Information Anthropology: Methodological Approaches of the Russian Scientists

Background/Objectives: The article aims to reveal the specifics of understanding a wide range of anthropological problems arising in the informatization processes due to the current social changes in terms of information anthropology. Methods/Statistical Analysis: Publications by Russian authors, investigating the problem of information anthropology and the specifics of the Homo Informaticus formation were studied by the content analysis. The characteristics of existing methodological approaches to understanding the information anthropology content were correlated using the comparative analysis. The systematic approach was applied by the authors to identify possible options for the structure of information anthropology in different approaches to its constitutioning. Findings: For the first time a comparative analysis of methodological approaches to the understanding the content of information anthropology by Russian researchers was conducted. The differences in the approaches are determined by different understanding of anthropology as a study of humans; differing views about the role of information in the society; particular emphasis in the analysis of human qualities, manifested in the communicative processes - either essentially biological or mainly social qualities are distinguished. Eight possible variants of information anthropology formation are characterized on the basis of three criteria groups. It is revealed that in most publications modern society is defined as a historical framework for the information and anthropological studies, and the information anthropology is more often associated with the Internet-anthropology or computer anthropology. The authors oppose their approach to the conventional understanding of the information society. They developed a broad approach to understanding the information anthropology, enabling to extend its problems to all stages of human history, and to identify the main historical types of “Homo Informaticus”. Application/Improvements: The methodological approach substantiated by the authors can be effectively used to perform further analysis of anthropological problems of informatization and to form the main directions of information policy.