Global Transformations in Knowledge—social and Cultural Issues

In this response the statistical contours of the so-called knowledge economy are first described. This description does not constitute a capitulation to the hyperbole of those who see the dawning of a utopia in the knowledge era. Rather it merely provides a context to introduce the contributors to this theme and their analyses of the social and cultural issues implicit in the globalization of knowledge. Whilst the contributors raise a diverse set of issues, they nevertheless share the view that knowledge must be understood in its social context—and that social analysis of knowledge must encompass many dimensions, from the political to the cultural. In light of this, the idea of knowledge is analyzed and many conventional accounts are found to treat the concept of knowledge in a social vacuum. Similarly, the term globalization is criticized and problematized. These two definitional critiques allow for the discussion proper to proceed, raising the key social issues implicit in confronting the globalization of knowledge, namely the issue of equity of distribution and access and the cultural implications of the unbridled commodification of knowledge. These issues lead, by way of conclusion, to consideration of the knowledge society as a complex system and a discussion of its possible trajectories.