The Knowledge Society between inconsistencies and social inequalities

The Knowledge Society idea is closely connected to the possible directions of development of contemporary societies. As is known, the current historical phase is characterised by the problematic advance of the processes of globalisation and crisis. Some of the significant drivers of change that clearly demonstrate the high degree of complexity in today’s social systems include financialisation of the economy, opening up of international markets, new/net/knowledge economies, transformation of the workplace, intensification of information and people flows, multiplication of forms of communication and the consequent redefinition of individual-society relations. In this context, the concept of the Knowledge Society seems to be primarily configured as an attempt to provide an analytical summary of the transformations taking place, to then return to an operational vision of the future on which to normatively base political actions aimed at the definition of a new model of society. Thus, from the point of view of the analysis of social change, some scholars show a paradigm shift: that is, a transition from a material dimension to an intangible dimension, from hardware to software, from realisation to conception, from markets to networks. Based on this transformation, the need for a Knowledge Society appears as completely evident. But it is not so obvious that the routes that started at a national level will lead to positive results in terms of social inclusion, expansion of the cultural base, and job and professional satisfaction. The problem that remains to be solved is how these aims can be pursued effectively and under what political strategy. The special issue aims to present research findings on the Knowledge Society idea, and its implications within both the social inclusion and exclusion processes. Wide space will be dedicated to the research products that investigate the effects of these transformations in all major dimensions of social life. Both empirical and theoretical contributions are welcome