ABSTRACT
A term used to describe those societies in which knowledge is the motor for social,
economic, cultural and political development and change.
The focus of this book so far has been on changing knowledge; knowledge about
societies and the knowledge that is produced by the social sciences. This focus on change
suggests that the world we live in is being transformed, perhaps at a faster rate than at
previous moments in history. There are, of course, continuities, but how we know about
the changes that are taking place is a fast moving field. There is dispute about the extent
of change as well as debate about the benefits and advantages of the changes that may be
taking place and this chapter covers different approaches. We consider some of the ways
in which change and the growth of knowledge can be seen as beneficial and desirable on
the one hand as well as, on the other hand, creating greater anxiety. However, we would
like to start by exploring in a bit more detail the claim that knowledge is particularly
important in contemporary societies and by offering a discussion of what we mean by the
term ‘the knowledge society’.
