GLOBAL SOCIETY AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - SOCIAL-SCIENCE CHALLENGESIN THE 21ST-CENTURY

Information technology will greatly influence the quality of life in t he 21st century. The challenge is to use the technology to help overco me numerous global, regional, and local problems that threaten the qua lity of life. These problems include global overpopulation, intense an d potentially socioeconomically destructive global economic competitio n, continued pressures on the global environment, increasing levels of regionalized armed conflicts, regional water shortages and other regi onal environmental problems, and local transportation congestion, pove rty, crime, and drug abuse. Social scientists must become aggressively involved and accept leadership roles in the conceptualization, develo pment, and implementation of computer-based systems that have broad so cial impact.