Addressing Social Inclusion via eDemocracy Applications

Social Inclusion ◽

Regulatory Mechanisms ◽

The Political ◽

Political Processes ◽

Public participation is considered to be the remedy for the democratization of political processes. As technological progress advances, more trust is put in Information and Communication Technologies as tools to democratize the political processes by enhancing and assisting citizens’ involvement in political processes. Such examples are initiatives like eDemocracy and eParticipation, among others. However, experts emphasize that technology as any kind of “tool” is not unbiased, and it does involve serious considerations of social import. The emergence of the digital divide is a proof that these tools, if not handled appropriately, could cause even greater impact to the already existing social exclusion. At this point, social inclusion has re-emerged not only as a strategy for confronting social exclusion in general but also the digital divide, which keeps citizens from participating in political processes. This chapter indicates and concludes on how social inclusion functions not only as a prerequisite for public participation via ICT but also, through appropriate regulatory mechanisms, represents a solution for combating the problems of exclusion that eDemocracy faces.

Digital inclusion

Computers and Society ◽

10.1093/oso/9780198827085.003.0006 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Ronald M. Baecker

Keyword(s):

Digital Divide ◽

Digital Technology ◽

Social Inclusion ◽

The Internet ◽

Digital Inclusion ◽

Digital Devices ◽

The Rich

J. C. R. Licklider, Vannevar Bush, Doug Engelbart, Ted Nelson, and Alan Kay optimistically and exuberantly imagined how computers could better the lives of people. Much of this has come to pass. The Internet supports learning by ‘students’ at all levels. Information on laws, procedures, diseases, and medical care may be found on the web. The Internet now provides the easiest, or in some cases the only, way to pay bills or order items such as books, groceries, and even clothing. It is a means of communication with family, friends, individuals one would like to meet, individuals with whom one could share insights, and potential employers. Music, films, and other means of entertainment stream to our digital devices. This implies that those for whom digital technology is not available are at a disadvantage. The gap between the technology-haves and the technology-have-nots became known in the 1990s as a digital divide. The concept is nuanced; we can speak of availability or scarcity of hardware, such as personal computers (PCs) and mobile phones; of infrastructure such as cellular networks; of communications bandwidth that enables a smooth media viewing experience; of expertise in using the technology; of commitment to its use; and of engagement in the process. Some only consume information; others contribute their ideas via methods such as blogging and tweeting. Yet a better way to describe digital technology widely accessible is the goal of social inclusion, to allow all individuals, regardless of socioeconomic status, location, race, gender, or ability or disability, to take advantage of the benefits of modern computing and telecommunications. To have terminology that is even more evocative, we shall use the more modern and descriptive term of digital inclusion. This has been defined by the International Telecommunications Union as ‘empowering people through information and communication technologies (ICTs)’. The term ‘people’ is meant here to imply all people throughout the world. This chapter will first examine the digital divide between the haves and the have-nots (often the rich and the poor) within several nations. Examples of the benefits of digital inclusion will be cited.

Administrative Reform Using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTS) in Korea

Korean Journal of Policy Studies ◽

10.52372/kjps15208 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 89-99

Author(s):

Jinwoo Jung

Keyword(s):

Digital Divide ◽

Open System ◽

Policy Making ◽

Administrative Reform ◽

The Political ◽

Policy Making Process ◽

The Government

The purpose of this study is to explain government efforts for administrative reform using ICTs in Korea. Especially, this study focuses on how the government informs, consults with and engages citizens using ICTs through an analysis of OPEN system in Seoul. Firstly, the political backgrounds and the institutions for constructing the e-government have been analyzed. Secondly, the OPEN system in Seoul has been analyzed. The result of this study shows that constructing the e-government as a means of administrative reform strengthens public participation and transparency in policy making process in spite of a few obstacles such as digital divide, secrecy problem.

To include, or not to include, that is the question: Disability digital inclusion and exclusion in China

New Media & Society ◽

10.1177/1461444818774866 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 20 (12) ◽

pp. 4436-4452 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Zhongxuan Lin ◽

Liu Yang ◽

Zhi’an Zhang

Keyword(s):

Social Exclusion ◽

Social Inclusion ◽

Participant Observation ◽

The Internet ◽

Chinese Society ◽

Digital Inclusion ◽

Social Mechanism ◽

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are increasingly important for people with disabilities (PWDs), suggesting digital inclusion as a possible social mechanism against the social exclusion of disability. This study suggests a more complicated relationship between ICTs and disability. Situated in a Chinese context and based on research methods of ethnographic participant observation and in-depth interviews, this study explains why and how social exclusion of disability in China leads to PWDs’ exodus to the Internet, where they find a possible habitat of digital and social inclusion notwithstanding the risk of more profound social exclusion. The study finally argues that the Internet habitat of PWDs is both a material enclave and a discourse heterotopia for understanding Chinese society, disability, and ICTs. In addition, future studies should further include PWDs in this field.

What Does it Mean to Bridge the Divide?

Digital Literacy ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-1852-7.ch081 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 1534-1553

Author(s):

Suely Fragoso ◽

Denise Cogo ◽

Liliane Dutra Brignol

Keyword(s):

Digital Divide ◽

Social Inclusion ◽

Minority Groups ◽

Minority Group ◽

Access To Information ◽

This chapter discusses the success and failure of initiatives which provide access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) as a means of promoting social inclusion. We believe that there is often a disparity between the supposed and the true needs and desires of the minority groups at the receiving end of digital divide initiatives. Observation of practices towards ICTs which are spontaneously developed by a minority group indicate that important achievements are being overlooked by formal evaluations of digital divide projects and policies. The observed practices are organized into six categories and a change of paradigm is proposed for further actions.

What Does it Mean to Bridge the Divide?

ICTs and Sustainable Solutions for the Digital Divide ◽

10.4018/978-1-61520-799-2.ch008 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 151-170

Author(s):

Suely Fragoso ◽

Denise Cogo ◽

Liliane Dutra Brignol

Keyword(s):

Digital Divide ◽

Social Inclusion ◽

Minority Groups ◽

Minority Group ◽

Access To Information ◽

This chapter discusses the success and failure of initiatives which provide access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) as a means of promoting social inclusion. We believe that there is often a disparity between the supposed and the true needs and desires of the minority groups at the receiving end of digital divide initiatives. Observation of practices towards ICTs which are spontaneously developed by a minority group indicate that important achievements are being overlooked by formal evaluations of digital divide projects and policies. The observed practices are organized into six categories and a change of paradigm is proposed for further actions.

The Poverty Information: Reduction of Poverty through the Dissemination of New Communication Technologies

International Conference on Eurasian Economies 2016 ◽

10.36880/c07.01750 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Barış Yıldız

Keyword(s):

New Media ◽

Social Exclusion ◽

Social Inclusion ◽

Information Technologies ◽

Poor People ◽

The Impact ◽

Cycle Of Poverty

Communication Technologies is considered to be an effective method for the elimination of the development gap between countries and disparities and inequalities between individuals. This idea is accepted by all scholars of the information society. Information and communication technologies can be used as a means to poor people, who is exposed to social exclusion, make their voices heard. It is also observed that the people socialized over time, increased the quality and level of sharing and found efficient and entertaining communication possibilities with people who they don’t know. Because of that, it has a vital importance of information and communication technologies. Because it allows people take steps from social exclusion to social inclusion. The studies done by Goodman on South Africa, by Jensen on China and by Bhavnani on Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia shows that new media helps to reduce impact of poverty and breaks the cycle of poverty. It has also been obtained successful results in breaking the cycle of poverty when new media Technologies are provided in India, Brazil and Nepal. The aim of this study is to examine how the poverty information can be reduced and how people living in poverty can be get out of this cycle by providing information and communication technologies. It will first attempt to define new media explaining poverty information. The impact of these tools on cycle of poverty will be shown. As a result, it will be analyzed how information technologies contribute to fight against poverty by country examples.

Cultural Aspects and Digital Divide in Europe

MedienJournal ◽

10.24989/medienjournal.v26i3.419 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 14-32 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ursula Maier-Rabler

Keyword(s):

Digital Divide ◽

Social Economic ◽

Innovation Process ◽

Individual Member ◽

Policy Practice ◽

Cultural Aspects ◽

Policy Strategies

This paper aims to make a contribution toward an improvement of European e-policy practice. lt is inspired by the conviction that successfuJ e-policy strategies can lead to balanced chances for all members in certain societies to aquire the absolutely indispensable capabilities for decision-making in the context of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Following the path of the development of e-policy papers it has to be stated that many goals have not yet been achieved. The techno-deterministic concepts 'access' and 'usage' seem not to reach far enough to get people really involved andinformed. Many more aspects have tobe considered in order to create a clirnate for innovation where different choices made by different individuals according to their different social, economic or cuJtural backgrounds do not lead automatically to the well known either or not, connected or not-connected, haves or have-nots, but to a variety of patterns of involvement. In this paper, we argue for different e-policy strategies according to cultural aspects in certain societies. And hereby we will focus on the cultural aspects of information itself, on the notion of information in different information cultures. lt also seems important to mention at this stage that we believe that getting all members of society involved in the ICT-innovation process in order to provide the basis for informed decisions by each individual member is the most important task of e-policy.

Use of Russia’s Information and Communication Technologies in Political Instrumentalization of Ukraine’s History

Środkowoeuropejskie Studia Polityczne ◽

10.14746/ssp.2021.2.3 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 47-61

Author(s):

Serhiy Danylenko ◽

Olena Shcherbatiuk

Keyword(s):

Russian Federation ◽

The Political ◽

Effective Response ◽

Media Communication ◽

Political Issues ◽

History Of ◽

The Russian Federation

The political instrumentalization of the history of Ukraine carried out by the Russian Federation in the framework of the information war against Ukraine is covered in this article. This instrumentalization is exercised through media communication employing historical and political myths and narratives to vindicate Russia’s aggressive actions. The latest information and communication technologies used by the Kremlin in the information war against Ukraine have been identified in this paper. Such destructive efforts often derail Ukrainian-Polish relations, which are particularly sensitive to historical and political issues. The reasons for the drawbacks of the Ukrainian authorities in counteracting the information aggression on the part of the Russian Federation are distinguished, and the measures that would contribute to an effective response to such aggression are outlined.

MEASURING DIGITAL DIVIDE IN KING ABDULAZIZ UNIVERSITY

Problems of Management in the 21st Century ◽

10.33225/pmc/12.03.08 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 8-19

Author(s):

Iqbal S. Alsaleh ◽

Shaymaa M. Rashad

Keyword(s):

Digital Divide ◽

Information And Communications Technology ◽

Small Scale ◽

Order Effects ◽

Diffusion Of Technology ◽

King Abdulaziz University ◽

The University

Due to the undesirable effects of the gap between citizens to access and use information and communication technologies (ICT), most researchers have been paying much attention to the threat of a digital divide. Unfortunately an amazingly large number of people do not have the abilities to use the ICTs in a proper way and, therefore, cannot draw advantages from its usage. As a result, digital divide is commonly regarded as a potential barrier for participation in the information society. This study measure the digital divide in Saudi Arabia by analyzing the results of a small-scale study conducted at the University KAU, regarding students’ and university members’ perceptions toward the usage of ICT. This analysis measure the digital divide concerning some factors like gender, educational level using a questionnaire. The analysis shows that KAU has no digital divide. Key words: digital divide, information and communications technology, ICT, diffusion of technology, second order effects.