Abstract:

The social and technological changes which are under way in Britain, as in most developed countries, have direct implications for commerce and government. The increasing ease of access to new information technologies may well lead to radically different forms of social interaction and consumer behaviour in the coming years. However, relatively little is known about how such pressures for change will impact on society. This paper sets out the rationale and approach which will be adopted in a major longitudinal study of the United Kingdom in a time of change. Data from pilot studies are reported.