The mission of the Center for the Information Society is to pursue the human context of the global information society at multiple levels of analysis: individual, group, organizational, institutional, societal and global. In doing so, the Center serves as a focal point within the College of Information Sciences and Technology and at The Pennsylvania State University for interdisciplinary social science research, publication, education and outreach into the human context surrounding the emerging global, information society. By "human context" we mean individuals, groups, organizations, institutions and societies. Within this context people use information and communications technologies in their work, in their homes, and in their communities. Thus, the uses of information and communication technologies are embedded into human use, and must be evaluated in this context.

Focus

The intellectual structure of the Center can be represented as the integration of three elements. From a theory perspective, the goal of the Center is to articulate the problems and opportunities of the information society and to develop, test and expand theories that help us to better understand their effects. From an application perspective, the Center's work spans levels of analysis -- from the individual to the global level -- and a range of regions, nations, global contexts, institutions, and particular technologies. From a methods perspective, the research in this Center integrates a range of approaches such as longitudinal studies, ethnographic studies, surveys, intensive fieldwork, simulations, field evaluations and technology trials, and combined or multi-method studies. The Center integrates these elements in order to establish theories, methods, tools, data sets, and research approaches to address these national and international problems.

The intellectual structure of the Center can also be seen in terms of the partnerships and opportunities with like-interested colleagues from across Penn State. Partnerships and research opportunities bring together colleagues in: the Africana Research Center; the College of Arts and Architecture; the College of Communications; the College of Education; the Department of Geography; the Department of Labor Studies and Industrial Relations, the Rock Ethics Institute; the Science, Technology and Society Program; the Smeal College of Business Administration; the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Program; and the Women's Studies Program. One of the greatest values that this Center provides is a vehicle to link and leverage the world-class scholars at Penn State whose research contributes to a better understanding of the issues confronting the information society.