Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
The Environmental Context of Society
The information infrastructure is influenced by a variety of external factors. We
call these factors “the environmental and social context”—in other words, the world
around us. These variables influence us as individuals as well as all of the inform-
ation transfer processes: creation, production, dissemination, diffusion, organiza-
tion, and utilization of information. We have described these external factors in an
earlier work (Greer, Grover, and Fowler 2013, 53-57).
The environmental and social context includes all of the following:
1.
Culture—language, philosophical and moral values, educational system,
concept of time, historical background, and all features that make up an or-
ganization's or community's culture
2.
Physical geography—aspects such as climate and topographical charac-
teristics
3.
Political structure of society—the system for governance and underlying
values regarding the role of government in a dynamic society
4.
Legislation and regulations issued by legislative and regulatory agencies
of government
5.
The economic system under which the culture functions
6.
Technology—the level of sophistication in terms of computer, telecommu-
nication, and other technologies
7.
Information policy—copyright laws, policies regarding secrecy, censor-
ship, privacy, ownership, the public's right to know, and government re-
sponsibility to inform
A more detailed examination of these variables follows.
Culture
We often think of culture very broadly—the culture of an ethnic group or country.
For example, the language, history, music, and dress of Brazil vary considerably
from those attributes of Great Britain. Cultural differences also exist within coun-
tries. The local idioms, food, entertainment, history, and dress of rural Kansas vary
considerably from the culture of Chicago or Los Angeles. The meanings associ-
ated with certain words vary, and attitudes also vary. These factors influence how
people perceive information and how they think.
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