Breaking the Digital Divide

Breaking the Digital Divide
Author: Elena Murelli
Publisher: Commonwealth Secretariat
Total Pages: 196
Release: 2002
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 9780850926729

This book presents the results of an extensive study of the digital divide, the growth of the internet, online education, health informatics, the net and the economy, regulation of the internet and much more. It is well researched, informative and authoritative. Individuals, organisations and governments with a specialist interest in the transition to an information society and/or knowledge economy will find this book timely. Published with SFI Publishing.

Gerontechnology

Gerontechnology
Author: Johanna L.H. Birkland
Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2019-04-30
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9781787432925

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access, thanks to Knowledge Unlatched funding, and freely available to read online. This book explains the diversity of older adults' approaches towards technology and provides recommendations for practitioners and designers seeking to connect with an aging market.

Technology and Social Inclusion

Technology and Social Inclusion
Author: Mark Warschauer
Publisher: MIT Press
Total Pages: 222
Release: 2004-09-17
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0262303698

Much of the discussion about new technologies and social equality has focused on the oversimplified notion of a "digital divide." Technology and Social Inclusion moves beyond the limited view of haves and have-nots to analyze the different forms of access to information and communication technologies. Drawing on theory from political science, economics, sociology, psychology, communications, education, and linguistics, the book examines the ways in which differing access to technology contributes to social and economic stratification or inclusion. The book takes a global perspective, presenting case studies from developed and developing countries, including Brazil, China, Egypt, India, and the United States. A central premise is that, in today's society, the ability to access, adapt, and create knowledge using information and communication technologies is critical to social inclusion. This focus on social inclusion shifts the discussion of the "digital divide" from gaps to be overcome by providing equipment to social development challenges to be addressed through the effective integration of technology into communities, institutions, and societies. What is most important is not so much the physical availability of computers and the Internet but rather people's ability to make use of those technologies to engage in meaningful social practices.

Digital Divide

Digital Divide
Author: Pippa Norris
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 324
Release: 2001-09-24
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780521002233

There is widespread concern that the Internet is exacerbating inequalities between the information rich and poor.

World Development Report 2016

World Development Report 2016
Author: World Bank Group
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 359
Release: 2016-01-14
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1464806721

Digital technologies are spreading rapidly, but digital dividends--the broader benefits of faster growth, more jobs, and better services--are not. If more than 40 percent of adults in East Africa pay their utility bills using a mobile phone, why can’t others around the world do the same? If 8 million entrepreneurs in China--one third of them women--can use an e-commerce platform to export goods to 120 countries, why can’t entrepreneurs elsewhere achieve the same global reach? And if India can provide unique digital identification to 1 billion people in five years, and thereby reduce corruption by billions of dollars, why can’t other countries replicate its success? Indeed, what’s holding back countries from realizing the profound and transformational effects that digital technologies are supposed to deliver? Two main reasons. First, nearly 60 percent of the world’s population are still offline and can’t participate in the digital economy in any meaningful way. Second, and more important, the benefits of digital technologies can be offset by growing risks. Startups can disrupt incumbents, but not when vested interests and regulatory uncertainty obstruct competition and the entry of new firms. Employment opportunities may be greater, but not when the labor market is polarized. The internet can be a platform for universal empowerment, but not when it becomes a tool for state control and elite capture. The World Development Report 2016 shows that while the digital revolution has forged ahead, its 'analog complements'--the regulations that promote entry and competition, the skills that enable workers to access and then leverage the new economy, and the institutions that are accountable to citizens--have not kept pace. And when these analog complements to digital investments are absent, the development impact can be disappointing. What, then, should countries do? They should formulate digital development strategies that are much broader than current information and communication technology (ICT) strategies. They should create a policy and institutional environment for technology that fosters the greatest benefits. In short, they need to build a strong analog foundation to deliver digital dividends to everyone, everywhere.

ICTs and Sustainable Solutions for the Digital Divide: Theory and Perspectives

ICTs and Sustainable Solutions for the Digital Divide: Theory and Perspectives
Author: Steyn, Jacques
Publisher: IGI Global
Total Pages: 391
Release: 2010-09-30
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 1615208003

ICTs and Sustainable Solutions for the Digital Divide: Theory and Perspectives focuses on Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D), which includes any technology used for communication and information. This publication researches the social side of computing, the users, and the design of systems that meet the needs of "ordinary" users.

Bridging the Digital Divide

Bridging the Digital Divide
Author: Angathevar Baskaran
Publisher: Adonis & Abbey Publishers Ltd
Total Pages: 254
Release: 2006-01-31
Genre: Reference
ISBN: 1912234351

"e;The impressive advances of information and communication technologies (ICT) in some Asian countries have led some people to proclaim a fundamental change in the world economy. It is essential still to study the experience of developing countries thoroughly and critically. The authors and editors have made an admirable contribution to make such an evaluation and fill a big gap in our knowledge. But it is still relatively difficult to find reliable information about the changes taking place in China or any other developing country. One of the many good features of this evaluation is that it takes into account the specific relationship of ICT with the wider social and economic system and the national system of innovation of each country."e;

The Digital Divide

The Digital Divide
Author: Jan van Dijk
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 166
Release: 2020-01-14
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1509534466

Contrary to optimistic visions of a free internet for all, the problem of the ‘digital divide’ – the disparity between those with access to internet technology and those without – has persisted for close to twenty-five years. In this textbook, Jan van Dijk considers the state of digital inequality and what we can do to tackle it. Through an accessible framework based on empirical research, he explores the motivations and challenges of seeking access and the development of requisite digital skills. He addresses key questions such as: Does digital inequality reduce or reinforce existing, traditional inequalities? Does it create new, previously unknown social inequalities? While digital inequality affects all aspects of society and the problem is here to stay, Van Dijk outlines policies we can put in place to mitigate it. The Digital Divide is required reading for students and scholars of media, communication, sociology, and related disciplines, as well as for policymakers.

International Economic Law and the Digital Divide

International Economic Law and the Digital Divide
Author: Rohan Kariyawasam
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
Total Pages: 414
Release: 2008-01-01
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1847205453

In this well researched book, the author explains the digital divide and its repercussions for developed and developing nations. In his view, the overzealous disciplining at the WTO-level of instruments affecting trade notwithstanding, developing countries still have important tools in their hands (intellectual property protection, competition policies, tax regimes) that can help them attract foreign direct investment, a crucial ingredient in reducing the current divide. Borrowing from the institutions that we have seen developed in international economic relations is highly recommended as well. In short, whether the divide will continue to persist or, conversely, whether it will gradually become a historical feature of international relations critically depends on the political will on both sides (of the divide). The author makes a persuasive argument to support his thesis, empirically researched and with strong foundations in theory. Petros C. Mavroidis, Columbia Law School, US and University of Neuch'tel, Switzerland This path-breaking book focuses on the WTO, e-commerce and information communications technologies. It sheds light on how international economic law can be used as a tool in the application of technological processes to facilitate development in developing countries. Rohan Kariyawasam begins by looking predominantly at the rise of international digital networks. He offers an introduction to the networks used in the delivery of electronic products and network-based transactions, and the application of WTO law to the sector. He then suggests how developing countries can use economic law and technology to tap digital markets in the developed world. The book also argues that the advance of basic living standards in some developing countries can be achieved through technological processes, but that this cannot happen without such states paying greater attention to the enforcement of economic, social and cultural rights at home. Picking up the property rights debate (including through bilateral trade), the author argues that ensuring beneficial technology transfer will require balancing foreign investor rights to protect intellectual property. It will also involve restrictions imposed by competition law and WTO surveillance to check the possible misuse of market power by multinational companies. The proposed mixture of measures should, he argues, provide incentives for Foreign Direct Investment. Providing a thorough review of the application of WTO law to the telecommunications sector and the regulation of international digital networks, this book will be of great interest to postgraduate students in international economic law and international development law, as well as those interested in human rights law and technology. It will also appeal to government regulators, NGOs and technologists interested in ICTs and development.