Group items tagged

"In a society where knowledge-intensive activities are an increasingly important component of the economy, the distribution of knowledge across the population is increasingly linked to stratification. Much attention among both academic researchers and in policy circles has been paid to what segments of the population have access to the Internet or are Internet users. Although the medium has seen high rates of diffusion, its spread has been unequal both within and across nations. In this chapter, I look at (a) individual-level inequality in Internet access and use in the United States, (b) cross-national variation in connectedness, and (c) inequality from the side of content producers in gaining audiences for their material online."

This article describes an FCC report about Americans' connection to broadband net, which many still don't have. Hard for many of us, in our privileged positions, to believe. Dial-up seems like a long time ago.

This article discusses the "broadband divide" in Washington D.C., which relates to the idea that high-speed internet access should be how we measure the digital divide, since anything less seriously impedes an individual's ability to engage with the Internet on the level that those with high-speed access are able to

PDF of a book by Mark Warschauer looking at how access to technology contributes to social divides in both developed and developing countries.  

"Debates over the digital divide have been dogged by disagreements over how the gap is defined, and therefore quantified, as a report that [International Society for Technology in Education] released at the summit suggested. 'Though an exact definition remains elusive, the term 'digital divide' generally refers to the disconnect that occurs between those with access to technology and those without, while recognizing the myriad factors that can have an impact on that inequity,' the report says." (2007)

Another approach...using the digital divide to gain political support. Promising access for all in Thailand, as a campaign promise.