Tieto- ja viestintäteknologia teknologiavetoisen yhteiskunnan rakentajana ja yhteiskuntapolitiikan välineenä

Authors

• Antti Pelkonen

Abstract

This article analyses the objectives related to information and communication technologies (ICTs) in governmental technology policy programs and societal development strategies in Finland between 1980 and 2000. In recent years, Finnish technology policy has been influenced by theories of the post-industrial society, information society and network society, and it has aimed at high technology intensive economic growth. Despite the growing uncertainty in the ICT-markets that has lately started to undermine the guidelines of the policy, the rapid growth of the ICT cluster and fast structural change in the economy are expressions of economic success. According to the theories of the information society and network society, however, ICTs have the potential to radically change society. Yet the societal developments have been, to a large extent, overshadowed by the growth of the economy. The article analyses which larger societal objectives are related to ICTs and how they are balanced with economic objectives. The objectives are examined in relation to changes in social and technology policy. The data consists of key technology and social policy documents, as well as interviews with policy-makers in the Finnish technology administration.