Hen or Egg? The relationship between IC-technologies and social exclusion

Krings, Bettina (2005): Hen or Egg? The relationship between IC-technologies and social exclusion. Published in: ITAS-Jahrbuch No. 2003/2004 (June 2005): pp. 249-265.

Abstract

If we take a look at developments on the labour market, we find that the rate of employment stands in a close relationship to the introduction of new technologies and their social and cultural consequences. The immediate effects of new technologies on new forms of work-structures are, in fact, difficult to determine empirically. In order to avoid a strong technological bias in the scientific perspective, it seems important to consider carefully the normative objectives and goals, which are connected with the introduction of IC-technologies. But nevertheless it is difficult to define clearly the causes and the effects of new technologies as well as the technical changes and its social consequences. The intention of the article is to present the concept of social exclusion within the SOWING-project. Of course this concept is embedded in the scientific debate of the Information Society, which has a strong technological focus and represents the discussion of the Western, highly industrialized societies. But nevertheless the empirical findings of the SOWING project come to the general conclusion, that the rise of new forms of social exclusion cannot be considered as the result of the introduction of ICT, but as the result of the normative idea of a more effective and global organized economy. The social consequences of this development depend strongly on the establishment of a democratic procedure, which integrates the concerning social groups.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: employment; new technologies; social exclusion
• Subjects: D - Microeconomics > D6 - Welfare Economics > D63 - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement; D - Microeconomics > D8 - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty > D83 - Search ; Learning ; Information and Knowledge ; Communication ; Belief ; Unawareness; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J7 - Labor Discrimination > J79 - Other; A - General Economics and Teaching > A1 - General Economics > A14 - Sociology of Economics; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O1 - Economic Development > O14 - Industrialization ; Manufacturing and Service Industries ; Choice of Technology

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