Abstract
The text is extracted from a book which was written by J. Wickham in 2008. This chapter focuses on the knowledge-based society (KBS) in Europe. As the author asserts it, he was tried to understand the relation between knowledge and social structure.
The first part of the text is specifically about the social structure of the KBS. He first explains that it is generally agreed knowledge is often is comparable to power and it affects the occupations in the society. Then, he speaks about three authors' theories in order to show how knowledge influences the social structure. Firstly, according to Bell, our post-industrial societies are characterized by the growing importance of scientific knowledge, and it has an impact on economic growth.
However, Bell remains uncertain about the relationship there are between knowledge and occupation. Finally, Bell also argues that knowledge has been institutionalized and its expansion is now decided at a political level. Then, Wickham states the conception of Reich about knowledge and social structure. In global economies, Reich explains that corporations are not national any more (but global) because their ownership is dispersed. These new societies are also characterized by an expansion of networks and interconnections, but also by more highly skilled individuals.
