An Introduction to the Information Age: Summary

Summary of the Article:

Brief summary:
In this chapter, the writer attempts to analyze the dynamics of the “network society” – an emerging, dominant social structure that he finds characteristic of information capitalism around the world.
He argues that without the Information Technology Revolution of the mid-eighties and nineties, the Network Society could not have taken up such a “comprehensive and persuasive social form”.
He identifies a set of “main features” of the network society, and uses his analysis to highlight how profoundly different Information capitalism is from Industrial capitalism. The key features of the network society include:
An informational economy, in which sources of productivity and competitiveness of firms, countries, regions depend evermore on knowledge, information and the technology of processing, as well as the management of technology. The writer argues that the informational economy is more exclusionary in nature than industrial economy, due to its inherent dynamism and creativity.
A global economy, is an economy whose core, strategically dominant activities have the potential to operate as a unit in real-time on a planetary scale. The writer argues that although the global economy reaches out to the whole planet, it is not all-encompassing in nature, and is characterized by an extremely uneven geography in its endeavor to “optimize” linkages between valuable inputs, markets, and individuals – thereby switching-off unskilled labour and poor communities. The writer introduces the notion of the emergence of a cross-geographic “fourth world” of exclusion, as opposed to the traditional first world/third world opposition. The forth world consists of predominantly unskilled, deprived communities not only in Africa and rural Asia, but also in Latin American Shanties and South Bronx.
The network enterprise, a specific set of linkages between different entities, organized ad hoc for specific projects, and dissolving/reforming after the task is completed. Multinational corporations for instance, operating world-wide with internal decentralization and a web of subsidiaries and supplies dotted around the globe. Other examples include link-ups between corporations and networks of small businesses through subcontracting and outsourcing – relationships made effective in part by underlying information and communication networks.
The transformation of work and employment: the flexi-workers. The writer argues that “technologically laggard” regions, countries, and sectors exhibit much higher rates of unemployment than in technologically advanced countries. However, new technologies have allowed businesses to automate, outsource, subcontract, and even relocate jobs globally - thanks to the networked enterprise model and a globally connected economy. This creates job anxiety and discontent even in technologically advanced countries such as the US. The network enterprise model has led to a paradigm shift in contractual relationships between management and labour. More and more workforce is becoming part-time and subcontracted. The write cites the example of the “organization man” being replaced with the “flexible woman”.
Social polarization and social exclusion. Globalization and individualization of labour, weaken social organization and institutions that protect workers. Workers are increasingly left to themselves to maintain relationships with management. In the Information Age, redefinition of skills and education is a constant phenomenon, leading to valorization or devaluing of people in their work. This itself is a contributor towards inequality, social polarization, and social excluding. The writer points out that the Information Age does not have to be the age of staggering inequality, but for the moment it is so.
The culture or real virtuality. In the network society, cultural expressions are increasingly shaped by electronic media. Media are extraordinarily diverse, increasingly inclusive, and bridging from one to another – from network TV to cable, to radio, musical video, to walkman. Media is also fast becoming more interactive. There is increasing interaction by and among individuals that break up the uniformity of mass audience.
Politics: Flexible media has a fundamental effect on politics. Without significant presence in the space of media, actors and ideas are reduced to political marginality. Political marketing is the essential means to win political competition in democratic politics. In the information age that means more advertising, phone banks, targeted mailing, image making, image unmaking, image control etc. And then there is scandal politics, and subsequent damage control.
Timeless time: “It is defined by the use of new information/communication technologies to annihilate time, to compress years into seconds”. Examples would be split-second financial transactions of global financial markets, and new reproductive techniques allowing people a wide range of options in parenting – even storing embryos to produce babies later.