A Human Right to Participate in the Information Society (Alan McKenna)
	Quantity in Basket:none Code: 978-1-61289-047-0 Price:$28.95 Title: A Human Right to Participate in the Information Society Author(s): Alan McKenna Publish Date: September 2011 Pages: 262 Format: Paper
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With the emergence and development of information and communication technologies, the arrival of the Information Age has been proclaimed as a distinct new epoch to match the Argricultural and Industrial Ages in significance. To reflect this new development we are now said to live in an Information Society and are provided by government witha vision whereby vast information and communication resources will be easily accessible, and fundamental improvements in living standards will take place. However, fears as to whether existing inequalities in society may in fact be increasing have emerged, with continued concerns over a societal digital divide prominent. In recognizing the potential importane for humanity of the changes taking place this book considers whether it is time for a new human right to be officially recognized that would help achieve meaningful participation in the "new" society and help in the creation of a more inclusive society, where all can benefit from the new technologies. Abridged Contents: INTRODUCTION. HUMAN RIGHTS DEVELOPMENT, AND THE CREATION OF NEW RIGHTS. The Bases of Human Rights: An Historical Perspective. Donnelly's Universal Declaration Model and its Limitations. Globalisation and Corporate Power. Towards an Analytical Model for "New" Human Rights. INTERPRETATION OF THE CONCEPT OF AN INFORMATION SOCIETY. The "Information Society" Label. Concepts of "Information". Definitions of the "Information Society". The Historical Origins of the "Information Society" Concept. Major Theoretical Perspectives on the Information Society Based Upon Discontinuity. Theories Emphasising Continuity. NOTIONS OF EFFECTIVE PARTICIPATION IN THE INFORMATION SOCIETY. Defining "Participation" and the Issues of Power and Control. Specific Examples of Provisions and Calls for Participation. The Importance of Communication in a Participatory Context. Access and Dutton's Concept of Tele-access. The Problem of Exclusion and the e-Inclusion Initiative. THE EUROPEAN UNION'S VISION OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY. The Initial Beginnings of an EU Information Society Policy. The Continuing Evolution of the EU Conception of the "Information Society". EU Policy Recast: The eEurope Initiative and Regulatory Reform. Rethinking the Social Dimension: eInclusion and the European Charter of Fundamental Rights. i2010--A New Commission President and a New Information Society Policy. THE RIGHT TO COMMUNICATE, THE NEW WORLD INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION ORDER, AND UNESCO'S ROLE IN THEIR DEVELOPMENT. Origins of the New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO). The Downfall of the NWICO. The Right to Communicate. Future Prospects. THE WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY (WSIS). The World Summit's Vision of the Information Society. The Summit's Approach to Human Rights. What Has the Summit Achieved? A HUMAN RIGHTS AGENDA FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE INFORMATION SOCIETY. The Nature of the Information Society. A Human Right to Participate in the Information Society. Future Directions. Bibliography. Index.