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Knowledge Societies
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Knowledge Societies



October 1994 | 304 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd
In this broad-ranging analysis of the central role that knowledge plays in our life, Nico Stehr critically examines the premises of existing social theory and explores the knowledge relations in advanced societies. The result is a significant new synthesis of social theory.

The issues addressed in Knowledge Societies include: the process of scientization; the transformation of the political system by increasingly knowledgeable citizens; the rise of specific areas of expertise and changes in corresponding institutions based on the deployment of specialized knowledge; a shift in the nature of societal conflict from struggles about the allocation of income and property to claims and conflict about generalized human needs; and the emergence of fragility as a basic attribute of modern social organizations.

Stehr's argument amply demonstrates that all social theories now need to take account of the changing nature of social relations around knowledge, and it defines the parameters within which this analysis should take place.

 
Introduction
Knowledge and Social Action

 
 
The Concept of Knowledge Societies
 
Theories of Society
 
The Constitution of Modern Societies
 
The Design of Post-Industrial Societies
 
Knowledge about Knowledge
 
The Economic Structure of Knowledge Societies
 
Experts, Counselors and Advisers
 
The Technical State
 
The Texture of Knowledge Societies
 
Conclusion

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