This thesis examines the interaction in the network of international and regional organizations in setting the norms, rules and strategic directions for international development and governance of global information society. Situated within the theoretical framework of international regime theory and Gramsci’s concept of hegemony, it uses the “Africa Information Society Initiative (AISI): An action framework to build ICT infrastructure in Africa” as its case study. Based on the empirical evidences gathered from the historical policy document analysis and qualitative semi-structured interviews, it provides a critical analysis of how the diffusion of global neoliberal agenda through the international organizations shaped the AISI policy prescriptions. It analyzes the challenges confronting the AISI implementation and ICTs for development agenda in Africa. In view of the inherent contradictions between the transnational character of the AISI and the national characters of the region, it examines the implication of these problems and suggests potential ways of addressing them. It concludes by stressing the importance of contextual local institutional forces and cultural ethos in the ICT policies and development process in Africa.

This thesis emphasizes the role of being an information society in countries&rsquo / development perspective / furthermore aims to study the economic, social and structural dimensions of information society related policies with the case studies of Turkey and South Korea. Although in 1950s Turkey and South Korea had similar characteristics in terms of basic economic and social indicators, Turkey has lagged behind in South Korea in terms of development perspective and information society parameters. In addition, information society levels of Turkey and South Korea are measured and compared by ICT development index. Information society policies of South Korea and Turkey are analyzed in the scope of national science and technology policies separately. In theoretical perspective, transforming to information society is analyzed on the basis of &ldquo / Deployment policies in the field of ICT&rdquo / and &ldquo / Two models of network policy formation&rdquo / . The findings of the study indicate that, although hegemonic ruler organizations determine science and technology and transforming to information society related policies, government should not apply these policies without considering their internal dynamics. These policies should be re-evaluated and modified in the scope of national advantages and priorities. In addition, this study aims to indicate the importance of the role of science and technology policies on being an information society for 21st century.

Abstract The aim of this thesis is to suggest a model to assist in the ability to judge access by private persons to Information Technology, IT, and to Public Information Sys-tems, PIS. It has its starting point in the Swedish Government´s endeavour to turn Sweden into the first information society for all. When the available statistics con-cerning the access to a PC and the Internet in Swedish homes are studied it is easy to think that this vision may soon be realised. Of course, access to the technical equipment is a fundamental condition in order to be able to use the Public Informa-tion Systems, but unfortunately, is not the only one. A number of studies have shown that it is not possible to equate possession and use. A number of access models or frameworks designed to judge whether or not a person has access to the ICTs do exist. However, it is my opinion that there is a de-ficiency in these models; they do not start out from the individual user´s prerequi-sites, but rather judge the external conditions available for possible access. Assisted by four empirical studies, interviews and questionnaires, a number of ac-cess barriers experienced by the users have been identified. The studies show that in addition to the technological hindrances, a series of more elusive ones also exist originating from prevailing norms and values in the environment the user lives in. The barriers are categorised into five groups; to have, to be able, to will, to may and to dare. Together these notions form the User Centred Access Model, UCAM, which is suggested for use in charting and communicating the necessary considera-tions that must be taken into account in the development of Public Information Sys-tems. KeywordsLanguage / PI - Publika Informationssystem

Upphovsrätten har alltid varit föremål för två motstående intressen, dels upphovsrättsinnehavarens intresse, dels det allmännas intresse. Det är upp till lagstiftaren att bibehålla denna balans och samtidigt förse båda parter med tillfredställande lösningar. De enheter som interagerar i denna balansakt för den här uppsatsen är: upphovsrätten i sig, undantag till och inskränkningar i upphovsrätten, Trestegsregeln vilken skall reglera undantagen och inskränkningarna samt skyddet av tekniska åtgärder. Den sistnämnda enheten är en indirekt reaktion på informationssamhällets ankomst där upphovsrättsskyddade verk kan kopieras digitalt samt spridas med minimal ansträngning. Det som utmärker informationssamhället är ett ökat antal av digitala intrång, särskilt över Internet, samt det faktum att kopian av verket helt motsvarar originalets kvalité. För att motarbeta piratkopiering i informationssamhället samt harmonisera medlemsstaternas olikheter gällande undantag till och begränsningar i upphovsrätten, har ett upphovsrättsdirektiv framarbetats. Sverige implementerade direktivet 1 juli, 2005 och syftet med den här uppsatsen är att undersöka huruvida implementeringen har upprätthållit eller förvrängt denna känsliga balansakt. Informationssamhällets ankomst har särskilt påverkat undantaget för privat bruk, dels p.g.a. att intrång från aktörer i denna sektor är svårkontrollerade, samt dels p.g.a. den olägenhet som ett intrång i användarnas privata sfär skulle utgöra. Utifrån det som behandlas i denna uppsats visar det sig att balansen har upprätthållits rent generellt, men att det även har uppstått särskilda effekter som kan orsaka, eller kan komma att orsaka en förvriden balans. Exempelvis har den svenska lagstiftaren intagit en mycket restriktiv ställning, inte bara gentemot digitalt privat bruk, utan även gentemot analog användning. Det framgår också att Trestegstestet och dess ställning i nationell lag kan vara beroende av lagstiftningstraditioner. Vidare riskerar verk som är föremål för förmånstagare av ett lagstiftat undantag till upphovsrätten, att låsas in p.g.a. skyddet av tekniska åtgärder. Problemet är relaterat till den svenska lagstiftarens val att inte implementera en bestämmelse för ett ikraftträdande av undantag för privat bruk. Generellt sett är detta problem mycket komplext vilket förhindrar en lösning på ett sådant här tidigt stadium. / Copyright has always been the subject of two conflicting interests, that of the copyright owner and that of the public. It is up to the legislator to maintain this balance in order to provide a solution somewhat satisfying for both parties. The constituent elements in the balancing act for this thesis are the copyright, the exceptions and limitations to the copyright, the Three-Step Test limiting the exceptions and limitations and the protection of technological measures. This last element is a reaction to the Information Society, where copyrighted work can be copied digitally and disseminated with minimal effort. An increasing amount of infringements, especially on the Internet, and the fact that the copy becomes identical in quality to the original have become typical for the Information Society. To combat piracy in the Information Society and to harmonise the discrepancies in the exceptions and limitations of the Member States’ national laws, the InfoSoc Directive has been issued. Sweden implemented the Directive on July 1, 2005 and the purpose of this thesis is to examine whether the implementation has maintained or distorted the delicate balancing act. The Information Society has affected the exception for private use in particular, partly because digital infringements in this sector are hard to control since the users are anonymous and partly because of the inconvenience of encroaching on the private sphere of the users. As concluded in this thesis, the balance has been generally maintained, however there are specific effects that may have caused or are capable of causing a distorted balance. For instance, the Swedish legislator has restricted not only digital private use, but also analogue private use. Moreover, the Three-Step Test and its impact in national law may be dependent on national legal traditions. Furthermore, works subjected to beneficiaries of the exception for private use, risk a lock-up because of the protection of technological measures. This problem is related to the Swedish legislator’s choice of not implementing an enforcement provision related to the exception for private use. As for this problem in general, its complexity prevents a solution at this stage.

Today it is common to state that we are living in an information overloaded society. But there are many different definitions of what can be said to constitute Information Overload and there is a lack of substantial research on the subject. Conclusions in the available literature on Information Overload are often drawn on anecdotal evidence and carries a dramatized picture of the causes and effects of the phenomenon. With the tools of discursive analysis this two years master’s thesis explores how the phenomenon Information Overload is portrayed in six popular science books that deals with the subject: Alvin Toffler (1970) Future Shock, Orrin Klapp (1986) Overload and Boredom, Richard Wurman (1989) Information Anixety, Andrew Keen (2007) The cult of the amateur, Maggie Jackson (2008), Distracted and Nicholas Carr (2010) The Shallows. The result of the analysis shows that there is a common discourse of how the subject of Information Overload is represented, which stretches in and between the books intertextually. In this study that discourse is called the dystopian discourse of Information Overload. It is structured by a unified use of narratives, concepts, themes, metaphors and statements and by its separation from the opposite utopian discourse of Information Overload. In the final discussion the results of the analysis are compared to postmodern theory, a problematisation of the concept of distraction and to the Swedish government’s 2012 investigation of reading habits of young people in the country. The conclusion of the study is that the two binary discourses discovered in the analysis – the dystopian and the utopian – should be avoided in the debate and research on Information Overload. Instead the discussion should be influenced by pluralism, complexity and awareness.

In the contemporary society, with the disintegration of political authoritarianism and the rise of democratic equality thoughts, as well as the flourishing information and popularity of medical knowledge, patients¡¦ autonomous consciousness and consumerist consciousness thus arise. In this information society, the boundless Internet brings a huge amount of information, and enables the general public to actively enrich themselves with professional medical knowledge, to have a online discussion with others, or to provide online support to each other. Such moves will transform the physician-patient relationship from the traditional ¡§professional led¡¨ interaction to different types of interaction, and hence the relationship between a physician and a patient generally deviates from the social hierarchy system in the past. Medical knowledge is no longer something that the physician can monopolize and enjoy exclusively. Accordingly, several types of physician-patient relationship have been developed. While the information revolution is generally striking the medical profession, in response to the future development and change in the medical field, some assistance should be given to medical students and practitioners to continuously learn new knowledge and new technology, as well as grasp and develop proper communication ability in this rapidly changing information age to build a solid foundation for their future role as a physician. Therefore, it leads to the author¡¦s query about ¡§what competence should a physician possess¡¨ to effectively manage the ¡§new physician-patient relationship management in the information society¡¨ mechanism, which becomes the motivation of making an in-depth study. It is hoped that the literature review and the in-depth interview in this study could help find out the way that physicians and patients ¡§adjust¡¨ to each others in these new types of physician-patient relationship in the information society. Moreover, physicians have to understand that only by improving the effect of their physician-patient relationship management can they create a win-win result under a harmonious physician-patient relationship.

In this study, the emergence of e-government as a &lsquo / governing rationality&rsquo / (i.e. e-governmentalisation) is analyzed from the Foucauldian genealogical perspective. In that sense, the type of governing rationalities, the modes of subjectivities, the strategies of power-knowledge and the practices of normalization/inclusion and exclusion that are linked to the emergence of e-governmentalisation are emphasized. Deleuze&rsquo / s essay on &lsquo / the societies of control&rsquo / is used as a theoretical framework in which the emergence of e-governmentalisation is positioned. Different aspects of the society of control are discussed within different chapters taking into account the material transformations in capitalism, the changing mentalities of the state, changing practices and rationalities of surveillance and the changing rationalities of inclusion and exclusion. Based on these analyzes, it is claimed that e-governmentalisation has two interrelated aspects. On the one hand, it is an &lsquo / ethico-political&rsquo / rationality which tries to transform individuals into active, techno-entrepreneurial subjects which is required for the production and re-production of the neoliberal knowledge-based society. On the other hand, it is a rationality of surveillance which tries to govern individuals through enhanced systems of surveillance such as databases. Throughout the thesis, the context of Turkey in terms of these two aspects of e-governmentalisation is also taken into account in order to make the theoretical discussions more concrete. It is concluded that e-governmentalisation is an intensifying rationality of the state which may have an influence on the identities of the citizens, on the formal citizenship status and on practices of inclusion and exclusion.

Whose internet regime? ¡§Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.¡¨ Although its purposes are nonprofit and to be the global representation, ICANN was criticized that it has been controlled by United State unilaterally since it was built for ten years. The United Nations empowered International Telecommunication Union to establish the World Summit of Information Society (WSIS), and tried to make sovereign states to co-govern the internet regime in 2003 and 2005. However, it was failed. Hence, this thesis retrospects the causes of WSIS failure with neo-realism¡¦s perspective and analyses the historical events and relative documents. The study finds that the core reason of WSIS failure is because ICANN is the institutional product of hegemony in the historical context. On the other hand, the material inferiority of WSIS and the structural constriction lead to the total failure of anti-hegemony power.

<p>Upphovsrätten har alltid varit föremål för två motstående intressen, dels upphovsrättsinnehavarens intresse, dels det allmännas intresse. Det är upp till lagstiftaren att bibehålla denna balans och samtidigt förse båda parter med tillfredställande lösningar. De enheter som interagerar i denna balansakt för den här uppsatsen är: upphovsrätten i sig, undantag till och inskränkningar i upphovsrätten, Trestegsregeln vilken skall reglera undantagen och inskränkningarna samt skyddet av tekniska åtgärder. Den sistnämnda enheten är en indirekt reaktion på informationssamhällets ankomst där upphovsrättsskyddade verk kan kopieras digitalt samt spridas med minimal ansträngning. Det som utmärker informationssamhället är ett ökat antal av digitala intrång, särskilt över Internet, samt det faktum att kopian av verket helt motsvarar originalets kvalité. För att motarbeta piratkopiering i informationssamhället samt harmonisera medlemsstaternas olikheter gällande undantag till och begränsningar i upphovsrätten, har ett upphovsrättsdirektiv framarbetats. Sverige implementerade direktivet 1 juli, 2005 och syftet med den här uppsatsen är att undersöka huruvida implementeringen har upprätthållit eller förvrängt denna känsliga balansakt. Informationssamhällets ankomst har särskilt påverkat undantaget för privat bruk, dels p.g.a. att intrång från aktörer i denna sektor är svårkontrollerade, samt dels p.g.a. den olägenhet som ett intrång i användarnas privata sfär skulle utgöra. Utifrån det som behandlas i denna uppsats visar det sig att balansen har upprätthållits rent generellt, men att det även har uppstått särskilda effekter som kan orsaka, eller kan komma att orsaka en förvriden balans. Exempelvis har den svenska lagstiftaren intagit en mycket restriktiv ställning, inte bara gentemot digitalt privat bruk, utan även gentemot analog användning. Det framgår också att Trestegstestet och dess ställning i nationell lag kan vara beroende av lagstiftningstraditioner. Vidare riskerar verk som är föremål för förmånstagare av ett lagstiftat undantag till upphovsrätten, att låsas in p.g.a. skyddet av tekniska åtgärder. Problemet är relaterat till den svenska lagstiftarens val att inte implementera en bestämmelse för ett ikraftträdande av undantag för privat bruk. Generellt sett är detta problem mycket komplext vilket förhindrar en lösning på ett sådant här tidigt stadium.</p> / <p>Copyright has always been the subject of two conflicting interests, that of the copyright owner and that of the public. It is up to the legislator to maintain this balance in order to provide a solution somewhat satisfying for both parties. The constituent elements in the balancing act for this thesis are the copyright, the exceptions and limitations to the copyright, the Three-Step Test limiting the exceptions and limitations and the protection of technological measures. This last element is a reaction to the Information Society, where copyrighted work can be copied digitally and disseminated with minimal effort. An increasing amount of infringements, especially on the Internet, and the fact that the copy becomes identical in quality to the original have become typical for the Information Society. To combat piracy in the Information Society and to harmonise the discrepancies in the exceptions and limitations of the Member States’ national laws, the InfoSoc Directive has been issued. Sweden implemented the Directive on July 1, 2005 and the purpose of this thesis is to examine whether the implementation has maintained or distorted the delicate balancing act. The Information Society has affected the exception for private use in particular, partly because digital infringements in this sector are hard to control since the users are anonymous and partly because of the inconvenience of encroaching on the private sphere of the users. As concluded in this thesis, the balance has been generally maintained, however there are specific effects that may have caused or are capable of causing a distorted balance. For instance, the Swedish legislator has restricted not only digital private use, but also analogue private use. Moreover, the Three-Step Test and its impact in national law may be dependent on national legal traditions. Furthermore, works subjected to beneficiaries of the exception for private use, risk a lock-up because of the protection of technological measures. This problem is related to the Swedish legislator’s choice of not implementing an enforcement provision related to the exception for private use. As for this problem in general, its complexity prevents a solution at this stage.</p>

In the late 90’s the creative industries emerged as a new concept to aggregate industries whose products were primarily based on creative inputs and were subject to intellectual property. In the field of media studies, the creative industries emerges as an attempt to understand a segmented and convergent media environment, and account for the impacts of new technologies of information and communication on society. The creative industries are considered key industries in the information society due to its reliance on knowledge and information. As a consequence many countries, regions and cities adopted plans and strategies to attract and/or develop creative industries in their territories hoping to foster local economic development. This adoption is evident not only at core cities and regions, but also at non-core places that are hoping to become a significant node in the information society. This dissertation investigates such a case of a non-core city, via the analysis of the core media related creative industries in the city of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. The analysis of Salvador’s core media related creative industries indicates the importance of the logic of proximity/agglomeration and concentration for the creative industries, and also indicates how a non-core city incorporates the concept the creative industries and the media related creative industries into its development planning and economic development strategy. / text