Families, Cultural Resources and the Digital Divide: ICTs and Educational (dis)Advantage

2003 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence Angus ◽  
Ilana Snyder ◽  
Wendy Sutherland-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Information Communication Technologies ◽  
Cultural Resources ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Critical Elements ◽  
Gain Access

By concentrating on cases of family engagement with information communication technologies at a very local level, this paper tries to illustrate that issues related to ‘access’ and social disadvantage require extremely sophisticated and textured accounts of the multiple ways in which interrelated critical elements and various social, economic and cultural dimensions of disadvantage come into play in different contexts. Indeed, to draw a simple dichotomy between the technology haves and have-nots in local settings is not particularly generative. It may be the case that, even when people from disadvantaged backgrounds manage to gain access to technology, they remain relatively disadvantaged.

Exploring the Notion of ‘Technology as a Public Good’

2013 ◽  
pp. 1472-1488
Author(s):  
Sunnie Lee Watson ◽  
Thalia Mulvihill
Keyword(s):  
Public Good ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Information Communication Technologies ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Asian Context ◽  
Active Policy ◽  
Research Recommendations

This chapter aims to explore the historical, sociological, and economic factors that engender inequities related to digital technologies in the East Asian educational context. By employing critical social theory perspectives, the chapter discusses and argues for the notion of “Technology as a Public Good” by examining the Chinese, Japanese and Korean societies’ digital divide. This chapter examines how East Asian societies are exhibiting similar yet different problems in providing equitable access to information communication technologies to the less advantaged due to previously existing social structures, and discusses the urgency of addressing these issues. Based on the analysis of the digital divide in the East Asian context, this chapter also proposes and argues for the notion of “technology as a public good” in public and educational policies for information communication technologies. Finally, the chapter invites policymakers, researchers and educators to explore a more active policy approach regarding the digital divide solution, and provides specific future research recommendations for ICT policies and policy implementation in digital divide solutions.

scholarly journals Possible, Probable and Preferable Futures of the Digital Divide

10.28945/2651 ◽  
2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Contemporary Problem ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Information Communication Technologies ◽  
Review Of Literature ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Technology Strategies ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Quantitative Assessments

The digital divide is widely recognized as a contemporary problem between society and technology. Strategies for bridging the digital divide are often informed and guided by quantitative assessments of the deployment of information communication technologies. There are few rigorous qualitative attempts to assess the digital divide from either an ethnographic or a futures-oriented perspective. This paper reports findings from a study that examined the possible, probable and preferable futures of the digital divide from an ethnographic perspective. The contents of this report include background to the problem of the digital divide, a review of literature describing the relationship between society and technology, findings from the data collection, and implications for future strategies to bridge the digital divide.

Exploring the Notion of ‘Technology as a Public Good’

2011 ◽  
pp. 40-57
Author(s):  
Sunnie Lee Watson ◽  
Thalia Mulvihill
Keyword(s):  
Public Good ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Information Communication Technologies ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Asian Context ◽  
Active Policy ◽  
Research Recommendations

This chapter aims to explore the historical, sociological, and economic factors that engender inequities related to digital technologies in the East Asian educational context. By employing critical social theory perspectives, the chapter discusses and argues for the notion of “Technology as a Public Good” by examining the Chinese, Japanese and Korean societies’ digital divide. This chapter examines how East Asian societies are exhibiting similar yet different problems in providing equitable access to information communication technologies to the less advantaged due to previously existing social structures, and discusses the urgency of addressing these issues. Based on the analysis of the digital divide in the East Asian context, this chapter also proposes and argues for the notion of “technology as a public good” in public and educational policies for information communication technologies. Finally, the chapter invites policymakers, researchers and educators to explore a more active policy approach regarding the digital divide solution, and provides specific future research recommendations for ICT policies and policy implementation in digital divide solutions.

Digital Divide and Social Cleavage: Case Studies of ICT Usage among Peasants in Contemporary China

2011 ◽  
Vol 207 ◽  
pp. 580-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuhua Guo ◽  
Peng Chen
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Structural Transformation ◽  
Social Transformation ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Information Communication Technologies ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Contemporary China ◽  
Ict Adoption ◽  
Social Cleavage

AbstractDuring its structural transformation, rural China witnessed the emergence of four types of village: traditional, industrialized, commercial and villages in cities. Information Communication Technologies (ICTs), including fixed phones, cell phones, television sets and the internet (with personal computers), are now commonly used in Chinese villages but in ways that differentiate villagers according to variables such as occupation, villager membership and social status. The adoption of ICTs by peasants not only represents but also accelerates growing peasant differentiation; in other words, the function of ICTs could not penetrate the barrier of social structure. Meanwhile, structural transformation in China has been an activator to shaping peasants' diversified ideas about information, and the demand for and usage of ICTs. An analysis of peasants' ICT adoption thus enables us to identify the basic trends and characteristics of social transformation in contemporary China.

Promoting Transparency and Strengthening Public Trust in Government through Information Communication Technologies?

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank L. K. Ohemeng ◽  
Kwaku Ofosu-Adarkwa
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Public Trust ◽  
Information Communication Technologies ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Trust In Government ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
The Public ◽  
Remarkable Progress

This paper attempts to examine Ghana's quest to use ICT as a tool to enhance transparency and build public trust in government. The questions the paper attempts to answer are: what are the main challenges confronting the government's e-governance initiative as a tool to ensure transparency and citizens' trust in the public sector? What steps are being taken to address these challenges? We argue that while Ghana seems to have made remarkable progress in this endeavour, it still faces a number of significant obstacles, which must be addressed if the objectives of its e-governance project are to be fully realized. Key challenges include infrastructure development for the growth of ICT, the huge gap in access to ICT (or what may be described as the digital divide), and the change in organizational culture to enhance easy accessibility to public documents.

scholarly journals Influence of Digital Divide and Experience on Nigerian University Students’ Attitude Towards the Use of Information Communication Technologies for Learning

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 96-102
Author(s):  
Olori Abiola Lateef
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Immigrant Students ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Information Communication Technologies ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Nigerian University

Recent studies have shown that factors influencing technology use include, but are not limited to, accessibility and availability. Several studies in developed countries revealed that digital division and experience significantly influence students’ attitude towards ICT utilization. However, there is lack of empirical evidence to show that such variables do influence ICT utilization by Nigerian students. This study examined the influence of digital divide and experience on Nigerian university students’ utilization of information communication technologies. Two research hypotheses were formulated for the study. A self-constructed and validated twenty-five- item instrument was used to gather information from one thousand and five hundred randomly selected respondents in three public universities in Ogun State, southwestern Nigeria, while t-test statistical method was used to analyze the data collected. Findings revealed that there is a significant difference in the perception of digital native and digital immigrant students in attitude towards ICT utilization (t = 3.25, p<0.05). The findings of this study also showed that there is no significant difference in the perception of digitally experienced and less experienced students in attitude towards ICT utilization(t = 1.16, p>0.05). Based on the findings, it was recommended that postgraduate students in Nigerian universities should be further encouraged not to allow age to influence their perception towards ICT utilization negatively. Also, Nigerian Government should subsidize the cost of ICT devices in order to make them affordable to all students.

Social Assistance via the Internet

2014 ◽  
pp. 177-195
Author(s):  
Minna Strömberg-Jakka
Keyword(s):  
Social Service ◽  
Social Assistance ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Educational Background ◽  
Information Communication Technologies ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
The Social ◽  
Questions And Answers ◽  
Gain Access

This chapter examines the connection between social assistance and the use of information communication technologies to gain access to social rights as human rights. The research is based on data consisting of 594 online questions and answers related to social assistance. Of these, 160 analysis units were chosen for a detailed content analysis. The aim of the study was to determine what different positions and combinations of positions officials and service users found themselves in during online social service consultation and how service provision was affected by an official’s educational background and the phase of the social assistance process that was in progress. The results show that there are several possible combinations of outcomes and that the educational background of an answering official, as well as the phase of the process for which answers are given, have an impact on the service received.

Connecting the First Mile

2008 ◽  
pp. 513-533
Author(s):  
Surmaya Talyarkhan ◽  
David J. Grimshaw ◽  
Lucky Lowe
Keyword(s):  
Best Practice ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Local Information ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Information Communication Technologies ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Practice Framework ◽  
Share Information

This chapter characterises the use of information communication technologies (ICTs) to share information with people at grassroots as connecting the first mile. It examines the literature about connecting the first mile and identifies the key debates: whether solutions should be participatory or top-down, technological or social, whether they should focus on global or local information, and the overall potential of ICTs for development. The chapter synthesises the lessons from a range of practical studies to identify the factors that contribute to the success of a project. A framework of best practice is offered, divided into three dimensions: the environment, the project level, and the local level. Whilst recognising that initiatives will vary according to the local context, the authors offer the best practice framework to support practitioners in addressing the challenges of connecting the first mile and empowering marginal communities to participate effectively in the information society.

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