Abstract
The paper argues that the human-centred approach should be considered as an alternative to the techno-economic model of the EC information society. This alternative approach should be based on the principles of democratic participation of citizens and social cohesion. Using a community development based approach the paper introduces concepts of partnership, tripartite collaboration and universal participation. Having evaluated a human-centred approach to the information society this is then applied to the results of four case studies of Danish and Swedish community teleservice centres (CTSCs), and the subsequent lessons drawn.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Albrechsten, H. (1988). Telecottages in the Nordic Countries,Information, Knowledge, Evolution:-Proceedings of 44th FID Congress, Helsinki: FID. 207–211.
Aries, (1995).The Social Economy. http://www.poptel.org.uk/aries/socecon.html
Bell, D. (1974).The coming of post-industrial society: a venture in social forecasting, London: Heinemann Educational.
CEC. (1994a).Growth, Competitiveness, Employment: The Challenges and Ways Forward into the 21st Century-White Paper, Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1994, 107–115. http://www.ispo.cec.be/infosoc/backg/whitpaper/ch5a_1.html
CEC. (1994b).Europe and the global information society: Recommendations to the European Council. CD-84-94-290-EN. http:/www.ispo.cec.be./infosoc/backg/bangeman.html
CEC. (1994c).Europe's way to the information society: an action plan, Brussels: CEC COM(94) 347 final, 19/7/94. http://www.ispo.cec.be/infosoc/backg/action.html
CEC. (1996a).Building the European Inormation Society or Us All. Brussels: DGV.
CEC. (1996b).Networks for People and their Communities ∼ 1st Annual Report to the European Commission from the Information Society Forum, June 1996. http://www.ispo.be/infoforum/pub/inrep1.html
CEC. (1996c).Living and Working in the Information Society: People First, Green Paper, COM(96) 389, Brussels: DGV. http://www.ispo.cec.be/infosoc/legreg/docs/peopl1st.html
Day, P. (1996). Information Communication Technology and Society: A community-based approach.In Gill, K.S. (ed)Inormation Society: New Media, Ethics and Postmodernism, London: Springer-Verlag, 186–210.
Folkrörelserådet. (1996).Welcome to BygdeNet, http://www.telestugan.se/bnet/bneng.htm
Fukuyama, F. (1995).Trust, London: Hamish Hamilton.
Gill, K.S. (1996).Human machin symbiosis, Springer-Verlag, London.
Gill, K.S. (1995).Knowledge Networking and Social Innovation, Paper presented to a workshop on Social Innovation and Human Centred Systems at the COMPUTER IN CONTEXT 95: Joining Forces in Design International Conference held in Aarhus, Denmark, August 14–18, 1995. Available by e-mail: k.s.gill@bton.ac.uk
Gill, K.S. (1996).Knowledge Networking and Social Cohesion in the Information Society, Brighton: University of Brighton. Available by e-mail: k.s.gill@bton.ac.uk
Harris, K. (1996). Social Inclusion in the Information Society,Inventing the future, Partnerships for Tommorrow, January 1996, http://panizzi.shef.ac.uk/community/socinc.html
Herman, G. (1995). An Info Society is also a Society,Network Policy Briefing, May 1995. 1–3.
Lyon, D. (1988).The Information Society: Issues and Illusions, Cambridge: Polity Press.
Lyon, D. (1995). The Roots of the Information Society Idea,In, HEAP, N. et al. (eds),Information Technology and Society, Sage: London, 54–73.
Qvortrup, L. (1991). Community Teleservice Centres and the Future of Rural Society.Community Development Journal, 26(2), 124–130.
Qvortrup, L. (1994a). The Social Construction of Human-centredness,In, Qvortrup, L., 1995 (ed)Network Organisations as Self-Referential Systems, Odense: Odense University.
Qvortrup, L. (1994b).Community Teleservice Centres: A means to social, cultural and economic development of rural communities and low-income urban settlements, A document for the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) on the impact of Community Teleservice Centres (CTSCs) on rural development, Odense: Odense University.
Shapiro, A.L. (1995). Street Corners in Cyberspace,The Nation, July 3rd, 10–14.
Storgaard, K. (1990).Datari I Vejle Vestby, Copehnagen: SBI.
Storgaard, K. and Jensen, O.M. (1991). Information technology and ways of life,In Cronberg, T. (ed)Danish experiments-social constructions of technology, Copenhagen: Samundsvidenskaberne, 123–139.
Storgaard, K. et al., (1993).Social Shaping of Telematics and Rural Development, Proposal to the COST-Committee. Copenhagen.
Storgaard, K. (1995). Telework-Danish experinces.In van Reisen, F. and Tacken, M. (eds),Towards a new urban planning concept?, Delft: Delft University of Technology. 77–84.
Vejle Kommune. (1995).Fem År Med Vejle Bredbånd, Vejle: Vejle Kommune.
Webster, F. (1995).Theories of the Information Society, London: Routledge.
West Sussex County Council. (1996a),System for Community and Rural Integrated Public access Telematics-Project Quality Plan, Chichester: West Sussex County Council.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Day, P. The human-centred information society: A community-based approach. AI & Soc 10, 181–198 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01205281
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01205281