Computers and Literacy: Differing Perspectives in the Social Sciences

Abstract

This introduction to the symposium provides a historical and comparative background to the controversies surrounding computer literacy. In doing so, it develops the significance of this controversy within the social sciences. These discussions challenge social scientists to reconsider the role of computer-related instruction in the social sciences. But more broadly, the controversy over computer literacy embeds themes that are critical to the study of technology and society more generally. The concept itself is rooted in cultural symbols such as literacy and technology, and the debates over computer literacy reflect competing theoretical perspectives on the societal implications of commumcations and mformation technology. Keywords: literacy, computers, social impacts, technology, society.