Digital Divide Overview

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The Global Divide Dilemma

So far, as divides between countries decrease, within-country divisions often increase. As ICTs raise the wages and

competitiveness of workers and companies to stay competitive with other countries, they exacerbate inequality within a country because of increasing wage difference with ICT-enabled jobs.

Local content versus global content– impact for free speech… and, yes, localism

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Social Inclusion

Social inclusion is a matter not only of an adequate share of resources, but also of "participation in the determination of both individual and collective life chances" (Stewart, 2000).

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Rethinking the concept: “Digital Divide” (Warschauer)

“The notion of a digital divide suggests a digital solution--i.e., trying to solve a social problem by throwing computers and Internet connections into the mix.”

"Technology for social inclusion deemphasizes the notion of bridging divides and instead looks at the broader goal--achieving social inclusion for all--and then considers the role that technology can play within that.”

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Solving the underlying problems Information and Communication Technology for

Developing Countries (ICT4D) is more than just about computers, Internet access, cell phones, and other technologies Using information technologies to improve

communication within and between communities

Moving beyond “technology as a means to an end” Just putting computers, cell phones, Internet

connections in new places does necessarily solve problems.

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Specifying the Problem and finding Solutions Many initiatives in areas of infrastructure, training

programs, school computer programs, healthcare, agriculture, etc.

http://www.digitaldivide.net/ Large community of researchers, policy makers,

activists and lots of links to research, briefings, etc

www.bridges.org Non-profit org for ICT in developing world

http://gapminder.org/ Human development trends, statistics

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Privacy and Surveillance

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Privacy in Social Science

Explored for decades from many different social theoretical perspectives

Erving Goffman: privacy is part of any ongoing social relationship where individuals are viewed as attempting to control perception.

• Thus, ‘privacy’ is control over one’s persona

We could argue, then, that the current IT privacy debate is just a reframing:

• Privacy is control over one’s personal data

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Panopticon Effect

Context of ‘watchers’ having same interests in success as the ‘watched’

Given the context, is it surprising that workers would not maximize productivity in the face of surveillance?

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Broader concerns about Surveillance and Privacy in IT

Monitoring what you do now Government (Carnivore, wiretapping) Hackers/Identity Theft Company Interests (P2P monitoring,

corporate emails) Cell phone eavesdropping

Finding out what you have done Googlestalking Electronic records