Virtual Inequality

Virtual Inequality
Author: Karen Mossberger
Publisher: Georgetown University Press
Total Pages: 212
Release: 2003-08-18
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9781589014817

That there is a "digital divide"—which falls between those who have and can afford the latest in technological tools and those who have neither in our society—is indisputable. Virtual Inequality redefines the issue as it explores the cascades of that divide, which involve access, skill, political participation, as well as the obvious economics. Computer and Internet access are insufficient without the skill to use the technology, and economic opportunity and political participation provide primary justification for realizing that this inequality is a public problem and not simply a matter of private misfortune. Defying those who say the divide is growing smaller, this volume, based on a unique national survey that includes data from over 1800 respondents in low-income communities, shows otherwise. In addition to demonstrating why disparities persist in such areas as technological abilities, the survey also shows that the digitally disadvantaged often share many of the same beliefs as their more privileged counterparts. African-Americans, for instance, are even more positive in their attitudes toward technology than whites are in many respects, contrary to conventional wisdom. The rigorous research on which the conclusions are based is presented accessibly and in an easy-to-follow manner. Not content with analysis alone, nor the untangling of the complexities of policymaking, Virtual Inequality views the digital divide compassionately in its human dimensions and recommends a set of practical and common-sense policy strategies. Inequality, even in a virtual form this book reminds us, is unacceptable and a situation that society is compelled to address.

The Virtual Body of Christ in a Suffering World

The Virtual Body of Christ in a Suffering World
Author: Deanna A. Thompson
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Total Pages: 131
Release: 2016-11-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1501815199

We live in a wired world where 24/7 digital connectivity is increasingly the norm. Christian megachurch communities often embrace this reality wholeheartedly while more traditional churches often seem hesitant and overwhelmed by the need for an interactive website, a Facebook page and a twitter feed. This book accepts digital connectivity as our reality, but presents a vision of how faith communities can utilize technology to better be the body of Christ to those who are hurting while also helping followers of Christ think critically about the limits of our digital attachments. This book begins with a conversion story of a non-cell phone owning, non-Facebook using religion professor judgmental of the ability of digital tools to enhance relationships. A stage IV cancer diagnosis later, in the midst of being held up by virtual communities of support, a conversion occurs: this religion professor benefits in embodied ways from virtual sources and wants to convert others to the reality that the body of Christ can and does exist virtually and makes embodied difference in the lives of those who are hurting. The book neither uncritically embraces nor rejects the constant digital connectivity present in our lives. Rather it calls on the church to a) recognize ways in which digital social networks already enact the virtual body of Christ; b) tap into and expand how Christ is being experienced virtually; c) embrace thoughtfully the material effects of our new augmented reality, and c) influence utilization of technology that minimizes distraction and maximizes attentiveness toward God and the world God loves.

Engine of Inequality

Engine of Inequality
Author: Karen Petrou
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 291
Release: 2021-03-03
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1119726743

The first book to reveal how the Federal Reserve holds the key to making us more economically equal, written by an author with unparalleled expertise in the real world of financial policy Following the 2008 financial crisis, the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy placed much greater focus on stabilizing the market than on helping struggling Americans. As a result, the richest Americans got a lot richer while the middle class shrank and economic and wealth inequality skyrocketed. In Engine of Inequality, Karen Petrou offers pragmatic solutions for creating more inclusive monetary policy and equality-enhancing financial regulation as quickly and painlessly as possible. Karen Petrou is a leading financial-policy analyst and consultant with unrivaled knowledge of what drives the decisions of federal officials and how big banks respond to financial policy in the real world. Instead of proposing legislation that would never pass Congress, the author provides an insider's look at politically plausible, high-impact financial policy fixes that will radically shift the equality balance. Offering an innovative, powerful, and highly practical solution for immediately turning around the enormous nationwide problem of economic inequality, this groundbreaking book: Presents practical ways America can and should tackle economic inequality with fast-acting results Provides revealing examples of exactly how bad economic inequality in America has become no matter how hard we all work Demonstrates that increasing inequality is disastrous for long-term economic growth, political action, and even personal happiness Explains why your bank's interest rates are still only a fraction of what they were even though the rich are getting richer than ever, faster than ever Reveals the dangers of FinTech and BigTech companies taking over banking Shows how Facebook wants to control even the dollars in your wallet Discusses who shares the blame for our economic inequality, including the Fed, regulators, Congress, and even economists Engine of Inequality: The Fed and the Future of Wealth in America should be required reading for leaders, policymakers, regulators, media professionals, and all Americans wanting to ensure that the nation’s financial policy will be a force for promoting economic equality.

Inequality Problems in Mechanics and Applications

Inequality Problems in Mechanics and Applications
Author: P.D. Panagiotopoulos
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 420
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 1461251524

In a remarkably short time, the field of inequality problems has seen considerable development in mathematics and theoretical mechanics. Applied mechanics and the engineering sciences have also benefitted from these developments in that open problems have been treated and entirely new classes of problems have been formulated and solved. This book is an outgrowth of seven years of seminars and courses on inequality problems in mechanics for a variety of audiences in the Technical University of Aachen, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the University of Hamburg and the Technical University of Milan. The book is intended for a variety of readers, mathematicians and engineers alike, as is detailed in the Guidelines for the Reader. It goes without saying that the work of G. Fichera, J. L. Lions, G. Maier, J. J. Moreau in originating and developing the theory of inequality problems has considerably influenced the present book. I also wish to acknowledge the helpful comments received from C. Bisbos, J. Haslinger, B. Kawohl, H. Matthies, H. O. May, D. Talaslidis and B. Werner. Credit is also due to G. Kyriakopoulos and T. Mandopoulou for their exceptionally diligent work in the preparation of the fmal figures. Many thanks are also due to T. Finnegan and J. Gateley for their friendly assistance from the linguistic standpoint. I would also like to thank my editors in Birkhiiuser Verlag for their cooperation, and all those who helped in the preparation of the manuscript.

Literature and Inequality

Literature and Inequality
Author: Daniel Shaviro
Publisher: Anthem Press
Total Pages: 300
Release: 2020-03-31
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 178527368X

The consequences of high-end inequality seep into almost every aspect of human life: it is not just a question for economists. In this highly accessible new work, Professor Shaviro takes an interdisciplinary approach to explore how great works of literature have provided some of the most incisive accounts of inequality and its social and cultural ramifications over the last two centuries. Through perceptive close readings of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Edith Wharton, among others, he not only demonstrates how these accounts are still relevant today, but how they can illuminate our understanding of our current situation and broaden our own perspective beyond the merely economic.

Hemivariational Inequalities

Hemivariational Inequalities
Author: Panagiotis D. Panagiotopoulos
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 453
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3642516777

The aim of the present book is the formulation, mathematical study and numerical treatment of static and dynamic problems in mechanics and engineering sciences involving nonconvex and nonsmooth energy functions, or nonmonotone and multivalued stress-strain laws. Such problems lead to a new type of variational forms, the hemivariational inequalities, which also lead to multivalued differential or integral equations. Innovative numerical methods are presented for the treament of realistic engineering problems. This book is the first to deal with variational theory of engineering problems involving nonmonotone multivalue realations, their mechanical foundation, their mathematical study (existence and certain approximation results) and the corresponding eigenvalue and optimal control problems. All the numerical applications give innovative answers to as yet unsolved or partially solved engineering problems, e.g. the adhesive contact in cracks, the delamination problem, the sawtooth stress-strain laws in composites, the shear connectors in composite beams, the semirigid connections in steel structures, the adhesive grasping in robotics, etc. The book closes with the consideration of hemivariational inequalities for fractal type geometries and with the neural network approach to the numerical treatment of hemivariational inequalities.

Electronic Voting and Democracy

Electronic Voting and Democracy
Author: N. Kersting
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 319
Release: 2004-08-18
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0230523536

Electronic and internet voting has become increasingly widespread in recent years, but which countries are the leaders of the movement and who lags behind? Is the digital divide likely to present a permanent challenge to electronic democracy? What are the experiences with regard to online voting, and what are the arguments for and against? Electronic Voting and Democracy examines these issues and the contexts in which they are played out, such as problems of legitimacy and the practical considerations that have driven some countries toward electronic voting faster than others.

How to Fight Inequality

How to Fight Inequality
Author: Ben Phillips
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 85
Release: 2020-09-29
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1509543104

Inequality is the crisis of our time. The growing gap between a few at the top and the rest of society damages us all. No longer able to deny the crisis, every government in the world is now pledged to fix it – and yet it keeps on getting worse. In this book, international anti-inequality campaigner Ben Phillips shows why winning the debate is not enough: we have to win the fight. Drawing on his insider experience, and his personal exchanges with the real-life heroes of successful movements, he shows how the battle against inequality has been won before, and he shares a practical plan for defeating inequality again. He sets a route map for us to overcome deference, build our collective power, and create a new story. Most books on inequality are about what other people ought to do about it – this book is about why winning the fight needs you. Tired of feeling helpless in the face of spiralling inequality? Want to know what you can do about it? This is the book for you.

The Revolution That Wasn’t

The Revolution That Wasn’t
Author: Jen Schradie
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 417
Release: 2019-05-13
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0674972333

In this counterintuitive study of digital democracy, Jen Schradie shows how the web has become another weapon in the arsenal of the powerful, and a potent weapon for conservative activists. Rather than leveling the playing field, the internet has tilted it in favor of the Right, where only the most sophisticated and well-funded players can compete.

The Deepening Divide

The Deepening Divide
Author: Jan A. G. M. van Dijk
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Total Pages: 249
Release: 2005-02-15
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1452263108

The Deepening Divide: Inequality in the Information Society explains why the digital divide is still widening and, in advanced high-tech societies, deepening. Taken from an international perspective, the book offers full coverage of the literature and research and a theoretical framework from which to analyze and approach the issue. Where most books on the digital divide only describe and analyze the issue, Jan van Dijk presents 26 policy perspectives and instruments designed to close the divide itself.