Entry Into The Information Society : The View From Tajikistan

The pervasiveness of information technology is evident from both the popular and research literature. Electronic commerce, in particular, has recently captured the attention of the popular media as a way of conducting global transactions with a perceived minimum of cost and infrastructure requirements. Researchers and professionals alike have been quick to proclaim a global trend towards a new information age. Historians observe the tremendous benefits arising from the advent of mechanised production in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries led to the Industrial Society. Similarly, contemporary sources envisage a halcyon Information Society wherein information production and use will alleviate many socio-economic problems. The paper discusses this overall societal transformation process with respect to a recent systems development engagement in Tajikistan. The paper argues that whereas many countries are embracing new technology, there are still states that lack the necessary economic, social and cultural requirements to take appropriate advantage. Based on analysis and supporting anecdotal evidence, it is considered that a digital divide is arising between states in a fashion similar to that, which divided states during the Industrial Age. Avenues for further research are explored.