Culture, Identity, and Information Technology in the 21st Century: Implications for U.S. National Security

Authored by Dr. Pauline Kusiak.

August 2012

37 Pages

Brief Synopsis

While it is impossible to predict the values and beliefs of future generations, a modest forecast is made by tracing global trends in the use of language and media, as well as in the use of information and communication technologies. The potential implications of these culture and identity trends for the strength of the U.S. “signal” in the global info-communication sphere are analyzed. The author suggests that the information that will dominate the 21st century, particularly the beliefs and values of foreign societies, may increasingly and more directly impact our own national security, making it ever more critical for policymakers to understand issues of cultural change and identity formation from a strategic perspective.

Summary

This monograph describes strategic trends in cultural change and identity formation in the 21st century. While it is impossible to predict credibly the values and beliefs of future generations, the first part of the monograph provides a modest forecast by tracing global trends in the use of language and media, as well as in the use of information and communication technologies. The second part then draws out potential implications of these culture and identity trends for the strength of the U.S. “signal” in the global info-communication sphere.

The analysis by Dr. Pauline Kusiak suggests that in the next several decades, the world is likely to be more ideologically fragmented than at any time during the 20th century and that the ability of the United States to push back against other “centers of influence” may be comparatively reduced. At the same time, existing legal frameworks, bureaucratic methods, and strategic communication techniques are likely to be greatly strained by the emergent norms of a future saturated by information and communication technologies. Ultimately, Dr. Kusiak suggests that in the information-dominated 21st century, the beliefs and values of foreign societies may increasingly and more directly impact our own national security, making it ever more critical for policymakers to understand issues of cultural change and identity formation from a strategic perspective.

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