Precursors of the IT Nation: Computer Use and Control in Swedish Society, 1955–1985

Abstract

Abstract. This paper is a presentation of a research project that aims at writing the history of computing in Sweden in the mainframe age from a user perspective. Rather than beginning with the history of hardware, this project takes as its point of departure the way in which actors in different sectors of society used computer technology in order to achieve a higher degree of control over crucial processes, whether through electronic data processing systems, process control or technical/scientific computation.

Computers and Welfare: The Swedish Debate on the Politics of Computerization in the 1970s and the 1980s

“…The ability to control and rationalize provided by the digital technology proved indispensable for the expanding public sector as well as for trade and business. At the turn of the decade, the effects of the new technology on Swedish society became increasingly apparent [6][7][8][9].…”