Message-ID: <199510042014.QAA27310@troy.american.edu> Date: Wed, 4 Oct 1995 15:57:25 EDT From: mary finch <mailto:MF1786A@AMERICAN.EDU> Subject: information tech. and societal change To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Here's my first message to this list--my background is in social psychology and international communication (I'm working on my PhD), and I'm interested in the impact of information technologies on Chinese society. After the modernization theories of the '50s (Lerner, Schramm, etc.) and the dependency theories of the '70s, has there been much work on this topic? Will the introduction of the internet, cellular phones, and so on (along with other pressures) lead to increased individualism, or perhaps even a civil society in China?I'm interested in these questions from a universalist vs. relativist perspective (universal psychological tendencies/reactions/desires vs. completely culture-based). Any information or comments regarding this topic would be appreciated. I'm starting to look into anthropological and sociological perspectives regarding social change, but haven't gotten very far. I haven't found anything yet on recent theories of technology and development within an industrializing country. As for info. tech. and China, everything seems to be speculation except for articles on use of fax machines during Tiananmen Square.
Thanks for the input!
Mary Finch mailto:mf1786a@american.edu