Competences Early theories on the information society already appeared in the 50 and 60s in the work of Machlup and

Porat. These theories were mainly based on the growing role of informational work in society. A milestone in information society thinking was the seminal work of Danil Bell on post-industrial society in 1973. However, it is only since the 1990s, with the rise of the Internet, mobile phones and the widespread introduction of ICTs, that concepts of the information society became part of common parlance and theories of the information society gained mainstream academic attention. The work of Castells has certainly played an important role in this. Content wise modern concepts of the information society focus more on the role of technology, knowledge, R&D and innovation in the social and economic structuring of society. This course introduces students to different strands of thinking within the field and combines this with a historical genealogy of the field. The course focuses on a critical engagement with the subject, it therefore also focuses on alternative and more critical conceptualizations of our current society as a surveillance society or a culture of speed and its negative consequences. This course focuses on the joint reading and discussion of original texts. It expects active participation of students. 1. Introduction (4-5 October) 1. Webster, F. (2006) Theories of the Information Society (3th edition), Sage Publications, Chapter 1 & 2, pp. 1-31. 2. History and Early Approaches (18-19 October) 2. Mattelart, A. (2003) The Information Society: An introduction. Sage Publications. Chapter 1-3, pp. 1-72 3. Scannel, P. (2007) Media and Communication. Sage Publications. Chapter 5. Communication and Technologies: Innis, McLuhan, Canada, 1950s-1960s, pp. 123-144. 3. Information Economy and Post-Industrial Society 1950-1990 (25-26 October) 4. Duff, A. (2000) Information Society Studies. Routledge. Chapter 2. Information Sector Version of the Information Society Thesis, pp.19-71. 5. Webster, F. (2006) Theories of the Information Society (3th edition), Sage Publications, Chapter 3. Post-Industrial Society: Daniel Bell, pp. 32-59. 6. Bell, D. (1973/1999) The Coming of Post-Industrial Society. Basic Books. Foreword. The Axial Age of Technology. 4. Innovation, Techno-Economic Paradigm and Knowledge Society 1990-2010 (8-9 November)

7. Perez, C. (2009) Technological Revolutions and Techno-Economic Paradigms. TOC/TUT Working Paper, 20. Online at www.carlotaperez.org 8. Soete, L. (2007) From Industrial to Innovation Policy, Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, 7, pp. 273-284. 9. Huang, C., Soete, L. (2008) The Global Challenges of the Knowledge Economy, China and the European Union. Science and Public Policy, 35(10), pp. 771-781. 5. Network Society 1990-2010 (15-16 November) 10. Castells, M. (2004) Informationalism. Networks, and the Network Society: A Theoretical Blueprint. In: Castells, M. (ed.) The Network Society. A cross-cultural perspective. Cheltanham: Edward Elgar, pp. 3-48. 11. Benkler, Y. (2006) The Wealth of Networks. How Social Networks transform Markets and Freedom. Yale University Press, Online at www.benkler.org, Part 1, pp. 1-132. 6. Surveillance Society (29-30 November) 12. Lyon, D. (2007) Surveillance Studies: An overview. Routledge, pp. 1-70. 13. Best, K. (2010) Living in the Control Society. Surveillance, Users and Digital Screen Technologies, International Journal of Cultural Studies, 13(1), pp. 5-24. 14. Meyer, T., Van Audenhove, L. (2010) Graduated Response and the Emergence of a European Surveillance Society, Info, 12(6), pp. 69-80. 7. Current Discussions: Speed, Mass-Self Communication (13-14 December). 15. Hassan, R. (2008) The information Society. Polity. Chapter 6. Faster and Faster, pp. 159-189. 16. Tomlinson, J. (2007) The Culture of Speed. The Coming of Immediacy. Sage Publications. Chapters 3-5, pp. 44-123. 17. Castells, M. (2009) Communication Power. Oxford University Press. Chapter 2. Communication in the Digital Age, pp. 54-136.