the substance and the manufacture of primitive, and then more complex tools of labor.

Then, in the process of the formation of an industrial society, the problem of mastering energy - first thermal, then electrical, and finally, in the 20th century - atomic energy came to the fore. The mastery of energy made it possible to master the mass production of consumer values ​​and, as a consequence, to raise the standard of living of people and change the nature of their work.

At the same time, people have always had a need to express and remember information about the world around them.

Several information revolutions have taken place in the history of the development of civilizations.

First revolution associated with the invention of writing. It became possible to spread knowledge and preserve it for passing on to future generations.

Second revolution(mid-16th century) caused by the invention of printing, which radically changed social culture.

Third revolution(late 19th century) due to the invention of electricity. The telegraph, telephone, radio appeared, allowing the prompt transmission of information.

Fourth revolution(70s of the XX century) is associated with the invention of the personal computer (PC).

The creation of personal computers was predetermined by the growing volume of information, which is difficult to cope with using traditional technologies: paper and pens. This contradiction began to negatively affect the growth rates of scientific and technological progress (STP). They began to talk about the "information explosion", calling it the rapid growth of flows and volumes of information.

As a result, scientific and technological progress offered the society a personal computer as a means for storing, processing and transmitting information.

2.5. The emergence and main stages of development of the information society

In the 80s and 90s, philosophers and sociologists developed the theory of the information society. This work united the efforts of such well-known Western philosophers as Yoshita Masuda, Zbigniew Brzezinski (some time ago, a former adviser to the President of the United States), J. Nasbitt.

But the best known is the theory of the information society of the American philosopher Alvin Toffler (b. 1928), since his sensational books "Future shock" (Shock from a collision with the future, 1971), "Ecospasm" (1975), we were transferred.

Toffler, like many other Western philosophers, criticized the shortcomings of industrial society, noted its crisis and signs of transition to a new form of existence, an information society.

Toffler associates the transformation of society into an informational one with the information revolution, which began in the second half of the 20th century.

The information revolution, as Alvin Toffler notes, consists of two revolutions:

1) computer;

2) telecommunication.

The telecommunications revolution begins in the mid-70s and merges with the computer revolution. The computer revolution begins much earlier and proceeds in several stages.

The first big stage covers the years 1930-1970, which is called the "zero cycle". It begins with the creation of the first computers by the American physicist J. Atanasov and the German engineer K. Zuse.

At this stage, in 1951, the first commercial computer UNIVAC-1 was created (it weighed 30 tons, contained 18 thousand lamps and performed 5 thousand operations per second). Second significant stage the computer revolution begins with the creation of the first personal computers and their mass production.

The telecommunications revolution is associated with the creation

a) fiber optic technologies;

b) satellite technology.

The merger of computer and telecommunication technologies has spawned many new products and services on the market. The information and telecommunications industries have become today a key sector of the economy of developed countries.

Developed countries prefer to import consumer goods, but export products of the information industry, and earn national wealth on their sale.

Information technologies are expensive, much more expensive than consumer goods, which provides developed countries with a high standard of living, which is significantly higher than the standard of living in developing countries.

In addition, leadership in information technology enables them to continue to claim political leadership in the world.

For example, the United States is one of the recognized leaders in world politics, controlling over 40% of the information technology trade market.

The United States has mothballed its fossil resources and imports more goods than it exports, but it exports more services (especially in the field of information technology) than it imports.

Leadership in the field of informatization of the United States is understandable: there are 41% of all computers in the world; 40% of families there own personal computers, and 20% own modems, that is, they are Internet users.

Thanks to the merger of the computer and telecommunications revolutions, it became possible to create information networks of a huge scale, up to global ones. Through these networks, it is possible to transfer, find and process the necessary information much faster.

2.6. Informatization of society at the present time

Until recently, no one imagined that humanity would be on the threshold of a new era in the development of civilization - informational.

Currently, there is an active process of informatization of society.

Informatization is understood as the active introduction of computer technology and new information technologies in various areas of production, public and personal life of people.

The information society is a society in which the majority of workers are engaged in the production, storage, processing, sale and exchange of information.

V recent times a new category of culture appeared - informational. This is due to the fact that in order to live and work in an information society, a person must be prepared for the rapid perception and processing of large amounts of information; he needs to master modern means, methods and technology of work.

In addition, in the new life conditions, the degree of awareness of one person directly depends on the information acquired by other people. Therefore, it is no longer enough to be able to independently master and accumulate information, but it is necessary to learn this technology of working with information, when decisions are prepared and made on the basis of collective knowledge. Thus, a person must have a certain level of culture to work with information.

Information culture- the ability to purposefully work with information and use computer information technology, modern means and methods to receive, process and transmit it.

As the most important component of culture as a whole, information culture is a product of a variety of human creative abilities.

Information culture is manifested in the following:

In specific skills in using various technical devices - from a telephone to a personal computer and computer networks;

The ability to use computer information technology in their work;

In the ability to extract information from various sources - from periodicals to electronic communications;

The ability to present information in an understandable form and use it effectively;

Knowledge of analytical methods of information processing;

In the ability to work with various types of information.

Information culture borrows and uses the achievements of many sciences: cybernetics, computer science, information theory, mathematics, database design theory and a number of other disciplines. An integral part of information culture is knowledge of information technology and the ability to apply it in practice.

Relatively recently, another new information technology has appeared - virtual reality.

Virtual reality (VR) is a highly developed form of computer simulation that allows the user to immerse themselves in the artificial world and directly act in it using special sensory devices that associate their movements with audiovisual effects.

In this case, the user's visual, auditory, tactile and motor sensations are replaced by their imitation, generated by the computer.

The characteristic features of virtual reality are:
- simulation in real time;
- imitation of the environment with a high degree of realism;
- the ability to influence the environment and have feedback at the same time.

A kind of virtual reality can be called a computer game.

Computer game - a game built using the multimedia capabilities of a computer.

A computer game is determined by an algorithm that describes the process of passing it. Computer games are subdivided into business, educational, educational and entertainment.

In the book "The Third Wave" (under the name of which the informational, or postindustrial society stands here), Toffler, considering the emerging new characteristics of everyday life, notes that the information society is revising the basic principles of organizing the life of society (or, as he says, "the revision of the code of civilization ").

The civilization of an industrial society was based on six principles:

1) synchronization;

2) specialization;

3) standardization;

4) concentration;

5) maximization;

6) centralization.

All of them collapse in the information society and are replaced by others that make up the characteristics of the information society:

1) Synchronization. Synchronized with the rhythms of production, the mechanized rhythm of life is replaced by social rhythms - the rhythms of activity that are not associated with the production of things. Social activity itself is becoming more diverse, and its rhythms are also diversified.

The main types of social activities are those that are associated with the production of information, in particular, the role of science and education, which feed the development of new technologies, is greatly increasing.

2) Specialization. Information production is emerging as a new way of creating social wealth. This method is based not on physical strength, but on the mental abilities of a person, and they develop in the process of education.

New requirements are imposed on education in the information society, due to the fact that in production now the change of technologies occurs very quickly, new types of labor appear, and the old ones disappear completely. In this regard, it becomes necessary to transfer labor resources from one industry to another.

Who can switch from one job to another faster? - Someone who is not a narrow specialist, but has a good fundamental education. Therefore, a characteristic feature of the labor market in the information society is its despecialization and high educational level.

Toffler makes very interesting remarks about the new social role of knowledge. In an industrial society, wealth was expressed in the form of capital (money), in an information society, wealth takes on a new, immaterial form - the form of symbolic capital, or information (knowledge). If the industrial society was a society of mass production of durables, then the information society, according to Toffler, will be a society of mass production of knowledge.

Knowledge how capital is radically different from money capital: they:

a) inexhaustible;

b) available to an infinite number of users.

Even money, which was a unit of exchange in an industrial society, in an information society takes on the form of information, becomes electronic money - credit cards, the use of which occurs with the help of a computer.

Electronic money is becoming more widespread. In 1990, there were more than 187 million credit card holders in the world; today, thanks to the inclusion of Russia in the global banking electronic network, their number has increased significantly.

Electronic money - this is, first of all, security in settlements, as well as convenience, ensuring the speed of concluding a major transaction.

Over the past three decades, the term "electronic money" has become widespread, both in foreign and domestic economic practice. There are many scientific works devoted to various aspects of the development of electronic money.

Electronic money is understood as both non-cash money and cash. Initially, electronic money in domestic science was understood as new means of payment based on the use of computers.

One of the first to use the term “electronic money” was V.M. Usoskin. In Western circles, the so-called technological approach to the definition of electronic money prevails.

By the definition of the well-known Bank for International Settlements, electronic money is a stored value or prepaid products, where a record of the funds available to the consumer or the cost is stored on technical device owned by the consumer.

Electronic money (Electronic money - E-money) - in a broad sense - a form of organization of money circulation in the association of information networks.

In a narrow sense, digital money.

Digital money(Digital cash) is an electronic analogue of cash. Digital money can be bought, it is stored electronically in special devices and is at the disposal of the buyer.

Smart cards or special computer systems are used as storage devices.

(Smart-card; Chip card; Integrated circuit card (IC) - a credit card with a built-in microprocessor, which has a high level of protection and the ability to carry out multicurrency payments.

Cash cards are used to exchange electronic money for cash.

Cash card(Cash card) - a bank card used to receive cash from cash machines.

Cashless payment for goods, works, services is carried out by means of a payment card.

(Charge card) - a plastic card that provides the person using it with the possibility of basic cash payment for goods or services.

There are also discount cards.

Discount card(Discount card) - a special card issued by a commercial organization that provides a discount on the price of goods.

By means of discount cards:
- purchases are encouraged; or
- events are stimulated: marriage, anniversaries, etc.

There are other cards, but the most common ones I have named.

3) Standardization. In the information society, there is a tendency towards individualization in everything.

4) Concentration. The principle of concentration of production, which entailed the concentration of the population in large cities, will be replaced in the information society by the principle of the optimal combination of large and small, because the main production - the production of knowledge - is not tied to the sources of fossil resources.

Computers can be delivered anywhere in the world, from anywhere you can enter the information network and become a participant in the production of knowledge (write a book, calculate a project, draw up a report, and so on).

5) Maximization. The principle of maximization, which led to the construction of giant factories and factories, huge research institutes, will be replaced (and has already begun to change) by the principle of creating temporary teams to solve special problems. These teams will be able to set up a convenient working regime for themselves.

6) Centralization. The principle of centralization will be replaced by the principle of decentralization and de-urbanization (from the Latin urbs - city) - a decrease in the role of cities in public life, since the need for the existence of huge cities (megacities) disappears.

Toffler also notes that in the socio-political sphere and the field of international economics, information technology opens up completely unprecedented prospects.

Currently, there are all prerequisites for:

1) building a global economy (the first step in this direction was the United Europe);

2) solutions to social problems.

Openness of information makes a person stronger, and state power more dependent on citizens. Telecommunication networks create opportunities for the direct participation of all citizens in government, which avoids the adoption of important government decisions that ignore the interests of citizens or even their minorities.

Of course, all the optimistic forecasts that sound in the theory of the information society have as their prerequisite a revision on the scale of all mankind of attitudes towards the goals and objectives of production.

Production should be placed at the service of vital interests, not war. It must evolve taking into account the standing global problems, all people of the information society must have a high level of environmental awareness.

The main question, the solution of which will determine the development of production, should not be the question "how?", But the question "why?"

It is believed that Western countries have already entered the information society, Russia, like all developing countries, is on its doorstep.

In his other book, "Futurshok", Toffler notes the already manifested features of the new society: too rapid change in life, the associated feeling of instability of everything that happens, and notes the new problems caused by this, which he calls the word "futurshok". “Transience, novelty and variety are the characteristics of the future that shock us,” wrote Toffler. "Futurshok" - literally, "shock from a collision with the future." According to Toffler, it manifests itself in the violation of decision-making processes.

People can no longer use the recipes for life created by past generations, they have to create their own.

The ongoing changes concern not only the production activities of people, but also their personal life, human relations. Permanent relationships (friendships, family) become a luxury.

For example, the family has always been a shock absorber, an island of stability. But she is also changing, and, moreover, no one can say what will happen to her tomorrow.

The family is destroyed:

1) new technologies of birth - they change the attitude towards motherhood and fatherhood: the mother and father may no longer be the only ones or unknown, or in general - only the mother (multi-mouse, cloning);

2) mobility in pursuit of work;

3) increase in life expectancy: love passes due to unequal development.

Next, we will consider the interaction of the information society with another socially important political institution - power.

2.7. Information Society and Power

The management of the information society is carried out on the basis of powers of authority by a system of state bodies.

Power is information not speaking at all. It is those people who know how to listen effectively and are able to extract valuable information from what they hear, and who have the power.

The famous English statesman and politician F. Chesterfield said on this score: "By listening to a person, we educate him in self-respect."

One of the most meaningful classifications of power is its division according to resources:

- economic,

- social,

- spiritual and informational,

- compulsory (political in the narrow sense).

Economic power- This is control over economic resources, ownership of values.

Social power assumes the distribution of statuses, benefits, privileges.

Spiritual and informational power- This is power over people, exercised with the help of scientific knowledge and information (preparation of decisions, impact on consciousness, including manipulation).

Coercive power relies on power resources and means control over people through the threat or use of violence (a sign of political power).

As we can see from the definition of spiritual and informational power, information is also a tool for managing the modern information society.

In the United States, back in 1966, a freedom of information law was passed. The essence of the law is given below.

The Freedom of Information Act 1966 (FOIA) - in the United States - a law that requires all U.S. federal agencies to provide citizens with free access to all information available, except for national defense, law enforcement, financial and personal documents.

Subsequently, new technologies appeared in the information sphere directly related to information, economics and other important spheres of life.

Information sphere(Information sphere) according to the legislation of the Russian Federation is the sphere of activity of subjects related to the creation, transformation and consumption of information.

The information sphere requires an information environment.

Information environment(formation environment, iformation societies environment) - a set of hardware and software for storing, processing and transmitting information, as well as socio-economic and cultural conditions for the implementation of informatization processes.

Even e-government, e-taxes, Internet voting and much more have appeared in the information sphere.

Let's take a closer look at each of these technologies.

(Electronic government - e-Government) - a system of government based on electronic means of processing, transmission and distribution of information.

Electronic taxes(Electronics taxes - e-Taxes) is a technology for online processing and transmission of tax statements.

Internet voting(Internet vote) - voting using the Internet environment. In Internet voting, a voter receives an electronic ballot on a specific website and votes. The authenticity of the newsletter is guaranteed by means of a digital signature.

In this regard, the authorities made it easier for their fellow citizens to carry out certain actions prescribed by law, such as voting or paying taxes.

The emergence of handling electronic money has led to the emergence of information crime.

Information crime- illegal actions in the information sphere that violate the statutory rights of an individual, organization or state and cause moral harm or material damage to them.

But how to protect information from misuse, protection of information from information crime?

For this, special information legislation was developed.

Information legislation(Information legislation) - a set of laws, regulations and other forms of legal regulation in the field of circulation and production of information and the use of information technologies.

Such legislation exists in the Russian Federation as well. An example is the Federal Law No. 24-F3 No. "On Information, Informatization and Protection of Information" dated 25.01.95.

As in the Russian legislation, the freedom of the individual is spelled out, so in the information legislation there is its own, informational freedom of the individual.

Personal information freedom- human right:
- to receive information necessary for his life, professional activity and development;
- express your point of view regarding certain natural or social phenomena;
- transfer information to other people.

Information here means any information other than that which is a state secret of the country.

In order to educate cultural professional users in their country, it is necessary to instill in them computer literacy.

Computer literacy(Computer literacy) implies possession of a sufficient set of knowledge and skills of working with a computer.

To achieve these goals, at present in educational institutions, including secondary educational institutions, subjects of information technology have been introduced, where future potential information users are taught various computer programs, shells, and the like.

2.8. Computerization of modern society

The development process of the information society begins with its computerization.

Computerization(Computerization) is the process of introducing computers that provide automation of information processes and technologies in various spheres of human activity.

The goal of computerization is to improve the quality of life of people by increasing productivity and facilitating their working conditions.

Along with computerization, there is a more specific concept of home computerization.

Home computerization(Home computerization) - the process of equipping households with computer devices. In the Russian Federation, home computerization is an element of the state policy of informatization, focused on meeting the needs of the population for information and knowledge directly at home.

It can satisfy the needs thanks to special search engines.

(Information retrieval system) - a system that performs the functions:

Storage of large amounts of information;
- quick search required information;
- adding, deleting and changing the stored information;
- information output in a human-friendly form.

Distinguish:
- automated (coputerised);
- bibliographic (reference);
- interactive (online);
- documentary and factual information retrieval systems.

(Search engine) - on the Internet - a special website where a user, upon a given request, can get links to websites that match this request.

The search engine has three components:
-1- search robot;
-2- system index;
-3- programs that:

a) processes the user's request,

b) finds documents in the index that meet the query criteria,

c) displays a list of found documents in descending order of relevance.

As a society can be divided according to interests into different groups (subcultures), so in an information society there is a division into different subcultures.

Subculture(Subculture, from Latin Sub - under + Cultura - upbringing) is a system of values, behavior models, life style of any social group, which is an independent holistic education within the dominant culture.

Subculture arises as a positive or negative reaction to the prevailing culture and social structure in society among various social strata and age groups.

Along with the division of society, the reverse process is also taking place - merging. In the information society, information groups merge into one community with the help of a network, i.e. society becomes networked.

Network society(Network society) - a society in which a significant part of information interactions is carried out using information networks. Moreover, the composition of this society is constantly replenished with new users.

The main factor that increases the number of users is, of course, the information needs of the population of the entire planet.

Information need(Information need) - a need that arises when the goal facing the user in the course of his professional activity or in his social and everyday practice cannot be achieved without the involvement of additional information.

Additional information in this context means the World Wide Web.

The World Wide Web (World Wide web- WWW, Web) - the main service on the Internet, allowing you to access information on any servers connected to the network. The World Wide Web is organized on the principles of a hypermedia.

Under hyper-environment(Hypermedia) is understood as the technology of presenting information in the form of relatively small blocks associated with each other.

Of course, the World Wide Web allows you to access any information on any servers connected to the network. But in order to obtain information using the web, you need a device with Internet access.

(Internet) is a global information network, parts of which are logically interconnected with each other through a single address space based on the TCP / IP protocol.

The Internet consists of many interconnected computer networks and provides remote access to computers, email, message boards, databases and discussion groups.

A device is a computer.

(Electronic computer - computer, Computer) in the broadest sense of the word, a programmable electronic device capable of processing data and performing calculations, as well as performing other symbol manipulation tasks.

There are two main classes of computers:
- digital computers(computers) processing data in the form of numerical binary codes;
- analog computers that process continuously changing physical quantities, which are analogs of calculated quantities.

In a narrower (personal) sense Personal Computer (PC, Personal computer - PC) - a universal computer designed for individual use.

Typically, personal computers are designed on the basis of the principle of open architecture and are built on the basis of microprocessors.

Home computer(Home computer) - a home personal computer designed for use in homes and aimed at non-professional users.

A computer is a thing that has a certain value. Therefore, in order to join the information society, it is necessary to purchase a computer.

Any computer consists of two components:

1). ;

2).

(Hardware)- a complex of electronic, electrical and mechanical devices that are part of a system or network.

Hardware includes:
- computers and logical devices;
- external devices and diagnostic equipment;
- power equipment, batteries and accumulators.

(Software) - a set of programs:
- providing data processing or transmission;
- designed for repeated use and application by different users.

According to the types of functions performed, software is subdivided into system, application and instrumental.

Software - according to GOST 19781-90 - a set of programs for the information processing system and program documents required for their operation.

Both hardware and software are interconnected. One does not work without the other. Each "circuit element" is necessary and fulfills its function.

The process of acquiring computers by the population is directly related to the social inequality of modern society.

2.9. Information inequality of modern society

(Social inequality) is a form of social differentiation in which individual individuals, social groups, strata, classes are at different levels of the vertical social hierarchy and have unequal life chances and opportunities to satisfy needs.

Consider three main social classes:

1). The rich (i.e. the elite);

2). Middle class;

3). Poor.

All these three social classes constitute the concept of society in the broadest sense of the word.

Society(Society) - a collection of people:
- united by the historically established forms of their interconnection and interaction in order to satisfy their needs;
- characterized by:

1) stability;

2) integrity;

3) self-development;

4) the presence of special social values ​​and norms that determine their behavior.

Society is a human community, the specificity of which is the relationship of people to each other. Society is a product of human interaction.

Society is an integral system of social institutions that perform the functions of regulating economic, political, legal, moral and other relations.

According to many scientists, philosophers, political scientists and politicians, the middle class was unanimously recognized as the basis of society, the middle class was unanimously recognized as the middle class.

It is the middle class that subtly senses any changes in the state and is subject to it to change the situation, if necessary.

Middle class(Middle class) - a class that occupies an intermediate position between the main classes in the system of social stratification.

The middle class is characterized by a heterogeneous position, conflicting interests, consciousness and political behavior.

Distinguish between the old middle class and the new middle class.

Old middle class- medium and small owners: small entrepreneurs, traders, artisans, representatives of the liberal professions, small and medium farms, owners of small manufacturing firms.

New middle class- employees who do not own the means of production and live off the sale of their labor, managers, engineers, professional mental workers, etc.

Next, let us compare the ratio of the rich, middle class and poor of the Russian Federation and the United States. Since this ratio is constantly changing, we will study the general appearance of the picture.

Since purchasing a computer and learning how to work on it as a professional requires constant study and retraining. As scientific progress does not stand still, it follows that it is only the rich and the middle class that can join the information society.

In connection with the above, let us analyze the situation.

It is customary to depict the structure of US society in the form of a quadrangle.

Table 1 shows that the middle class constitutes the basis of American society and makes up about 40% of the entire society, while the poor and the rich each make up 30% of the entire US society.

Based on these data, we can conclude that the middle class (40%) and the rich (30%) can actually become an information society.

In total, 70% of US citizens come out. It should be noted that the indicator is very high.

It is customary to depict the structure of society in the Russian Federation in the form of a pyramid.

Table 2 shows the ratio of the classes of modern society in our country. It can be seen with the naked eye that the basis of society in Russia is made up of such classes as the middle class and the class of the poor. So, the poor - 45%, the middle class - 45%, the remaining 10% are the elite.

From this it follows that no more than 55% of the total population of the Russian Federation (45% of the middle class + 10% of the rich) can consider themselves an information society.

Let's compare the indicators obtained during the analysis.

The information society in the United States makes up 70% of the citizens, while in Russia this society can be characterized with 55% of the citizens of the Russian Federation.

Next, we will calculate the number of information society in the United States and the Russian Federation in specific figures, since the population in the countries we are comparing is unequal.

According to Tables No. 3 about Let us determine what part of the total population can be considered informational in these countries. For each of the countries we compare, we will take the population as a basis (according to data for 2006) - 100%.

We get that the number of information society in the Russian Federation is about 80 million people (145>< 0,55 = 79,75).

In the United States, however, the number of information society is much higher and amounts to approximately 190 million people (271>< 0,7 = 189,7).

So, the information society and potentially ready to become one in the United States is more than twice (2.38) more than in Russia.

The negative result obtained was influenced, first of all, by two factors (problems):

1. Decrease in population (in 2006, the resident population of Russia decreased by 561.2 thousand people, or 0.39%.);

2. Half of the country's population living below the poverty line.

On the first problem, the Government of the Russian Federation in recent years has been actively trying to avoid the crisis in the country caused by these two problems. Various social programs are being created, including material incentives (maternity capital) for mothers for the birth of a second child.

It is not yet possible to track the change in the population and their social quality component, the above social programs were introduced recently.

Unfortunately, on the second social problem, the question remains open, despite the fact that our country currently occupies a leading position in terms of prices, ahead of New York, Tokyo and London.

3. CONCLUSION

It is obvious that we are currently entering the information era, where the main commodity will be information in its various forms.

While receiving indisputable benefits, such as the availability of information, its rapid dissemination, free exchange of data between people, etc., one cannot but take into account the increased and changed requirements for a person as a member of society.

In the period of transition to the information society, in addition to solving the problems described above, it is necessary to prepare a person for the rapid perception and processing of large amounts of information, mastering modern means, methods and technology of work. In addition, new working conditions create dependence of one person's awareness on the information acquired by other people.

Now it is no longer enough to be able to independently master and accumulate information, but it is necessary to learn this technology of working with information, when decisions are prepared and made on the basis of collective knowledge. This suggests that a person must have a certain level of culture in handling information.

It should be noted that the problem of informatization of society is being discussed today by scientists more and more widely. Since obtaining information about what is happening in the country and in the world no longer requires direct communication between people, a person will increasingly isolate himself from society, subject to the illusion of independence from it.

It is necessary to foster a sense of responsibility of each person for what is happening in the world, achieving a clear understanding of the interdependence of all people. This task applies primarily to the education system and the media.

The nature of changes in the social structure predicted by scientists under the influence of informatization in the above directions is as follows:

The number of social groups will grow, which will naturally lead to a decrease in their average size. Modern information technologies provide a real opportunity for a more accurate, prompt consideration of people's interests.

The qualitative parameters of social groups will improve in terms of such parameters as the level of education, intelligence, etc.

The new percentages between social groups distinguished in society according to various criteria will probably look like this:

1) the proportion of people engaged in intellectual work - intellectuals - will increase.

The emergence of a special class of "intellectuals" is predicted. For those who do not want to or will not be able to work intellectually, work is assumed in the field of information services, which, as already noted, should make up more than 50% in the information society in the structure of employment, or in the sphere of material production.

2) the number of able-bodied people will increase. Older people will be able to continue working even after retirement, as the bar for working age will rise (the body ages before the brain).

The pyramidal socio-economic structure will more and more give way to a network-like (mosaic) structure. The structure of the network more closely matches the new information technology.

American researchers note that "the convergence of changing social and personal values ​​with new technology and energy-economic needs makes the formation of a mosaic society inherently inevitable."

One of the highest places in the hierarchy of values ​​(along with innovation) is the autonomy of the individual, which is not typical of a traditional society.

Personality is realized only through belonging to a certain corporation, being an element in a strictly a particular system corporate ties. If a person is not included in any corporation, he is not a person.

In a technogenic civilization, a special type of personality autonomy arises: a person can change his corporate ties, since he is not rigidly attached to them, he can and is able to very flexibly build his relations with people, immerse himself in different social communities, in different cultural traditions.

Modern science and technical creativity are drawing fundamentally new types of objects into the field of human activity, the development of which requires new strategies. We are talking about objects that are self-developing systems characterized by synergistic effects. Their development is always accompanied by the passage of the system through special states of instability, when small random influences can lead to the emergence of new structures, new levels of organization of the system, which affect the already established levels and transform them.

For a free orientation in the information flow, a person must have information culture as one of the components of the general culture. The growing power of the flow of information exchange between people has given rise to a new type of culture in which everything is subordinated to the need for classification, unification in order to maximize compression and increase efficiency in transmission from person to person, whether personally or through the media.

There is a problem of human life and activity in a new society, the form of its existence. Will he live in the "Electronic Cottage" as predicted by some futurists, or the form of life will not change dramatically.

Philosopher Alwyn Toffler, for example, predicts the birth of a "prosumer" - a consumer and a producer rolled into one.

During the first wave, most people consumed what they produced themselves. You can call them “consumers”. The Industrial Revolution separated the functions of production and consumption, thus giving birth to the producer and the consumer.

Currently, the border separating the producer from the consumer is becoming less and less clear. The importance of the "prosumer" is growing ... In a word, there is, as it were, a return to society of the "prosumer", who was the dominant figure in the society of the "first wave". Of course, it will be a prosumer equipped with modern technology, working in an electronic cottage and leading a modern lifestyle. "

Everyone will have to rethink their position in life as an individual, it is absolutely clear that a redistribution of life values ​​will take place.

Our future largely depends on the direction along which modern society directs the development of scientific and technological progress.

4. REFERENCE LIST:

1. Lecture notes of the RIU teacher on the discipline "Theory of State and Law"

2. Lecture notes of the RIU teacher on the discipline "Philosophy"

3. Komarov SA, Malko AV, Theory of State and Law: Study Guide. - M .: NORMA, 2003

4. “Introduction to philosophy. Part I ", under total. ed. I. T. Frolova, Moscow: Politizdat, 1989

5. Toffler O. The third wave. In magazine: USA - economics, politics, ideology. No. 7-11 for 1982.

6. Contemporary Western philosophy. Dictionary. M .: Publishing house polit. literature, 2001

7. Romanina V.V., Klimenko A.V. Theory of State and Law: Methodological Guide. - M .: INFRA-M, 2002
8. Morozova L.A. Theory of State and Law: A Refresher Course in Questions and Answers. - M .: NORMA, 2003

9. "Soviet Encyclopedic Dictionary", A.M. Prokhorov, M.S. Gilyarov, E.M. Zhukov, Moscow: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1981

10. Protasov V.N. Theory of State and Law: A Manual for Examinations, 2nd ed. - M., 2004
11. Nersesyants V.S. Theory of law and state: A short training course. - M .: NORMA, 2001
12. Chervonyuk V.I. Theory of State and Law: Textbook. - M .: INFRA - M, 2006

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it is a society that is being formed in the post-industrial phase of civilization development, which is characterized by the comprehensive informatization of social structures and is replacing the post-industrial one.

In the "social framework of the information society" by D. Bell, the development of the concept of I. o. expresses the transition from the post-industrial predominance of the service sector over the production sector to the dominance of the information services sector. In this sense, the concept of I. o. reflects new aspects of the development of post-industrial society, is its additional characteristic (see "Post-industrial society").

On the other hand, I. o. can be understood as an independent stage in the historical development of civilization, following the post-industrial society and characterized primarily by the production of information, the level of awareness of the population and the development of education. In addition, the post-industrial society itself can be understood as the first stage of I. o. In this sense, an analysis of the problems of information about. connected with the consideration of postindustrial society as the first in the history of I. about.

To study possible ways of development of I. about. in Western socio-philosophical theories, the concept of a post-information society is introduced (Hunt's work "The Post-Information Society"), that is, a theoretical consideration of the problems of information society. has its further development in the concept of post-information society: information-formation, information, post-information society. The establishment of the similarity of the genetic information system of DNA, the genetic structures of the biosphere and the information structures of the social organization of the noosphere allowed Baudrillard to develop the concept of a post-information society, the "virtual era" of which is replacing the bygone "oral", "written" and "printing societies" of McLuhan. The concept of a post-information society reflects such a change in the sphere of information services as the determinant basis of information technology, on which the former rational mechanism of information production is replaced by the probabilistic chaos of redundant social information. In informational "virtual reality", the formation of "redundant" social and informational structures of social information occurs: in it, the redundancy of social information means only a lack of information about which part of it is superfluous. As ideology or hegemony of information structures, " a virtual reality"Baudrillard becomes the reality of the informational community. In this regard, the concept of the informational community reflects, on the one hand, the method of dissemination of information structures and, on the other hand, the level of informatization and computerization of society.

The emergence of the concept of I. o. closely related to the development of informatics and cybernetics in the works of N. Wiener, information management theory and information theory of value. The value of human activity and its results is determined not only and not so much by labor costs as by embodied information, which becomes a source of added value. In this sense, the concept of I. o. expresses the rethinking of information and its role as a quantitative characteristic for the qualitative analysis of social development. A certain level of social information, in addition to quantitative characteristics, allows one to reflect certain qualitative aspects of the development of society. The information theory of value characterizes not only the amount of information embodied in the results of production activities, but also the level of development of information production as the basis for the development of information technology. - a certain stage of development of society.

The concept of I. o. in a certain way characterizes the changes in the worldview associated with a departure from the classical picture of the world. In this aspect of the concept of I. o. reflects a consistent change in the basis of society - from the natural world of traditional society to an artificial, created world (industrial - see "Industrial Society" - and post-industrial society) and to the world of social information and information about. Cyberspace, in which only intellectual programmers now work, is becoming an information space for the socio-cultural and, consequently, socio-economic development of the Internet. This is the basis for the production of information, which is the backbone of the structures of the informational community, in contrast to the industrial production of an industrial society. Education and science determine the level of information production and the degree of development of informational education.

Problems of functioning of structures of I. o. close to the problems of artificial intelligence (for example, Intel microprocessors or the development of text editors that correct human errors in a computer set). The concept of intellectual and informational capital, introduced by Bourdieu, is important for the concept of I. o. For example, the intellectual property of Bill Gates, the creator and ideological inspirer of Microsoft (the leader in the world software market for the computer industry), whose property is estimated at many billions of dollars, has largely contributed to the creation of a new type of property and copyright for software products, the formation of international intellectual property copyright systems.

Informational interchange permeates the structure of the spiritual culture of society, which is based not so much on the classical mass media of the "Gutenberg Era" in McLuhan's understanding, as on innovative electronic media. The latter can rightfully be attributed to the "Internet": both in terms of the number of its audience around the globe and in terms of the volume of information services, the Internet is a global mass media.

The role of information as a strategic resource increases with the development of electronic media that manipulate the masses and public opinion. With the development of audiovisual technology, global computer networks (such as "Rare" or "Internet" - with a multimillion audience in all developed countries, with by e-mail, various magazines, conferences, message boards, etc. inside information network"Internet"), accumulating information, access to it characterizes the possibilities of its use in a complex power structure. An example of how a global information structure is formed can be the system of interconnections within UNESCO, global media such as Eurovision, or the US National Information Infrastructure.

The social characteristics of the development of I. o. the awareness of its various social groups, the availability of information, the efficiency of the mass media services and their feedback capabilities, the level of education, the intellectual capabilities of society, primarily in information production.

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