|
Written by James
N. Danziger, William H. Dutton, Rob
Kling and Kenneth L. Kraemer Columbia University Press, 1982. |
Computers and Politics examines the control of and
the interests served by computers in American local governments. Focusing on
questions of power and influence, the authors evaluate the impacts of
computing on government services and management decision-making. The authors
also provide those managers and officials who make policies with insight and
guidance for the better use of information technology.
This book begins by looking at the concept of
technology, then develops a definition of computer technology as a
"package.: Four alternative perspectives for understanding the politics
of computing are explicated---managerial rationalism, technocratic elitism,
organizational pluralism, and reinforcement politics. Then, considering
these perspectives, the authors provide a theoretical framework as a means
of analyzing the current effects of technology within the context of
computer use by local governments. Incorportating extensive empirical
research, later chapters examine the scope of understanding each of these
perspectives provides for the key issues--whether there is a differential
distribution of benefits from computing; the identification of those
benefits with major decisional control over computing; the uses of
computer-based information by policy makers; the impact of the external
environment on development of the government's computer package; and the
selective use of computing across urban public services.
A central conclusion of this informative study is
that computing reinforces prevailing structures of control and prevailing
biases within the government. The authors intelligently argue for a reversal
of these existing patterns and for some "democratization" of
computer technology. This penetrating analysis conclucdes with the authors'
suggestions on who should govern computer technology in local government and
whose interests should be served.
| [back to Recent Publications] [Students and Courses] [Scholarly projects/interests] [Handy Links] | |
|
Professor Rob Kling The Information Society (journal) Center for Social Informatics 10th & Jordan, Library 012 Indiana University Bloomington, IN 47405-1801 |
http://www.slis.indiana.edu/kling/ http://www.slis.indiana.edu/TIS/ http://www.slis.indiana.edu/CSI/ 812-855-9763 -- Fax: 855-6166 |
|---|---|