Information Society as an Object of Multidisciplinary Research

Abstract

The article explores the concept of information society as an object of multidisciplinary scientific analysis. Various definitions of the information society, proposed by scientists from various fields of knowledge: economics, sociology, philosophy, political sciences, etc., are analyzed. It is shown that the formation of the information society is directly related to the rapid spread of information and communication technologies in all spheres of life. The main scientific approaches to the study of this phenomenon (i.e., economic, cultural-civilizational, technological, sociological, and spatial) are systematized. It was found that the researchers considered the information society through the lens of analysis of changes in the structure of employment, consumption of information products, dissemination of information technologies, transformation of social interactions and organization of space under the influence of information networks.

Common features of the concept of information society in various scientific paradigms are revealed, in particular, recognition of the central role of information and knowledge as the basis of modern social relations. The decisive impact of technological achievements, especially information and communication technologies, on the formation of the information society and the transformation of economic, social and political processes is analyzed. It is shown that theoretical developments of the information society concept created the basis for further research of the information state, its functions, management mechanisms and state policy in the conditions of the information age. The conclusion is made about the need for further conceptualization of the information society in order to improve the scientific understanding of the functioning of the information state.