Information Society

From the standpoint of social interrelations, M. Castells states: "...what happens is that the Internet is capable of developing weak ties to create weak ties, but is not capable of creating strong ties, on average, and is great to continue and reinforce the strong ties that exist from physical relationship".

Castells is a professor of urban geography at Berkley. He has written a number of books and articles about geography, the city, and the information society, including a three-volume analysis of contemporary capitalism, titled The Information Age. Garnham (2004, p. 165) refers to this as “the most sophisticated version” of the theory of the information society.

Castells' analysis involves economic, social, political, and cultural factors. I will focus on the economic, with a brief introduction to his analysis of space and the changing role of the nation state, and follow with an outline of some critiques of his work. Regrettably, this leaves much unmentioned, such as his theory of timeless time, of the social divides in modern cities and societies, or his examination of specific cases of social action in the context of what he calls the information city.

While this may be so, it is also true that these interrelationships have become deeply, at least with respect to shape. By this I mean that the time is devoted to the physical interaction in everyday life has been reduced considerably, largely because of the proliferation of such methods of communication.
No need to go far to find someone who changed their interrelations and patterns of consumption even for the simple fact of having an internet connection of some quality. A server is one of them.

 
This does not mean that the availability of communications networks and information are harmful to regional development and human, simply want to draw attention to other things that we should take care not to become a society of zombies.

The Network Society

Castells claims that we are passing from the industrial age into the information age. This historical change is brought about by the advent of new information technologies – particularly those for communication and biological technologies. Society remains capitalist, but basis of the technological means by which it acts has changed from energy to information. This information is of central importance in determining economic productivity. Communications technologies allow for the annihilation of space and for globalization; the potential for rapid and asynchronous communication also changes the relationship to time. And, while he explains that networks are not a new form of social organization, they have become a “key feature of social morphology”. This is because communication technologies, such as the Internet, allow for decentralization of operations and focusing of control, increasing the effectiveness of networks relative to hierarchical structures. Of business he writes, “[t]he main shift can be characterized as the shift from vertical bureaucracies to the horizontal corporation”.

According to Castells, power now rests in networks: “the logic of the network is more powerful than the powers of the network” (quoted in Weber, 2002, p. 104). Some networks, such as that of financial capital, are global in scale. Networks also exist within and between businesses, where the organizational unit has shifted from being capability-oriented (e.g. accounting, human resources, etc.) to being project-oriented. Resources – including employees, consultants, and other businesses – are brought together to work on a particular project, then dispersed and reallocated when the task is complete. The ability of an actor in the network – be it a company, individual, government, or other organization – to participate in the network is determined by the degree to which the node can contribute to the goals of the network. This new environment requires skilled flexible workers: the organization man gives way to the flexible woman. This leads to a binary process of inclusion and exclusion from the network. The people at the bottom are those who, with nothing to offer the network, are excluded.

Sustainable Development

New Technology and Rural Development

Industrial society has moved into an era of advanced technological innovation, affecting the way developed countries run their businesses, their institutions and lead their lives. One of the areas in which these technological advances are dramatically influencing people’s lives is information technology and telecommunications – hence the claim that we are in the midst of a ‘digital revolution’ that is driving us towards an ‘information society’. As during previous societal revolutions based on technological advances there remain many countries and people that are largely unaffected by the changes that are taking place.

Definition of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)

ICTs are those technologies that can be used to interlink information technology devices such as personal computers with communication technologies such as telephones and their telecommunication networks. The PC and laptop with e-mail and Internet provides the best example. Michiels and Van Crowder (2001) have defined ICTs ‘as a range of electronic technologies which when converged in new configurations are flexible, adaptable, enabling and capable of transforming organizations and redefining social relations’. The range of technologies is increasing all the time and ‘there is a convergence between the new technologies and conventional media’ (Michiels and Van Crowder, 2001:8). This rapid and ongoing convergence means that devices such as digital cameras, digital video cameras and players, personal digital assistants, slide projectors and mobile telephones are also compatible with more traditional media such as radio (digital, satellite), television (cable, digital, satellite). Thus most devices can now be linked to others to share and exchange information and allow it to be used in such a way that they can also be categorized as ICTs. Even books are being incorporated into ICTs either through the potential for informal web publishing or more formal digital book publishing with designated readers or ‘e-books’. ICTs, therefore, are an expanding assembly of technologies that can be used to collect, store and share information between people using multiple devices and multiple media.

Introduction

Located in the heart of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan is a land-locked country the size of England and Scotland (or Washington State). It is bordered by China to the east, Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west and Tajikistan to the south. It is located at the juncture of two great mountain systems (the Tien Shan and the Pamirs), and only one-eighth of the country lies lower than 1,500 metres (4,920 feet).

Hence, the country's nickname, "The Switzerland of Central Asia". The scenic mountains, Lake Issyk Kul (the world's second largest mountain lake after Lake Titicaca) and the presence of many rare animal species (such as the snow leopard, Tien Shan bear, Marco Polo sheep and red wolf), all contribute to the country's natural beauty, and tourism potential. Skiing is rapidly developing as a tourist industry and winter resorts are very well-equipped, fairly cheap and no distance from the capital, Bishkek. A new resort, designed for tourists, opened in 2004 in Karakol, Issyk Kul Region.

Kyrgyzstan is full of places to visit: Burana Tower - an 11th Century monument, that looks like the stump of a huge minaret. You can climb the octagonal minaret and get a view over the old city walls; Tash Rabat – a stone “hotel” for the traders, who travelled along the Silk Road in the 15th Century Ala Archa Canyon – a very grand, rugged but accessible gorge south of Bishkek, where you can sit by a waterfall all day, hike to a glacier, ski on it, or trek on the region’s highest peaks.  Arslanbob, one of the cities of Kyrgyzstan, is an elevated oasis, a vast tract of blossoming woodland and home to the largest walnut grove on earth.

Bishkek, the capital, has numerous buildings of note, such as the Philharmonia concert hall, the National Historical Museum, the Great Patriotic War Monument, the Manas Monument, and the Independence Monument, as well as many statues of akyns, manashi and local governors of different periods. The city is famous for being one of the greenest in the world, due to its countless parks and alleys, which make the town a nice place to live, even in the heat of the summer. The city is modern, with restaurants, cafes, casinos and night-clubs.

Besides the developed shores of magical Lake Issyk Kul, there are other lakes just as beautiful: Song Kol Lake, one of the loveliest spots in central Kyrgyzstan. This is the perfect place to camp and watch the sun come up, surrounded by lush pastures, favoured by herders; Sary Chelek, a beautiful 7km-long alpine lake, nature reserve and biosphere, lies hidden in the Ferghana Valley, amid groves of wild pistachios, walnuts and fruit trees. 

• Full name: Kyrgyz Republic
• Population: 5.5 million (UN, 2010)
• Capital: Bishkek
• Area: 199,900 sq km (77,182 sq miles)
• Major languages: Kyrgyz, Russian
• Major religions: Islam, Christianity
• Life expectancy: 64 years (men), 72 years (women) (UN)
• Monetary unit: 1 som = 100 tyiyns
• Main exports: Fruit, vegetables, gold, tobacco
• GNI per capita: US $880 (World Bank, 2010)
• Internet domain: .kg
• International dialling code: +996

Introduction Issyk-Kul Province

Kyrgyzstan is wedged in the mountainous wrinkles between Kazakhstan and China, created long ago when the land mass we now call India, propelled by plate tectonics, slammed into the Asian plate. Living there are a proud people with a rich history, surrounded by natural, high-altitude beauty.
Issyk Kul 

 Out of numerous Kyrgyz lakes, one in particular stands out - Lake Issyk Kul. When seen from orbit, Issyk Kul appears to be a giant eye, looking at us looking down at it. The snow-covered mountains become aged eyebrows. The lake itself, having a fairly high salt concentration, does not typically freeze over, thus reflecting wintertime light in such a way as to form a “pupil” that seems to track us as we orbit overhead.

 The Issyk-Kul region in Kyrgyzstan is a diverse landscape holding the status of Biosphere Reserve under both Kyrgyz law and the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme.

     -  Population: 437,200 (assessment for 1 January 2009) including 28.7% - urban, and      71.3% - rural population

-         -  Employed population: 180,300 (2008)

-         -  Registered unemployed population: 4,902 (2008)

-         -  Export: 18.8 million US dollars (2008)

          -  Area: 43,100 km²

    
   The north is dominated by the eye-shaped Issyk Kul Lake, surrounded by the ridges of the Tian Shan mountain system: the Kyungey Ala-Too Mountains to the north and the Terskey Alatau to the south (the 'sunny' and 'shady' Alatau, respectively). To the south is mountains and 'jailoos' (mountain meadows used for summer grazing). The highest peaks of the Tian Shan Mountains, including Khan Tengri, are located in the easternmost part of the province.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Issyk_Kul_Province

Most of the population of the province lives around the lake, in particular in the cities of Balykchy near the lake's western end, and Karakol near its eastern end.