Knowledge Society in Lithuania

Introduction

Knowledge Society is a widely spread concept, which is used more and more in an everyday life and scientific research. There are many different opinions regarding the emergence of the knowledge society in a nowadays world. In this paper I will investigate empirical evidences for the emergence and the non-emergence of the knowledge society in Lithuania.

In the first part of the paper I will define the term “Knowledge Society”, show its reliance on terms “knowledge” and “information”, and its difference from “Information Society”. In the second part of the paper I will describe the indicators and measures of the knowledge society. Later I will provide some empirical evidences for the emergence and the non-emergence of the knowledge society in Lithuania. In the last part of the paper I will provide the concluded personal opinion, based upon described evidences.

Definition of Knowledge Society

In this section I’ll define the term “Knowledge Society” and other closely related and often used terms.

In his book, Information Science – an integrated view , Debons (1988) interprets the information’s phenomenon like “information as knowledge”. In this context Debons (1988) refers to information as a person’s intellectual capability to draw conclusions. Knowledge, according to Debons (1988), must be deduced, not simply sensed, differently from information. From the other hand, this definition shows that information and knowledge are closely related. I agree with such a view and later in this paper I’ll show the relationship both between information and knowledge and between information society and knowledge society.

Knowledge society is a widely used term today, but it is not so easy to find a clear definition of it.

One of the first definitions was given by Bell (1974), who described the knowledge society as the one that uses knowledge for direct change and innovation.

About ten years later Yoneji Mashuda (1983) introduced the concept of the information society, to replace the concept of the post-industrial society. For Mashuda, the information society is the highest form of the welfare society, and one in which intellectual creativity flourishes instead of industrial consumption.

Miller (2002) tried to explain the knowledge society as empowering its citizens with a capacity for intellectual or physical action. I partially agree with such a definition, but in my opinion, it is very important to emphasize the value of “for intellectual or physical action”. In my opinion, knowledge society leads to development, and development is understood only as a positive valuable change, not just any action.

In the Ministry’s of Economic Development (2010) of New Zeeland I found the following definition of knowledge society: “the term Knowledge Society refers to any society where knowledge is the primary production resource instead of capital and labour. A Knowledge society creates, shares and uses knowledge for the prosperity and well-being of its people".

Explaining the knowledge society’s establishment process, Michael Paetau (2003) noticed, that “social knowledge cannot have any meaning other than that of the construction of a recursive network of autonomous systems each of which has its own modes and results of observation. Only via such a network can the world observe itself and learn to know what it knows”.

Some authors (Sally Burch, 2006) point out, that “the notion “knowledge society” emerged toward the end of the 90s and is particularly used as an alternative by some in academic circles to the “information society”.

Terms “Knowledge society” and “Information society” are often used interchangeably, as synonyms, and mean the same for some authors (Lor & Britz, 2007). I don’t agree with such a simplification, as there is a difference between these two societies, and the difference is very close to the one between information and knowledge. That picture below presents this difference in a very clear way:

illustration not visible in this excerpt

Picture 1. Data, information and knowledge (Source: Spiegler, 2003:534)

Still, information and knowledge societies resemble in a way, that they are both post-industrial societies. The industrial society nowadays is losing its dominance, the importance of information in growing, and the new kind of society is under development. Kauppinen (2005) explains, that “the world is moving more towards the knowledge society where knowledge is becoming the dominant driver of change. This change can be described and symbolised by the growing importance of mental capacity, unlike the industrial society where the physical capacity of workers was more important and where the thinking was done by people in management and planning positions”.

Below is a very clear scheme which shows the knowledge society as a one, overwhelming a lot of different new-type societies – learning society, network society, information society etc.

illustration not visible in this excerpt

Picture 2. Old societies and emerging new societies. (Source: Kauppinen, T., 2005. The ‘puzzle’ of the knowledge society. In: Irish Presidency, Conference ‘Foresight for innovations – thinking and debating the future: Shaping and aligning policies’. European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions)

Most definitely, skills formation is an essential feature of all future societies. Many authors agree, that people learn from changes just by participating in learning processes and their implementation (Ranson, 1998; Coffield, 2000). All kinds of future societies are based on the development of new technologies. Information is another key concept related to all future models of the post-industrial societies.

Indicators and Measures of Knowledge Society

In this section I will describe different measures and indicators, which are usually used for valuing the knowledge society. Some of them will be used later in this paper as evidences of the emergence of the knowledge society in Lithuania, and the others will be used for the opposite task, as evidences of the non-emergence of the knowledge society.

Euforia project reports (2003,2004) define the indicators, essential for advancement towards the knowledge society, as follows:

- self-directed learning, i.e. learning that people use by themselves when they want to learn something new;
- use of online e-learning for work-related learning;
- use of e-learning for work-related training;
- participation in work-related training, which is provided by the employer. (The ‘puzzle’ of the knowledge society, Paper presented at the Irish Presidency Conference ‘Foresight for innovations – thinking and debating the future: Shaping and aligning policies’, 2004).

Mika Naumanen (2003) has built a conceptual model of a knowledge society, which can be used as a knowledge society barometer. The knowledge society would include components like application of ICT as well as impacts of research and development (R&D). The final purpose, according to Naumanen (2003) is to enhance value for the citizens and this can be seen in measures like entrepreneurship, innovation, environmental awareness, and also in the development of values.

European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions defined the following measures as important for valuing knowledge society:

- Home Internet access
- Internet use in the population
- Cellular phone subscribers
- Internet in schools
- Workers who use computers for work
- Internet dial-up access costs (residential)
- Internet dial-up access costs (business)
- ADSL prices
- Home ADSL access
- Availability of government services online
- eCommerce via Internet

Frequently asked questions

What is the main topic discussed in this text?

The text focuses on the concept of the Knowledge Society, its definition, its relationship to other concepts like Information Society, and its potential emergence (or non-emergence) in Lithuania.

How does the text define "Knowledge Society"?

The text presents various definitions of "Knowledge Society" from different authors, highlighting that it's a society where knowledge is the primary production resource (instead of capital and labor) and used for the prosperity and well-being of its people. It also mentions that it's a society using knowledge for direct change and innovation and one that empowers citizens with intellectual or physical capabilities for valuable (positive) action.

What is the difference between "Knowledge Society" and "Information Society" according to this text?

The text emphasizes that "Knowledge Society" and "Information Society" are not interchangeable. The key difference lies in the distinction between information and knowledge. Information is seen as data, while knowledge is understanding and insights derived from that information. Knowledge Society goes beyond simply having access to information; it emphasizes the ability to use and apply knowledge effectively.

What indicators and measures are used to assess the Knowledge Society?

The text mentions several indicators, including:

• Self-directed learning
• Use of online e-learning for work-related purposes
• Participation in work-related training
• Application of ICT
• Impacts of Research and Development (R&D)
• Entrepreneurship
• Innovation
• Environmental awareness
• Development of values
• Home Internet access
• Internet use in the population
• Cellular phone subscribers
• Internet in schools
• Workers who use computers for work
• Internet access costs
• ADSL prices and availability
• Availability of government services online
• eCommerce via Internet

Does the text mention any alternative views or potential downsides to the Knowledge Society?

Yes, the text introduces the concept of a "risk society" (as proposed by Ulrich Beck), where the emphasis is on the potential negative consequences of unchecked technological advancement, unsustainable use of nature, and various societal risks. This presents a more pessimistic, anti-utopian view compared to the optimistic view of a Knowledge Society.

What is the significance of Lithuania in this text?

The text states that it will investigate empirical evidence for the emergence (or non-emergence) of the Knowledge Society specifically in the context of Lithuania. The indicators and measures discussed will likely be used to analyze Lithuania's progress toward becoming a Knowledge Society.