An Ethical Global Information Society

by Berleur, Jacques; Whitehouse, Graham; Whitehouse, Diane

• ISBN13: 9780412829604
• ISBN10: 0412829606
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-04-01
• Publisher: Kluwer Academic Pub

Summary

Many challenges lie ahead in the development of a global information society. Culture and democracy are two areas which may be under particular threat. The book reflects on today's complex and uncertain cultural and democratic developments arising as a result of an increasingly global, technologically-connected world. In particular it focuses on the Internet, examining new metaphors for communication, defining the issues at stake and proposing options, actions and solutions. Among the issues discussed were: multi-cultural developments; cultural sensitivities and the involvement of cultural minorities; generation gaps; gender issues; technology access for the elderly and the disabled; technology transfer.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction: Culture and democracy revisited in the global information society: Summary of a position paper	p. 3
A charter for citizens of the global information society	p. 15
Information technology and ethics	p. 30
Much ado about nothing: the Internet dream	p. 43
An analysis of ethical awareness related to computers and information technology of people in the Bangkok metropolis	p. 50
The global information society: some reflections on labour and work	p. 69
Global digital commerce: impacts and risks for developments of global information societies	p. 75
Going to the future	p. 83
Moving towards the millenium: will information technology take democracy into the 21st century?	p. 96
Information assets as a platform for economic growth	p. 103
Technology, economic development and sustainability: the case of Latin America	p. 112
Information society and Greek society: socio-cultural and political incompatibilities	p. 125
Just-in-time open and distant training offers must match market and learners requirements	p. 133
What does it mean to be 'virtual'?	p. 143
Information technology for persons with a disability: a vision for the International Federation for Information Processing	p. 156
Gardening: a metaphor for sustainability in information technology-technical support	p. 171
Information society and civil society: non-governmental organizations and computer-mediated communication in Latin America	p. 186
Culture and communication - the interplay in the new public commons: Usenet and community networks	p. 197
On cultures and information technology in organizations	p. 203
The role of Ukrainian universities in the development of the global information society	p. 215
Ethical and social issues of 'teleservices' for disabled and elderly people	p. 229
The global information society and the implications of self-organization	p. 238
Information highways: a threat to democracy?	p. 249
Privacy at risk in the global information society	p. 261
The politics of privacy on the global information highway	p. 275
Growing old in an information society	p. 289
The Internet: a new agora?	p. 307
DEMOS: democratic evaluation of multiple options in society	p. 318
Historical and topographical amnesia on the information highway: metaphors and tacit knowledge	p. 330
The role of the Internet both as an ancient agora and a French cafe for the humanities	p. 345
A self-regulated Internet community	p. 355
From sand, through silver, to gold plates	p. 365
Index of contributors	p. 381
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.