№ 5 - 2002
Chugunov A.V.
Prospects for the Development in Russia of “Information Society” (Social Portrait of the Russian Internet Audience, as Emerging from the Data of Sociological Tests)

Since in Russia the subject field of studies within the frameworks of the “Internet and Contemporary Society” interdisciplinary complex of problems is just being formed, the author begins his article with a review of theoretical approaches to the study of “information society” that are available in the world science. Then, on having curtly outlined the situation in Russian science concerning the study of the Internet audience and of the extent to which information-communication technologies are used in the country, he undertakes to analyze the impact of such technologies on social structure of Russian society and demonstrates that by a number of indices Russian Internet users approximate to the so-called middle class. The concluding part of the article presents subjective views of those who resort to the services and technologies of the Internet, on the prospects of its development in Russia.