ICTs in Global Context - Essay Example

? ICTs in Global Context and Section # of ICT in the Global Context ICTs are deeply implicated in the societal transformation taking place in all countries of the world. Computer based information systems and related communication systems are now a feature of everyday life, business, governments and non government agencies in all countries rich and poor. The “technology” in the ICT consists of systems, services and tools that enable information storage, retrieval, communication and dissemination ICT includes all those electronics which manipulate, store, transmit and/or receive and extract information in the form of digits or binary. For example, robots, computers, cell phones. In addition to these functions it is also used to interact with devices which do all these functions. When talking about business, we consider ICT in two different categories: (1) The electronics based on computers. (2) The digital communication based electronics. It has helped in promoting capitalism in the business industry by developing technology through maximizing production and minimizing cost. Technology helps in determinism and social shaping of the society, There are always a million different factors which shape the factors defining the pros and cons of ICTs in a society. Of these the most important ones are four factors in general; political, social, cultural and economic. ICTs stem from one or all of these fields and effects all, even though it is only related to technology. This report describes all these factors in detail giving a divided scenario where some people think ICTs to be the development savior and those who do not. Both groups have their particular reasons. This report will also analyze how correct each of the groups is under any given circumstance. Political In today’s world ICTs are shaped by political. As ICTs co-evolve during design/ development/use therefore the projects are selected based on the political and strategic perspectives of decision makers. Daniela Danciulescu in her book ICT and Politics says “There are many ways in which informatics can interfere with politics. So far, the attempts to implement various electronic applications in leadership and governing and, of course, in information and specific research have become more frequent. Such applications refer to the government online (E-Government), the introduction of the Electronic Voting System, the expression of the people’s opinion regarding a certain political decision by signing an on-line petition, as well as to the information and publicity developed on the Internet, in the electronic mail and throughout the informatics technologies.” (Annals, 2005 University of Craiova). But many argue that there an increase in the benefits of any country as a result of the spread of capitalism. ICTs have the ability to fast-track any country’s participation in the global politics and decision making policies. ICTs give any government domination over the policies due to extensive financial and technical resources, to facilitate in its global presence, and helping in ggrowth of a new entrepreneurial class with innovative corporate practices. If the FOSS model is applied then any country’s government has control over its ICT infrastructure, in terms of security, support and development and cost thereby increasing development and employment means. Also the government has open standards and open formats now, allowing for international co-operation. Theorists have different views about the effect that ICTs have on politics. Hyperglobalists think that due to ICTs political power becomes transferred into the hands of those which do not deserve it. Transformationalists think that ICTs cause the power of the government to become uneven and multilayered as they reconstitute and restructure their power. Skeptics state that ICTs are overstatement that only serves to extend policies and cause unrest in the country as a result of a power upsurge. Critiques argue that ICTs cause privatizations. As a result governments can no longer have direct control over the business of the country. Many of the previously state owned companies go into the hands of the foreign investors who essentially look for their own interests. If the country’s resources are privatized than the decisions made are controlled by the richer countries in particular the US. As a result of globalization of ICTs neoliberalism is enhanced due to which multinationals, and internationals e.g. WTO, IMF seek to restructure the material and institutional bases of the contemporary world order. Due to the shifting of power the government loses ownership and control, and representation on standard setting bodies e.g. ITU, ICANN. ICT investments can transform developing countries into new profitable markets for large multinational corporations at the service of local elites, thus creating new forms of dependency. Social When ICTs step in to change the social perspectives of a society than that is only because it has been influenced by the social perspectives first. ICTs enable and constrain social actions and relationships within a society leading to sometimes negative consequences for some stakeholders. But they can no doubt provide a way to alter existing control structures. The use of ICTs in social development is shown in a functional way when they play communicative and computational roles, have temporal and spatial consequences, and form important ethical aspects which have social implications. Any ICT based system is a collection of unique socio-technical networks which result in the shaping up of the society itself. This new society gives interpretive and understandable technologies, like a copy of LINUX; or relevant social groups or a stabilized and closed social group or a technological frame or technological development. Technological development is a multidirectional and non-linear process that involves constant negotiation and renegotiation among different groups. The critique that it does get is that ICTs promote social determinism which is an emphasis on social choice and environment at the expense of any technological considerations ignores issues of power and have a limited analysis of social structures causing problems for the state. Any country’s social transitions as a result of ICTs may be good for detailing relations between multinationals and the government but they certainly do not provide explanations as to why this is so. Russell Spears, Tom Postmes, Anka Wolbert, Martin Lea and Paul Rogers say in their journal “Social Psychological Influence of ICTs on Society and their Policy Implications” that “Similar to the social cohesion outcomes of ICTs, some studies have suggested that ICTs diminish normative behavior (leading, in the extreme, to antisocial behaviors such as hacking), whereas other evidence suggest that anti-social aspects may be overstated. In fact, much of the research suggests that ICTs foster normative behavior and behavior that is not necessarily of a different nature or order to that outside of ICTs. However, the Internet does provide new possibilities and powers that mean that the effects of cyber-sabotage (for example) can be wide-ranging and consequential.” (2011) Cultural ICTs help to shape and are shaped by institutions of a society. As a result of good ICTs, improvements in the provision of social services and better health services can be provided. ICTs can also provide better education and gender development thus improving the culture. When it comes to development the ICTs can provide a better capacity building, work, entrepreneurship, content and language, pornography, gender/women security and Power and decision making. Critics claim that as a result of promotion of ICTs women are alienated from science and technology related subjects. They say that girls are not treated as equals when it comes to technology education. They say that ICTs can only allowed if they promote separate training and skills development for both the genders and ensures mentoring for them. The ICT industry and labour force is highly sex segregated with mostly men involved and even though women are found in high numbers, they are paid very less and are employed in the least insecure jobs. This division has not generally changed. It is also argued that ICTs use and show women as objects of sex, and they are not allowed to participate in content creation. The language used is highly inappropriate with a lot of derogatory words and technical jargons. Patricia A. Young wrote in her journal “it is apparent that integrating culture in the design of ICTs serves a broader scope, from the generic or culture-neutral, to the specialized or culture-specific and in order to create diverse audiences the process must be deliberate” (Integrating Culture in the Design of ICTs, 2007). Economic Dertouzos says "the potential of the modern information age seems overshadowed at every turn by the ancient forces that separate the rich from the poor." (1999) ICTs always create winners and losers in any society. Does that mean they are good for a society? The report explains further. World bank noted that “there is a strong correlation between ICTs per capita and GDP per capita”(2000b). Due to ICTs the society grows economically, increasing the informational service sector with it. Occupations are found as a result in the information sector. ICTs help in growth of the economic sector and its participation in the global economy. It’s significance also include ICTs being a facilitators of economic development at all level by improving the efficiency of developing country’s industrial infrastructure, enhancing overall economic performance and strengthening competitive capacities in the global market, advancing developing countries to a level of modernization. ICTs also have a great influence on the economy of the state as they help in bridging the development gap through organizational development, promoting E-commerce, strengthening E-government, and poverty reduction by equal flow of money between the rich and the poor. It not only is beneficial for the producers of business but also the recipients. It helps them by creating job opportunities, contributing to GDPs, transferring knowledge, helping in growth of entrepreneurial classes with innovative corporate practices. The critique that ICTs get in case of economic development is that they constrain economy by promoting the machines so much that there is a lack of skilled personnel, infrastructure, law enforcement standards, resources for maintenance of the ICTs, Lack of tools specialists in local R&D and resources for buying new technology. Conclusion The wide spread use of ICTs has changed the world much, whether to our liking or not, is still to decides. Most of it is certainly in our favor. But nothing good in this world comes without a price. ICTs promote globalization which refers to the accelerated worldwide intermeshing of states and the closer integration of economies and cross-border traffic and communication becoming denser. It is also the process whereby individual lives and local communities are affected by economic and cultural forces that operate worldwide. ICTs allow poor states to come edge to edge with the developed countries and promote better communication. It can even give the states a place in the global economic picture. But are most of the benefits good enough to account for all the bad that is brought about by the ICTs. Due to ICTs a different category of ‘information poor’ states is formed. States run after information that is categorized as valuable information and knowledge and beats the others for it at all costs increasing the already deep world-wide unrest. In many places the western structures of knowledge and power and economic superiority is still maintained not allowing the underdeveloped countries to come forward. ICTs are also responsible in an on-going masculine discourse development. ICTs ignore finance problems such as recurrent costs of computer servicing and training and are still intent on supplying rather than the demand side. ICTs bring the problem of obsolete technology with them, as computers become outdated and have to be replaced, thus pressuring the already stressed state funds. With all these points in mind it remains upon the reader to decide how far they are willing to go to trust technology and how much they need to withdraw from it. Only a clear knowledge and judgment can help in this highly technology driven world of today. References Daniela Danciulescu: ICT and Politics (Annals, 2005 University of Craiova); http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1012583 Flows and filters: the politics of ICT regions in a global economy: O'Riain, Sean and Parthasarathy, Balaji and Zook, Matthew A. Flows and filters: the politics of ICT regions in a global economy. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 28 (3). pp. 617-620. ((2004)); http://eprints.nuim.ie/342/ Social, cultural and political aspects of ICTs: Asia Pacific (2009); http://www.digital-review.org/themes/26-social-political-and-cultural-aspects-of-icts.html?start=4 Psychological Influence of ICTs on Society and their Policy Implications: Russell Spears, Tom Postmes, Anka Wolbert, Martin Lea and Paul Rogers (2011); infodrome.info/download/rtf/eng_spears.rtf The paradigms of e-Education: An analysis of the communication structures in the research on information and communication technology integration in education in the years: 2000–2001); http://herkules.oulu.fi/isbn9514272463/html/x464.html ICT and globalization: (22-23 April 2002); http://is2.lse.ac.uk/events/ssit2/default.htm The effect of information and communication technology on the globalization paradigm: Herberto Ochoa Morales (2011); http://www.iacis.org/iis/2004_iis/PDFfiles/Ochoa-Morales.pdf Integrating Culture in the Design of ICTs: Patricia A. Young- Volume 39 No 1 2008 6–17 (2007); http://www.engineering.wright.edu/~yan.liu/IHE733/Articles/Culture/IntegratingCultureICT.pdf Read More