OECD Blue Sky Research. The concept of knowledge in a knowledge society in the light of Nico Stehr’s theory

Abstract

The paper discusses reflections discussed during the OECD Blue Sky project, aimed to develop a new set of statistical indicators for knowledge-based economy, notably the concept of knowledge in a knowledge-based society developed by prof. Nico Stehr’s, a German sociologist specialising in transformation of contemporary societies into knowledge- based societies. One part of the paper discusses Nico Stehr’s work and his theory of knowledge in the knowledge-based society whereas the second part describes the Blue Sky research project where Stehr’s theory was discussed as a point of departure for developing a set of indicators to describe knowledge-based economy. In this second part of the paper the author stresses the importance of methodological work conducted internationally by statisticians under the OECD aegis for the development of knowledge about knowledge and knowledge about innovation systems. Special attention is drawn to work aimed at capitalisation of R&D within the System of National Accounts (SNA). Stehr believes that the term “knowledge society” is a more appropriate label for the new stage of development than terms such as post-industrial society, post-capitalist society or information society. He defines knowledge as a capacity to act. The current transformation in the structure of the economy stems from another stage in transformation of the role of scientific knowledge in the society. Since the second half of the 20th century knowledge in the form or data, Computer software, operational research etc., which Stehr terms as “action knowledge”, has gradually become capable of non-manual production and has evolved into a social resource which, in some respects, is similar to human labour. This is the essence of a knowledge-based economy. In technologically advanced modern societies a growing body of work occurs at the second level of production, no longer governed by laws of naturę but, rather, by social constructs. The author also presents reflections on the futurę of the knowledge-based society, which Sterns describes as fragile, unstable and sensitive. This stems, among other reasons, from the contingency of knowledge. In her finał comments the author discusses the critique of notions such as “knowledge-based society” or “information society”, notably the views of Frank Webster, a British sociologist who criticises those notions as too generalising and ideological.