On the evidence presented by the Trend Trackers, we might well assert that, “Yes, we are living in an Information Society and that we are subject to vast changes that affect our work, leisure and even our most intimate relationships.”

But according to many social scientists, looking at new ICTs doesn’t give us the whole picture. Most people in most parts of the world, still work in offices and shops and, to a lesser extent, on farms or in other food production; they still socialise face-to-face with small to medium sized groups who are close to where they live; in most parts of the world they live in dwellings that have changed remarkably little in past decades.

If we look beyond the bounds of Western Europe, the US and other parts of the Pacific Rim, we might be excused for thinking that the Information Society is merely an exaggerated claim.

Yet, even in areas...