The sociology of knowledge as the important factor of Belarusian digital economy development

Abstract

 The article considers various elements and components of digital economy. The role of numerous types of knowledge (technical, theoretical (scientific), organisational, ordinary, local, unorganised, individual, etc.) in the development of the latter is revealed. The possibilities of the sociology of knowledge in studying of such problems as the problem of comprehensive description of the phenomenon of knowledge in general, the problem of differentiation of processes of knowledge transformation (such processes today include socialisation, externalisation, combination, internalisation, demonstration, codification, audiovisual recording of knowledge, its standardisation, its transfer from a category of public goods to a category of private goods, monopolisation of knowledge, etc.), are determined. Based on the results of the study, the following conclusions are substantiated. Scientific knowledge can become a key resource of the digital economy if it undergoes the process of codification using specialised methods. Theoretical scientific knowledge should be published in the open press, digitisedand posted on the Internet to ensure free access to them; applied scientific knowledge of technological nature must be patented and licensed. The sociology of knowledge can become an important factor in the development of the digital economy of Belarus if the studies carried out by representatives of this area of the Belarusian sociological science on such problems as defining of knowledge priorities, inclusiveness of the scientific knowledge in the digital economy, social adaptation of scientific knowledge, elimination of the existing techno-humanitarian imbalance, etc., are intensified.