Technology touches every aspect of our lives. From the electronic doors in supermarkets to the cars we drive and the clothes we wear, technology affects us all. Dialysis machines save lives and televisions provide us with our entertainment. It is almost impossible to imagine a world without it. This is reflected in the development of a new literature in the social sciences; that is, an analysis of the information society, the information economy and now the information polity. The information polity has resulted in hundreds of studies about the new technologies and their current and potential effects. As early as 1976, Daniel Bell began to stress its importance in post-industrial society. It has since been argued that it is so essential, that post-Fordist society could not operate without it. That is, just as production line technology was essential in the development of Fordism, information technology and communication systems are necessary for the development of post-Fordism.

Technology touches every aspect of our lives. From the electronic doors in supermarkets to the cars we drive and the clothes we wear, technology affects us all. Dialysis machines save lives and televisions provide us with our entertainment. It is almost impossible to imagine a world without it. This is reflected in the development of a new literature in the social sciences; that is, an analysis of the information society, the information economy and now the information polity. The information polity has resulted in hundreds of studies about the new technologies and their current and potential effects. As early as 1976, Daniel Bell began to stress its importance in post-industrial society. It has since been argued that it is so essential, that post-Fordist society could not operate without it. That is, just as production line technology was essential in the development of Fordism, information technology and communication systems are necessary for the development of post-Fordism.