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Файл:The Information Resonance in Social System. Monograph
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Chapter 2. On what bases is it possible
to construct of “information” metatheory
of contemporary society?
Is there the place for information
in sociology theory?
he transfer have been occurred to the new
T
informational-civilizational stage was being attending
by wide-ranging social transformations. For the researches,
perhaps, was enough time for conceptualization the
consequences of deep changes in society. It was also evident
that were locked in such their characteristics as growth of
freedom, risks, uncertainties, unpredictability and instability.
Social priorities were changing. More and more the material
production as production of things lost past universal
importance was giving way to the production of information,
images and information services. Information and knowledge
had become new symbols of authority largely.
The hierarchic social structure had transformed and was
substituting for network gradually. Local identities were in deep
crisis. At the same time the foundations of values of
collectivism and solidarity: certainty, stability, predictability –
were disappearing. All these changes in contemporary society
requires from social perception resort to the question about
adequacy of present theories of modernity and expose to
rethinking theirs ontological and methodological foundations.
For instance, the question about degree of changes in societal
PART 1. METHODOLOGY AND THEORETICAL PRECONDITIONS 32
structure, that occurred as a result of computer-informational
revolution is not enough studied. The information nature
of origins deep processes of rebuilding of societal structure
and its crossing to its new historic type doesn’t comprehended
by researches in spite of the number of significant results
of analysis social consequences of informatization which
demonstrates wide foreign and domestic literature [1–18].
The picture of wide-ranging expansion of information and
information technologies denoted as informatization is appeared
more obvious. First of all, such branches of knowledge as
information science, social informatics and informology deal
with this socio-technological phenomenon. In the social theory
takes place the underestimation of influence of informational
processes on radical transformations occurs on the foundations
of contemporary society. I can’t share the scepticism of some
researches that prejudice the possibility of creation special
theory of information society as special historic stage of
development and even doesn’t recognize the fact of its
existence as special type of social organism [19, 20, 21]. But
need to admit that working out of “information” ontology of the
present run into number of methodological, gnoseological and
ontological problems. And the main question remains
unanswered: has the contemporary society special being that is
founded on new, information substance?
Such question is legitimate because while the unified theory
of “information society” doesn’t exist and all conceptions that
were being created present only a aggregate of empiric and
theoretic construct-hypothesis in that were “caught ” not
numerous sides and aspects of this new hypercomplex social
organism.
Manuel Castells’s theory of information way of development, which has unprecedented scale of performance and based
on huge array of empirical evidence with worked and shown in
the system with empiric device, perhaps, is exclusion [22].
In my opinion, the uniqueness of that theory for the social
science is that M. Castells not unsuccessfully and largely
CHAPTER 2. ON WHAT BASES IS IT POSSIBLE TO CONSTRUCT 33
repeated the experience of building the theoretical model of
complicate social system (albeit, predominately embraced its
economic segment, but and going out to space of social
structure and culture), use the method rise from abstract to
concrete, that earlier only Marx had done. But, have to assume
that by this kind large-scale studies need to refer and
experiences of creation of metasystem socially-historical
theories by Tinnies and Sorokin [23, 24].
Methodology preconditions
The attempt to adapt the definition of information to
development’s tasks of general sociological theory and enter
it into a categorial "matrix" of social-philosophical and
sociological knowledge has been undertaken by the author in
recent publications [25].
The information can be considered as important component
and factor of social changes, together with, as technological,
subcultural and ideological. Completeness in the acceptance of
information as object of sociological analysis together with
social action, interaction, behavior, norm, value, subjectmaterial factors of social actions connected with that recognized
as (obvious or implicitly) its “alien” origin as regards social
theory and its complicate to join conceptual construct for both
sociology and social theory in general. In my opinion, including
of “information” in the structure of sociological models of
social action and social system stays perspective correlated with
such definitions as foundation of action, mediators of action,
goals of action, resources, social reality and social actuality,
worldviews, programs of action, the designing of worldviews,
virtual reality. But previously, need to interpret the category
information bases on a number of such definitions as social
action, actor, norms, communications, symbols, significances,
meanings, had translated from information science’s language
to language of social theory.
PART 1. METHODOLOGY AND THEORETICAL PRECONDITIONS 34
Every ontology in its origin bases on some phenomenology
as statement of existence some specific class of real objects –
proceedings and processes, previously had undergone the
conceptual understanding. Think that “phenomenological” stage
with creation of initial conceptual constructs in the formation
the theory of information society has been occurred already.
Resort to some most, in my opinion, significant results and state
our point of view on possible way of creation of “information
metatheory” of contemporarety.
By the end of XX century the information has become such
mass and universal mediator in all kinds of social interaction
that has affected bases of social. The information type’s
expansion of social interaction shows a final reorganization of
substance of industrial civilization on what was paid special
attention in studies of some theorists of information society. In
Castells’s opinion, contemporary global information interaction
acts as metatechnology, have been caused the appearance of
information society and contemporary way of society’s
existence is characterized by informational-technological
paradigm. New social forms and processes appear as consequences of technological changes. At the same time
technology doesn’t predetermine the development of society,
but it is a society [26]. Has originated the informationalism, that
was historically generated by reconstruction of capitalistic
mode of production. In it the origin of productivity concludes in
technology of knowledge generation, information processing and
symbolic communication [27]. The influence of knowledge on
knowledge as main origin of productivity is specific for
information method of development, concludes M. Castells [28].
For the understanding of changes deep had occurred in
society as a result of “invasion” in all theirs information
structures need to turn to one more study that was unnoticed by
the domestic scientific public, probably, because of the absence
of its Russian translation. It concerns the book of professor
Scott Lash in London University – “Critique of Information”
that was published in 2002 in Great Britain [29].
CHAPTER 2. ON WHAT BASES IS IT POSSIBLE TO CONSTRUCT 35
In Lash’s opinion the information society is characterized
by increasing uncertainty but such a state of things it’s not
deviation from norm, but a new form how it couldn’t be
paradox. He noticed that result of production in information
society becomes not so much benefits are being embodied the
information, but information itself as it is. And the theory itself
of information society becomes the theory of unforeseen
consequences. It is variation cardinally changes contemporary
society at every from the structure levels of its organization
[30]. “In the economy, the objects produced take on an
increasingly information nature […] These flexibly made
products on increasingly the character of entities that are
constructed: they seem no longer so much to be “objects”, but
instead to be “artefacts” [31]. “There is sort of twisting
dialectic, - Lash notices, – involves in the information society.
It moves from order to disorder to new order. Highly rational
and knowledge-intensive production results in quasi-anarchy on
information proliferation and flows” [32]. From the
quasianarchy of information society born new regularities of
production, distribution and exchange in that the information
formally doesn’t knows the borders is being ordered by the
system of intellectual property; the power doesn’t eliminated
but becomes nonlinear, doesn’t submit to traditional forms of
analysis. “More generally, in today’s age of rapid innovation
what counts is not so much property but intellectual property.
Power lies not so much in the prossession of the bulk or weight
of assets. Now power lies importantly in the ownership of the
prototype: in owning the patent of copyright of the prototype”
[33]. “Exchange-value or commodities have a certain futurevalue, a value for future exchange. For their part use-values
have enduring value and past. But this sort of “informationvalue”, which I think may make sense to call “sign-value”, has
value only immediately and for very short period of time” [34].
Thus social regularities don’t eliminate but just change and
modernize. Eliminate, however, stability, predictability and
temporal certainty or these regularities. Lash thinks that
contemporary society becomes unprecedentedly mobile,
PART 1. METHODOLOGY AND THEORETICAL PRECONDITIONS 36
devoided of steady relations and durable foundations. Economic
and social life builds not near the accumulation but near the
communication.
In information society means of production give way to
tools of communications but relations of production – relations
that appears in process of conversion. Images and meanings
created by the people become the substance of new reality that
such objective and not at least defines the people’s behavior as
a previous practice. New forms of culture and distribution of
information become not just reflection but continuation of
reality. Now, author concludes, some unit reality not completely
objective and not completely subjective appears. But practice of
technologic world breaks the stable representation and replaced
by comes constantly changing reality and naturally woven into
it illusions [35].
And A. Touraine wrote that “decisive for postindustrial
society is being all aggregate of economic system constitutes
the object of intervention to itself. That’s why it may be named
programmable society” [36]. In Touraine’s opinion, the transit
to postindustrial society occurs when invest not in wealth and
not in “services”, but in symbolic wealth, which can change the
values, needs and submissions.
Basis of theoretical construction:
phenomenon and notions
Now we will try to inform a reader about own author’s
position. In the capacity of bench mark analysis offer to
consider communication and information as form and substance
of social interaction [37]. The information as substance exists
just in interaction of subjects. With a transition to information
society the individual as “substrate” of interactions itself
undergoes radical changes. “Individualization” is a symbol of
transformation of its substrate, was put to scientific use by
CHAPTER 2. ON WHAT BASES IS IT POSSIBLE TO CONSTRUCT 37
Z. Bauman. In his opinion, society, enters in XXI differ from
other historic forms of human being. Individualization is a
growth of individuals ‘s isolation provided by separate character
of activity and further development of differentiation of social
communication. It caused two interrelated reasons: high and
increasing speed of change meanings; growth of number of
meanings and information [38].
Exponential growth of information leads to information
overload that generates unforeseen circumstances – the growth
of information deficiency, i.e. reduction of dimension of
necessary data about behavior; provokes confusion, generates
inertness, accompanied by depression and stress. This event
may assesses as decline of information quality. In Korytnikova
opnion’s, virtual interactions lead to appearance of “computer
addicts”. Psychosocial deprivation occurs, i.e. deformation
of personal characteristics, was being accompanied by
alienation, phobias and frustration. Deprivation limits
possibilities for human’s social development, is accompanied
by desocialization and deadaptation. Individuals relations are
limited, they don’t have a living talk, appears syndrome of
prosecution as form of total control from the direction of means
of communication [39].
J. Baudrillard offers the interpretation of information chaos
that surrounded human. He paid attention on emotional
experience of world’s invalidity had been given to us in cultural
act, its infectiousness by secondary ideological meanings.
“Simulacrum” is an unit of false, unauthentic meaning.
“Simulacrum” is a situation of promiscuous interaction of
things and people, caused by increasing of information stream,
special effect of present time [40]. In my point of view,
“simulacrum” is a sign or incomplete actualization those or
other phenomena of empirical reality, an evidence of total
expansion of new backbone social substance – information. The
phenomenon of simulative credibility as feeling of actuality
immutability – the right sequence limit of individual’s
saturation by information.
PART 1. METHODOLOGY AND THEORETICAL PRECONDITIONS 38
The system of symbolic social world is caused by new
social system that is a new method of organization of social
order. For the theoretical representation need to fix a simple
system – “cell” of building. In my opinion, that is virtual social
interaction as imitation of interaction, i.e. illusion of influence
subject on subject, illusion, reproducible in imagination both of
subjects. How appears that special social system of action?
Stability and increasing in whole society of information
generates anomie – oversupply of models for choice of role
behavior. But anomie grows in the conditions of control over
the resources from the direction of the other significant actors.
That’s why orientation to “other” as circumstance of targeting
underlies the interaction and action. Information organized as
resource, i.e. ready to act as individual tool of targeting let the
actor ever more focuses not on other but on creating by himself
normative order. Z. Bauman named that phenomenon
individualized society, S. Lash fixed the replacing norms on
individual values. Thereupon the theory of “individualized
society” of Z. Bauman can interpret as theory of permanent and
increasing anomie that appears the substance of contemporary
society and this process can consider as has provoked by
increasing growth of information streams has felt in single
actor. Along this lines can interpret the theory of expanding
uncertainty of S. Lash that determined as replacing norms on
individual values and replacing integrated society on social
world of autonomic communities by him.
Information resonance
All these events are the consequence of the process which
can name “information resonance” [41]. What is its idea? The
growth of information dimension leads to appearance such
process as self-generation of symbolic, imaginary social world –
“social reality”, to the self-generation of new forms which
independent from social actuality. Imaginary world begins to
“goes ahead” by the reflect actuality, its pictures become more
CHAPTER 2. ON WHAT BASES IS IT POSSIBLE TO CONSTRUCT 39
difficult and don’t accord to it. From the “material” of
constantly produce images born and new patterns possible
social practices, which provoke their competition with
established forms of social actuality. Such way the actual social
action contradicts and confrontation with virtual action. Worldsystem of virtual actions breaks away from system “actualvirtual” and begins its own life. It occurs the formation of
alternative, parallel social space, new - antiinstitutional - norms
appear. Persistent and increasing overage of information
generates the anomia – variety of competing models for choice
of role behavior. Permanent and increasing anomia is provoked
by the growth of information streams. As arises the effect of
information resonance. Now the practice of actor much more
determines not socially, but individually. Appears a new –
“virtual” – social. And specific parallel social space becomes an
origin of social norms and control. Virtual space becomes
autonomic and stops to be a moderator inside the system of
social interaction.
Information resonance is an increasing “wave”, which
transforms social space: differentiation and multiplication
quantity of thinkable worlds of social reality pass into actual
worlds; increasing anomie and polyorientation of authors:
appear “zones of resonance” – strata of alternative social
worlds: grow conflicts and disintegration of traditional space of
social actuality. It makes the effect of “space breaking” [42].
As information resonance generates new social space – virtual
reality and virtualization forms cyber-space which changes
social actuality itself and bifurcates it on actual and virtual
(actual and fictitious) [in detail see Chapter 3].
A. Moles paid attention on that traditional culture replaced
by contemporary mosaic [43]. In his opinion, if traditional
culture regulated by institute of education but the mosaic forms
affected by ongoing and constant stream of information. In
contemporary society during the formation “knowledge
baggage” connects random elements of culture in different
epochs and nations and in consciousness of individuals they
pass into “storage of messages”. Knowledge forms of fragments
PART 1. METHODOLOGY AND THEORETICAL PRECONDITIONS 40
are connected on occasion and not rationally but associative.
These pieces don’t form the structure but hitched in some
“screen of knowledge” as foundation for new alternative and
“world view” is structured artificially. That “screen” forms as a
result of individual’s dipping in the stream of scattered and
hierarchically disordered messages. As a result value selection
and structuring of experience doesn’t occur as in the process of
cognition. Precision and perfection of objects technological
reproduction their sign representation constructs diverse objects –
“simulacra” from which consist of virtual reality wrote
J. Baudrillard [44]. In this sense the virtual reality is an
organized space of “simulacra” – special objects, “aliented
signs” that as opposed to signs-copies fix not similarities but
differences from reference reality. In contrast to actuality is
expressing the wholeness, stability and completeness, the
virtual reality is the origin of difference and multiplicity.
Information resonance stimulates limitless development of
informational technologies that in turn lead to communicativecognitive resonance. The creation of intellectual technologies as
artefacts of new type is the starting point of appearance this
resonance [45]. Their main idea is a production, transformation,
ultrafast broadcast and realization of information in the public
practice with characteristics near to properties of human brain.
New individual characteristics begin to turn into social and
generated a number of new waves of communicative-cognitive
resonance: intellectualization of informational streams; growth
of accessible information; two-way exchange of information;
interactivity of interaction; hypertextual structure; functional
expandability.
Actors’ “worldviews” live in space deeped by information
create according to rizoma laws: Internet language provides
instantaneous transition from one text to another along with text
gains other measurement and becomes infinite. For actor it
means that he has special psychological condition leading to
wrong assessments and wrong decision making. D. Lewis called
these events “syndrome of if fatigue information”. Constantly
appears the thought that need to get more information and it
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