Informatization
Encyclopedia
Informatization or informatisation refers to the extent by which a geographical area, an economy or a society is becoming information-based, i.e., increase in size of its information labor force. Usage of the term was inspired by Marc Porat
’s categories of ages of human civilization: the Agricultural Age, the Industrial Age and the Information Age (1978). Informatization to the Information Age is what industrialization was to the Industrial Age. It has been stated that:
The term has mostly been used within the context of national development. Everett Rogers
(2000) defines informatization as the process through which new communication technologies are used as a means for furthering development as a nation becomes more and more an information society
. However, some observers, such as Alexander Flor
(1986) have cautioned about the negative impact of informatization on traditional societies.
Recently, the technological determinism
dimension has been highlighted in informatization. Randy Kluver of Texas A&M University defines informatization as the process primarily by which information technologies, such as the World Wide Web and other communication technologies, have transformed economic and social relations to such an extent that cultural and economic barriers are minimized. Kluver expands the concept to encompass the civic and cultural arenas. He believes that it is a process whereby information and communication technologies shape cultural and civic discourse.
G. Wang describes the same phenomenon (1994) which she calls "informatization" as a "process" of change that features (a) the use of informatization and IT (information technologies) to such an extent that they become the dominant forces in commanding economic, political, social and cultural development; and (b) unprecedented growth in the speed, quantity, and popularity of information production and distribution."
After the 1978 publication the concept was adopted in French, German and English subject literatures and was broadened to include more aspects than only computers and telecommunications. (SAOUG)
and informatization have "redefined industries, politics, cultures, and perhaps the underlying rules of social order" (Friedman 1999). Although they explain different phenomena, their social, political, economic, and cultural functions remarkably overlaps. "Although globalization ultimately refers to the integration of economic institutions, much of this integration occurs through the channels of technology. Although international trade is not a new phenomenon, the advent of communications technologies has accelerated the pace and scope of trade" (Kluver).
. Kim also relates increasing democracy as evidence of social informatization. It supposedly take into consideration the three approaches to conceptualizing informatization namely the economic, technological, and stock. Each can be measured with economic data (e.g. GDP), ICT data (e.g. number of computers per population), and amount of information (e.g. number of published technological journals) respectively.
Such composite measure is similar to the World Bank
's Knowledge Assessment Methodology (KAM) Variables (2008) which are clustered into: overall performance of the economy, economic incentive and institutional regime, innovation system, education and human resources, and information and communication technology.
Taylor and Zang (2007) explored the issues behind the limitations of current theoretical models in terms of quantifying the positive impacts of ICT projects, and provided critiques of the information indicators used to gauge and justify informatization projects.
International organizations such as the United Nations, through its World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU); and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) also recognize this challenge and have initiated efforts to improve the methodologies for measuring an “information society” .
In Russia
the State Duma
enacted the Federal Law on Information, Informatization, and the Protection of Information on January 25, 1995. It was signed into law by President Boris Yeltsin on February 20, 1995.
Azerbaijan
had a Law on Information, Informatization and Protection of Information in 1998.
Marc Porat
Marc Porat is an entrepreneur in information technologies and sustainable materials. He is currently Chairman of Serious Materials, a manufacturer of sustainable building materials, and chairman and CEO of CalStar Cement....
’s categories of ages of human civilization: the Agricultural Age, the Industrial Age and the Information Age (1978). Informatization to the Information Age is what industrialization was to the Industrial Age. It has been stated that:
- The Agricultural Age has brought about the agriculturization of the planet. The Industrial Age has caused among other things the industrialization of agriculture. The Information Age has resulted to the informatization of the agricultural industry (Flor, 1993).
The term has mostly been used within the context of national development. Everett Rogers
Everett Rogers
Everett M. Rogers was a communication scholar, sociologist, writer, and teacher. He is best known for originating the diffusion of innovations theory and for introducing the term early adopter....
(2000) defines informatization as the process through which new communication technologies are used as a means for furthering development as a nation becomes more and more an information society
Information society
The aim of the information society is to gain competitive advantage internationally through using IT in a creative and productive way. An information society is a society in which the creation, distribution, diffusion, use, integration and manipulation of information is a significant economic,...
. However, some observers, such as Alexander Flor
Alexander Flor
Alexander G. Flor is a Filipino academic known for his transdisciplinary approach to communication and as a pioneer of the Los Baños school of development communication, contributing to the field's understanding and application of ethnovideography, distance learning, strategic communication,...
(1986) have cautioned about the negative impact of informatization on traditional societies.
Recently, the technological determinism
Technological determinism
Technological determinism is a reductionist theory that presumes that a society's technology drives the development of its social structure and cultural values. The term is believed to have been coined by Thorstein Veblen , an American sociologist...
dimension has been highlighted in informatization. Randy Kluver of Texas A&M University defines informatization as the process primarily by which information technologies, such as the World Wide Web and other communication technologies, have transformed economic and social relations to such an extent that cultural and economic barriers are minimized. Kluver expands the concept to encompass the civic and cultural arenas. He believes that it is a process whereby information and communication technologies shape cultural and civic discourse.
G. Wang describes the same phenomenon (1994) which she calls "informatization" as a "process" of change that features (a) the use of informatization and IT (information technologies) to such an extent that they become the dominant forces in commanding economic, political, social and cultural development; and (b) unprecedented growth in the speed, quantity, and popularity of information production and distribution."
Origin of the term
The term informatisation was coined by Simon Nora and Alain Minc in their publication L'Informatisation de la société: Rapport à M. le Président de la République which was translated in English in 1980 as The Computerization of Society: A report to the President of France. (SAOUG) However, in an article published in 1987 Minc preferred to use Informatisation and not computerization.After the 1978 publication the concept was adopted in French, German and English subject literatures and was broadened to include more aspects than only computers and telecommunications. (SAOUG)
Social impact of informatization
Informatization has many far-reaching consequences in society. Kim (2004) observes that these include repercussions in economics, politics and other aspects of modern living. In the economic sphere, for example, information is viewed as a focal resource for development, replacing the centrality of labor and capital during the industrial age. In the political arena, there are increased opportunities for participative democracy with the advent of information and communication technology (ICT) that provide easy access to information on varied social and political issues.Informatization in economic systems
Industrialization propelled transformation of the economic system from agricultural age to modernized economies, and so informatization ushered the industrial age into an information-rich economy. Unlike the agricultural and industrial ages where economics refers to optimization of scarce resources, the information age deals with maximization of abundant resources. Alexander Flor (2008) wrote that informatization gives rise to information-based economies and societies wherein information naturally becomes a dominant commodity or resource. The accumulation and efficient use of knowledge has played a central role in the transformation of the economy (Linden 2004).Globalization and informatization
Over the years, globalizationGlobalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
and informatization have "redefined industries, politics, cultures, and perhaps the underlying rules of social order" (Friedman 1999). Although they explain different phenomena, their social, political, economic, and cultural functions remarkably overlaps. "Although globalization ultimately refers to the integration of economic institutions, much of this integration occurs through the channels of technology. Although international trade is not a new phenomenon, the advent of communications technologies has accelerated the pace and scope of trade" (Kluver).
-
- a) Globalization and Informatization will have great impact on cultural and social consequences of society.
-
- b) "Globalization and informatization are likely to diminish the concept of the national as a political institution" (Poster 1999). Friedman (1999) argues that as nation states decline in importance, multi-national corporations, nongovernmental organizations, and "superempowered individuals" such as George SorosGeorge SorosGeorge Soros is a Hungarian-American business magnate, investor, philosopher, and philanthropist. He is the chairman of Soros Fund Management. Soros supports progressive-liberal causes...
gain influence and importance. As these non-political organizations and institutions gain importance, there are inevitable challenges to political, economic, and cultural processes.
- b) "Globalization and informatization are likely to diminish the concept of the national as a political institution" (Poster 1999). Friedman (1999) argues that as nation states decline in importance, multi-national corporations, nongovernmental organizations, and "superempowered individuals" such as George Soros
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- c) On the other hand, globalization and informatization allow for efficient flow of information. Individuals and societies are, therefore, greatly empowered to engage in international arena for economic, political, and cultural resources.
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- d) "There is proliferation of information about lifestyles, religions, and cultural issues. The telecommunications and computer networks also allow for unprecedented global activism. This democratization of information increases the potential for international harmony, although it by no means guarantees it" (Kluver).
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- e) These twin forces greatly affects "centuries of tradition, local autonomy, and cultural integrity."
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- f) "Finally, one of the potentially most devastating impact of the forces of globalization and informatization is that there is created an insidious conflict between the new global economic order and the local, or even tribal, interests" (Kluver).
Measurement of informatization
Kim (2004) proposed to measure the informatization in a country using a composite measure made up of the following extraneous variables: Education, R&D Expenditure, Agricultural Sector and Intellectual PropertyIntellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
. Kim also relates increasing democracy as evidence of social informatization. It supposedly take into consideration the three approaches to conceptualizing informatization namely the economic, technological, and stock. Each can be measured with economic data (e.g. GDP), ICT data (e.g. number of computers per population), and amount of information (e.g. number of published technological journals) respectively.
Such composite measure is similar to the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
's Knowledge Assessment Methodology (KAM) Variables (2008) which are clustered into: overall performance of the economy, economic incentive and institutional regime, innovation system, education and human resources, and information and communication technology.
The Problem of Measuring Informatization
The measurement for the level of informatization is an ongoing area of development. Among the issues are the ambiguity of the definition of “information” and whether this entity can be quantifiable in contrast to the tangible products of industrialization.Taylor and Zang (2007) explored the issues behind the limitations of current theoretical models in terms of quantifying the positive impacts of ICT projects, and provided critiques of the information indicators used to gauge and justify informatization projects.
International organizations such as the United Nations, through its World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU); and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) also recognize this challenge and have initiated efforts to improve the methodologies for measuring an “information society” .
National laws on informatization
Informatization is recognized by states as important to national development. Some states have created laws implementing or regulating informatization.In Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
the State Duma
Duma
A Duma is any of various representative assemblies in modern Russia and Russian history. The State Duma in the Russian Empire and Russian Federation corresponds to the lower house of the parliament. Simply it is a form of Russian governmental institution, that was formed during the reign of the...
enacted the Federal Law on Information, Informatization, and the Protection of Information on January 25, 1995. It was signed into law by President Boris Yeltsin on February 20, 1995.
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
had a Law on Information, Informatization and Protection of Information in 1998.
See also
- Information societyInformation societyThe aim of the information society is to gain competitive advantage internationally through using IT in a creative and productive way. An information society is a society in which the creation, distribution, diffusion, use, integration and manipulation of information is a significant economic,...
- Information revolution
- Information AgeInformation AgeThe Information Age, also commonly known as the Computer Age or Digital Age, is an idea that the current age will be characterized by the ability of individuals to transfer information freely, and to have instant access to knowledge that would have been difficult or impossible to find previously...
- Digital divideDigital divideThe Digital Divide refers to inequalities between individuals, households, business, and geographic areas at different socioeconomic levels in access to information and communication technologies and Internet connectivity and in the knowledge and skills needed to effectively use the information...
- Knowledge economyKnowledge economyThe knowledge economy is a term that refers either to an economy of knowledge focused on the production and management of knowledge in the frame of economic constraints, or to a knowledge-based economy. In the second meaning, more frequently used, it refers to the use of knowledge technologies to...
External links
- International Informatization Academy
- ACADEMIE EUROPEENNE D'INFORMATISATION (European Academy of Informatization)
- World Bank's Knowledge Assessment Methodology- You can check the level of informatization or knowledge economy of your country and compare it with other countries using their online tools.