Inequality and Mobilization in The Information Age

Abstract

This article focuses on Manuel Castells's claim that the information age announces major changes in stratification and, accordingly, in social and political mobilization. His assertion that informational labour displaces generic labour in informational capitalism is examined in terms of its conceptual and historical accuracy, and questions are raised about the notion of meritocracy embedded in his depiction of informational labour. The idea that the network society is characterized by `a faceless collective capitalist' is also called into question by evidence of the persistence of a propertied class. Finally, Castells's analysis of the emergence and significance of identitybased mobilizations is examined.

Features and Future of the Network Society: The Demographic, Technological and Social Context of Higher Education

“…It might be true that new social relationships are developing, but old associations like social classes have not disappeared (Halcli & Webster 2000). We have shown above that 'old' divides, based on gender, age, wealth, skills, etc.…”

Modernity, Complexity and Mixed Articulation

“…Verdadeiras possibilidades de avanços civilizatórios descansam nos estilos de vida plurais e muito individualizados, conquanto intersticiais, que são segregados nos poros das sociedades contemporâneas. Ainda assim as relações de classe, que retêm fortes elementos do capitalismo clássico, não obstante mudanças na direção do predomínio das grandes corporações (Halcli e Webster, 2000), e a burocracia perita, racional-legal, fornecem muito da espinha dorsal da modernidade avançada. Os movimentos sociais contemporâneos encontram-se em grande medida conectados a esse eixo institucional.…”

“…True possibilities of civilizational breakthroughs do lie in the plural though interstitial and highly individualized life-styles which can be found in contemporary societies. Even so, class relations, which retain strong features of classic capitalism, corporate changes notwithstanding (Halcli and Webster, 2000), and rational-legal, expert bureaucracy furnish much of the backbone of advanced modernity. Contemporary social movements are to a great extent still connected to this institutional cluster.…”

Soziale Ungleichheit in der Informations- und Wissensgesellschaft

“…hierzuHalcli/Webster (2000);Perkmann (1999);Stehr (2000);Abell/Reyniers (2000) und die Replik vonCastells (2001).…”