Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Digital divide'

Durant l’última dècada, Internet s’ha convertit en un aspecte crucial de les xarxes basades en les tecnologies de la informació i la comunicació, trencant les barreres de comunicació entre cultures en permetre l’accés a gairebé qualsevol servei a tot el món. A més de la difusió d’Internet a tot el món, les xarxes de xarxes socials, les plataformes en línia i altres tecnologies digitals han canviat radicalment la nostra vida quotidiana. Com a resultat, Internet és potser l’aspecte més visible de la globalització i un motor que integra gairebé totes les indústries. Tot i que la tecnologia digital s’estén ràpidament, la majoria de la població no gaudeix dels avantatges. Han sorgit divisions digitals en l’ús d’Internet i les xarxes socials i en la realització d’activitats en línia. Inicialment, la bretxa digital es referia a la bretxa entre grups d’individus amb accés a tecnologies i aquells amb accés restringit o cap. No obstant això, les proves han demostrat que el concepte és més complex que el simple accés a dispositius digitals. En els darrers 15 anys, els investigadors han intentat produir una explicació completa de les diferents fractures digitals. Per entendre millor les relacions entre els diferents nivells de divisió digital, van Dijk i els seus associats van desenvolupar els seus recursos i la teoria de l’apropiació (van Dijk, 2005, 2020). La teoria RA proposa un model seqüencial per explicar la relació entre els diferents nivells de bretxa digital i com es produeixen i es reprodueixen les desigualtats socials. El model seqüencial mostra que el procés d’apropiació va des de les motivacions fins a l’ús d’Internet (actituds i motius per (no) utilitzar Internet), a l’accés físic a Internet (qualitat, quantitat i omnipresència), fins a habilitats digitals (adequades) ús d’Internet), i a l’ús i els resultats d’Internet (interactuar amb Internet i gaudir dels avantatges). Aquest procés no es distribueix per igual a la societat. Aquesta tesi doctoral, basada en la teoria dels recursos i de l’apropiació com a marc teòric, explora la primera bretxa digital a Tailàndia per explicar l’heterogeneïtat de l’accés a Internet en un país en desenvolupament. Es consideraven l’accés dels usuaris tailandesos a Internet, els motors teòrics i els indicadors de recursos de posició i categories socials. Es va trobar, en general, que les oportunitats d’accés a ordinadors i a Internet són els principals motors d’ús d’Internet. Tot i això, l’efecte agregat cobreix el fet que hi ha una transformació digital i social en curs a Tailàndia. D’una banda, hi ha un nou grup mòbil d’usuaris d’Internet per al qual el motor més crucial d’ús d’Internet són les oportunitats d’accés mòbil seguides d’oportunitats d’accés a Internet i ordinadors. D’altra banda, els conductors d’un grup tradicional d’usuaris d’Internet són oportunitats d’accés a ordinadors i a Internet. Pel que fa a les propietats socials de les persones de cada grup, el grup d’usuaris mòbils es pot definir com a dona, de 15 a 35 anys, amb bona formació, estudiant, soltera i resident a Bangkok o Tailàndia central, mentre que el grup d’usuaris d’Internet tradicional compost per persones grans amb menys educació, amb discapacitats, a l’atur, normalment casades o vídues i que viuen al nord de Tailàndia. Els motors de la diversitat de l’ús d’Internet poden ser generacionals, cosa que suggereix la necessitat de canviar l’enfocament de la recerca de les llars a les persones, fins i tot als països menys desenvolupats. També es va analitzar l’ús d’Internet per part dels ciutadans de la Unió Europea, generalitzant la validesa del model seqüencial proposat per la teoria RA des d’un país a tot el bloc. Es va trobar suport per a les relacions hipotetitzades, però una altra constatació va ser que els efectes dels motors sobre l’ús d’Internet varien en funció del nivell de desenvolupament digital dels països. Tot i que l’educació en general és el principal factor determinant de la producció social de desigualtats digitals, el nivell de desenvolupament digital d’un país és crucial per als europeus amb menys formació. A més, les persones joves i amb bona formació són les més ben posicionades de la societat per aprofitar les tecnologies digitals de cada país. Els nostres descobriments són nous analitzeu el procés social d’apropiació d’Internet, cosa que suggereix que es desenvolupa de manera diferent als diferents països europeus. Finalment, es va estudiar el paper de la confiança en la producció d’una nova fractura digital. El model seqüencial d’apropiació d’Internet social es va ampliar per incloure la confiança com a mediador en la cadena causal. El model ampliat proposa que les actituds, l’accés físic, les habilitats digitals i ara la confiança expliquin seqüencialment el procés d’apropiació que acaba en una bretxa digital en l’ús d’Internet. Les conclusions indiquen que, si bé la confiança és un altre factor important de la bretxa digital que media les habilitats digitals en l’ús d’Internet, les habilitats digitals continuen sent el motor més crucial per generar la bretxa digital. La confiança és un concepte construït socialment el significat del qual depèn de les habilitats digitals de les persones. En resum, aquesta investigació fa diverses contribucions al coneixement de la producció social de la bretxa digital als països en desenvolupament i als països desenvolupats. Es va descobrir l’existència d’una transformació digital generacional a Tailàndia que incideix en la importància dels motors teòrics d’accés a Internet, una troballa que genera dubtes sobre la hipòtesi de la classe mòbil. Generalitzant la validesa del model d’apropiació i recursos, es va identificar el nivell de desenvolupament digital d’un país com a recurs públic per reduir les desigualtats digitals. i l’educació i l’edat com a principals indicadors socials de les desigualtats digitals. Finalment, el model teòric seqüencial es va ampliar per incloure la confiança com un altre nivell de la bretxa digital, trobant que, tot i que el seu paper és significatiu, les habilitats digitals continuen sent el motor més influent.
Durante la última década, Internet se ha convertido en un aspecto crucial de las redes basadas en las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación, rompiendo las barreras de comunicación entre culturas al permitir el acceso a casi cualquier servicio en todo el mundo. Además de la expansión de Internet en todo el mundo, las redes sociales, las plataformas en línea y otras tecnologías digitales han cambiado radicalmente nuestra vida diaria. Como resultado, Internet es quizás el aspecto más visible de la globalización y una fuerza impulsora que integra a casi todas las industrias. Aunque la tecnología digital se está extendiendo rápidamente, la mayoría de la población no disfruta de los beneficios. Las divisiones digitales han surgido en el uso de Internet y las redes sociales, y en la realización de actividades en línea. Inicialmente, la brecha digital se refería a la brecha entre grupos de personas con acceso a tecnologías y aquellos con acceso restringido o ninguno. Sin embargo, la evidencia ha demostrado que el concepto es más complejo que el mero acceso a dispositivos digitales. En los últimos 15 años, los investigadores han intentado producir una explicación completa de las diferentes brechas digitales. Para comprender mejor las relaciones entre los diferentes niveles de brecha digital, van Dijk y sus asociados desarrollaron sus recursos y la teoría de la apropiación (van Dijk, 2005, 2020). La teoría RA propone un modelo secuencial para explicar la relación entre diferentes niveles de brecha digital y cómo se producen y reproducen las desigualdades sociales. El modelo secuencial muestra que el proceso de apropiación va desde las motivaciones al uso de internet (actitudes y razones para (no) usar internet), al acceso físico a internet (calidad, cantidad y ubicuidad), a las habilidades digitales (adecuadas uso de Internet) y al uso y los resultados de Internet (interactuar con Internet y disfrutar de los beneficios). Ese proceso no se distribuye por igual en la sociedad. Esta tesis doctoral, basada en la teoría de los recursos y la apropiación como marco teórico, explora la primera brecha digital en Tailandia para explicar la heterogeneidad del acceso a Internet en un país en desarrollo. Se tuvieron en cuenta el acceso de los usuarios tailandeses a Internet, los impulsores teóricos y los indicadores de los recursos posicionales y las categorías sociales. En general, se descubrió que las oportunidades de acceso a la computadora y a Internet son los principales impulsores del uso de Internet. Sin embargo, el efecto agregado cubre el hecho de que se está produciendo una transformación digital y social en Tailandia. Por un lado, existe un nuevo grupo móvil de usuarios de Internet para el que el factor más importante del uso de Internet son las oportunidades de acceso móvil seguidas de Internet y las oportunidades de acceso a computadoras. Por otro lado, los impulsores para un grupo tradicional de usuarios de Internet son las oportunidades de acceso a la computadora y a Internet. En cuanto a las propiedades sociales de los individuos en cada grupo, el grupo de usuarios móviles puede perfilarse como mujeres, de entre 15 y 35 años, bien educados, estudiantes, solteros y residentes en Bangkok o Tailandia central, mientras que el grupo de usuarios de Internet tradicional es compuesto por personas mayores, menos educadas, con discapacidades, desempleadas, generalmente casadas o viudas, y que viven en el norte de Tailandia. Los impulsores de la diversidad en el uso de Internet pueden ser generacionales, lo que sugiere la necesidad de cambiar el enfoque de la investigación de los hogares a los individuos, incluso en los países menos desarrollados. También se analizó el uso de internet por parte de los ciudadanos de la Unión Europea, al generalizar la validez del modelo secuencial propuesto por la teoría de la RA de un país a todo el bloque. Se encontró apoyo para las relaciones hipotéticas, pero otro hallazgo fue que los efectos de los impulsores en el uso de Internet varían según el nivel de desarrollo digital de los países. Si bien la educación en general es el principal determinante de la producción social de desigualdades digitales, el nivel de desarrollo digital de un país es crucial para los europeos con menos educación. Además, las personas jóvenes y bien educadas son las mejor posicionadas en la sociedad para aprovechar las tecnologías digitales en cada país. Nuestros hallazgos arrojan nuevos luz sobre el proceso social de apropiación de Internet, lo que sugiere que se desarrolla de manera diferente en los diferentes países europeos. Finalmente se estudió el papel de la confianza en la producción de una nueva brecha digital. El modelo secuencial de apropiación social de Internet se amplió para incluir la confianza como mediador en la cadena causal. El modelo extendido propone que las actitudes, el acceso físico, las habilidades digitales y ahora la confianza explican secuencialmente el proceso de apropiación que desemboca en una brecha digital en el uso de Internet. Los resultados indican que, si bien la confianza es otro determinante significativo de la brecha digital que media las habilidades digitales en el uso de Internet, las habilidades digitales continúan siendo el factor más crucial para generar la brecha digital. La confianza es un concepto construido socialmente cuyo significado depende de las habilidades digitales de los individuos. En resumen, esta investigación hace varios aportes a nuestro conocimiento de la producción social de la brecha digital en países desarrollados y en vías de desarrollo. Se descubrió la existencia de una transformación digital generacional en Tailandia que incide en la importancia de los impulsores teóricos del acceso a Internet, un hallazgo que genera dudas con respecto a la hipótesis de la clase baja móvil. Generalizando la vigencia del modelo de recursos y apropiación, se identificó el nivel de desarrollo digital de un país como recurso público para la reducción de las desigualdades digitales. y la educación y la edad como los principales indicadores sociales de las desigualdades digitales. Finalmente, el modelo secuencial teórico se amplió para incluir la confianza como otro nivel de la brecha digital, encontrando que aunque su rol es significativo, las habilidades digitales siguen siendo el impulsor más influyente.
Over the past decade, the internet has become a crucial aspect of networks based on the information and communication technologies, breaking down communication barriers between cultures by allowing access to almost any service worldwide. In addition to the spread of the internet worldwide, social media networking, online platforms, and other digital technologies have radically changed our daily lives. As a result, the internet is perhaps the most visible aspect of globalization and a driving force that integrates almost every industry. Even though digital technology is spreading rapidly, most of the population does not enjoy the benefits. Digital divisions have arisen in the use of the internet and social media, and in conducting activities online. Initially, the digital divide referred to the gap between groups of individuals with access to technologies and those with restricted access or none at all. However, evidence has shown that the concept is more complex than mere access to digital devices. In the last 15 years, researchers have tried to produce a comprehensive explanation of different digital divides. To better understand relations between different digital divide levels, van Dijk and associates developed their resources and appropriation theory (van Dijk, 2005, 2020). The RA theory proposes a sequential model to explain the relationship between different digital divide levels and how social inequalities are produced and reproduced. The sequential model shows that the process of appropriation goes from motivations to use of the internet (attitudes and reasons for (not) using the internet), to physical access to the internet (quality, quantity, and ubiquity), to digital skills (appropriate internet use), and to the internet use and outcomes (engaging with the internet and enjoying the benefits). That process is not equally distributed in society. This doctoral dissertation, grounded in the resources and appropriation theory as the theoretical framework, explores the first digital divide in Thailand to explain internet access heterogeneity in a developing country. Considered were Thai users' access to the internet, theoretical drivers, and indicators of positional resources and social categories. It was found, in general, that computer and internet access opportunities are the primary drivers of internet use. However, the aggregate effect covers the fact that there is a digital and social transformation underway in Thailand. On the one hand, there is a new mobile group of internet users for which the most crucial driver of internet use is mobile access opportunities followed by internet and computer access opportunities. On the other hand, drivers for a traditional group of internet users are computer and internet access opportunities. As for the social properties of individuals in each groups, the mobile user group can be profiled as female, aged 15-35 years, well educated, a student, single, and resident in Bangkok or Central Thailand, while the traditional internet user group is composed of older, less well-educated individuals, with disabilities, unemployed, most typically married or widowed, and living in Northern Thailand. The drivers behind internet use diversity may be generational, suggesting a need to switch the research focus from households to individuals, even in less developed countries. Also analysed was internet use by European Union citizens, by generalizing the validity of the sequential model proposed by the RA theory from one country to the entire bloc. Support was found for the hypothesized relationships, but another finding was that the drivers' effects on internet use vary depending on the digital development level of countries. While education overall is the primary determinant of the social production of digital inequalities, a country's digital development level is crucial for less well-educated Europeans. Furthermore, young and well-educated individuals are the best positioned in society to take advantage of digital technologies in each country. Our findings throw new light on the social process of internet appropriation, suggesting that it develops differently in different European countries. Finally studied was the role of trust in producing a new digital divide. The sequential model of social internet appropriation was extended to include trust as a mediator in the causal chain. The extended model proposes that attitudes, physical access, digital skills, and now trust sequentially explain the appropriation process that ends in a digital divide in internet use. Findings indicate that while trust is another significant determiner of the digital divide that mediates digital skills on internet use, digital skills continue to be the most crucial driver in generating the digital gap. Trust is a socially constructed concept whose meaning depends on the digital skills of individuals. To sum up, this research makes several contributions to our knowledge of the social production of the digital divide in developing and developed countries. Uncovered was the existence of a generational digital transformation in Thailand that impinges on the importance of theoretical drivers of access to the internet – a finding that raises doubts regarding the mobile underclass hypothesis. Generalizing the resources and appropriation model's validity, identified was the digital development level of a country as a public resource for reducing digital inequalities. and education and age as the primary social indicators of digital inequalities. Finally, the theoretical sequential model was extended to include trust as another level of the digital divide, finding that even though its role is significant, digital skills remain as the most influential driver.
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Programa de Doctorat en Creació i Gestió d'Empreses

L oggetto della ricerca si incentra nella correlazione tra il fenomeno dello sviluppo locale e la problematica del digital divide. L intento che si intende perseguire consiste nella formulazione di ipotesi di risposta ad alcune domande poste in relazione alle due tematiche citate. In altri termini ci si chiede se gli strumenti tipici dello sviluppo locale possano o meno svolgere un ruolo nella riduzione, o quantomeno, nel contenimento del divario digitale inteso nella sua duplice versione ossia differenza nella dotazione all accesso alla rete internet e disparità nel grado di alfabetizzazione informatica. Inoltre si intende comprendere se, colmato il divario, possano derivare, o meno, effetti tali da contribuire allo sviluppo di un territorio. Per cercare di rispondere alle domande formulate, occorrerà pertanto capire cosa si intende per digital divide studiando, il fenomeno sin dalla sua nascita nonché analizzando le diverse ipotesi di evoluzione del divario nel tempo e, contestualmente, la differente morfologia che esso assume in base al contesto di riferimento. Occorre, infatti, notare che il divario digitale non è un fenomeno statico, legato esclusivamente all avvento della nuova tecnologia internet, ma un concetto in continua evoluzione, noto nell ambiente come moving target. Pertanto, si affronteranno le differenti accezioni del fenomeno concentrandosi in particolare su due fattispecie: il digital divide strutturale e quello reale. Sarà quindi trattata la tematica dell accesso alla rete internet, sia da un punto di vista giuridico che tecnico, al fine di acquisire gli strumenti necessari per comprendere le modalità di ridurre il divario digitale. Una volta quindi compreso il fenomeno e le relative ragioni di resistenza del mercato si passeranno in rassegna i recenti interventi governativi sia di stampo comunitario che nazionale volti alla riduzione del digital divide. Verranno presi, invece, in analisi i diversi interventi realizzati dalle regioni italiane ad eccezione della regione Sicilia. Attraverso l analisi rivolta alle diverse realtà locali italiane, si cercherà di valutare l eventuale efficienza dell intervento locale in merito alla riduzione del divario digitale con particolare riferimento ai Fondi rurali, sottolineando, se del caso, le best practices riscontrate. Alla luce dei risultati ottenuti verrà affrontata la questione della riduzione del divario digitale nella regione siciliana prendendo in considerazioni il ruolo delle istituzioni, le caratteristiche del territorio, la crescita della popolazione, l attuale divario digitale rilevato, l eventuale presenza di operatori locali virtuosi delle comunicazioni, nonché le potenzialità intrinseche legate all utilizzo di internet quale utile strumento di crescita economico-sociale. Si trarranno, infine, le conclusioni di quanto posto nel corso della trattazione per prospettare delle risposte ipotizzabili alle domande poste fornendo da un lato alcuni spunti di riflessione su possibili ipotesi di intervento e dall altro prendendo in considerazione i virtuosismi riscontrati in rete tali da creare un effetto positivo nello sviluppo locale del territorio.

Thesis (M.Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2003.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 82-83).
The concept of the digital divide is a condition in the urban context where informationalization via computer technology exacerbates a duality that consists of those who have access to information technologies, and those who do not. The resultant outcome is a marginalized community left behind - a polarized urban system socially, spatially, and technologically. Low-income communities become devalued, disadvantaged, and dis-empowered. Left behind is a community that is not computer literate, lacks skills to attain entry-level jobs, and lacking in resources and infrastructure to maintain a competitive computer competency. Infrastructure that is needed goes beyond just computer software and hardware. More important is that of human infrastructure, which is needed as a constant, in order to instruct, mentor, and interact with the community on a daily basis. Moreover, physical space that can facilitate the potential of computer technologies cannot be overlooked. The areas of the city, which this thesis focuses on, are that of the extreme poor; the ghettos that are frequently neglected physically and financially. These are environments where the presence of fear, lack of trust, and danger are everyday psychological realities in which the young and the old must persevere. Space allotted for learning, safety, and interaction is a much-needed resource. Shrinking the digital divide requires and understanding of the social theory that exists at the core of implementing high technologies within low-income communities. From an architectural standpoint, placing mobile architecture within its historical context, and present applications, became a necessity. The thesis attempts to shorten the present digital divide, and posits that an architectural solution designed through flexibility and adaptability, in addition to the integration with specific technologies and program, can initiate a community computer - where members become active producers rather than consumers. The architecture will be a resolution beyond providing infrastructure and access, but instead instilling within the community ownership, trust, and a street presence. Furthermore, the thesis promotes social interaction and a community history - two components that are deciding factors, and at the heart of, defining a community.
David Bruce McLean.
M.Arch.

The digital divide refers to inequalities in access to information technology. Those people who do not have access to information technology are at a significant economic and social disadvantage. As with any other policy decision, in order to evaluate policies for dealing with the digital divide, we need to know exactly what our goal should be. Since the principal value of access to information technology is that it leads to knowledge, work in epistemology can help us to clarify our goal in the context of the digital divide. In this paper, I argue that epistemic value theory can help us to determine which distribution of knowledge to aim for. Epistemic value theory cannot specify a particular distribution to aim for, but it can significantly narrow down the range of possibilities. Additionally, I indicate how the exercise of applying epistemic value theory to the case of the digital divide furthers work in epistemology.

Through this practice-based research I interrogate the terms community art, activism, social and digital media, as well as community and place. It is an investigation into both theoretical and practical aspects of community art practice and its connection to national and local policies on community, arts and digital media. It considers the increasing role digital technology and social media have in communities and community organisations, in particular under the guise of austerity, and how community organisations (do not) use social media and digital technology to encourage participation. It considers my position and role as an artist, curator and resident within the community that I live in and how, through becoming active and engaged with the place, I can develop a strategy for sustainable and long-term social engagement. This practice based Ph.D. takes as a starting point the stalled housing regeneration, due to the halting of the Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder, in the community where I live. The research builds upon my experience of working as an artist, curator and arts educator since the turn of the millennium where, under consecutive governments the purpose of contemporary art and its educational use has either been to effect social change (New Labour) or its economic value (current coalition government). Through the creation of a series of participatory and digital engagement events and workshops the research interrogates and considers the connections and conflict between the ‘physical’ (public space) and the digital and supposedly ‘open’ (the online). The research will be of use to those who feel an increasing and urgent need to engage with their own community as practitioners as well as community members.

Development of information and communication technologies of the last decade has had a significant impact on how people communicate, consume information and deal with daily situations. The role of the Internet in today’s world seems to be irreplaceable; however, to be a part of the new information society, digital skills and access to technology are required. Among other groups, majority of the seniors are having difficulties to adapt to the new technologies and lack access to it. This social group would greatly benefit from opportunities digital media offers, as it could provide potential of longer independent living and more convenience and entertainment in daily life. Unfortunately, the digital divide prevents seniors from utilizing the benefits that are available for the rest of the society. Despite the advantages, an age associated digital divide is still very topical in many countries, including Latvia. This study explores the reasons behind the digital divide in Latvia and examines the needs of seniors that could be supported by development of digital skills and access to digital technologies. The work is based on the theoretical background and uses both qualitative and quantitative material collected from seniors and experts in the field. The results showed that the most influential reasons behind age associated digital divide in Latvia are financial instability, lack of digital skills and motivation. Latvia is one of the most developed countries in the information and communication technologies field, and has advanced online services, which could be successfully used by seniors; however group’s interests are largely ignored as there are few opportunities to acquire digital skills. Based on these findings three solutions are developed to help improve with the situation.

Under the trend of ICT implementation in education, students’ learning becomes highly reliant on ICT. A student will thus suffer in his / her learning process if he / she lacks the chance of using ICT at home. This is what a divide in student’s learning is. As the occurrence of this divide is due to digital ICT devices and its effect is focussed on students’ academic performance, such divide is termed as digital divide in education (DDE). To bridge this divide, most governments around the world have spent a lot purchasing hardware for schools and even assisting students from low income families to have computers at home. The divide, however, still persists. Nowadays, almost all students have the chance to use ICT. If a student is skilful in using ICT, he / she can learn more effectively by searching useful materials on the Internet. Otherwise, the student may lose his / her learning path. Thus there is a divide in learning between the skilled and unskilled students using ICT. In addition to the learning-related usages, recent studies showed that most students mainly use ICT to play games or for social communication. The divide in learning still exists and shifts to the difference between the students who use ICT for their learning and those who mainly use ICT for other purposes. Moreover, even some of the students using ICT for their studies, such as doing assignments, may use it inappropriately for copying and reassembling materials from the Internet as their assignments for submission. Such surely impedes their learning. The divide in learning then extends to whether students use ICT appropriately. The aim of this research is to investigate the effect of DDE on students learning in terms of four facets: the chance of using ICT (access disparity), the skilfulness in using ICT (skill disparity), the ways in using ICT (usage disparity), and the appropriateness of using ICT (ethical disparity). The objective is three-fold. The first one is to examine whether the four facets of DDE affect students’ academic performance, the second one is to investigate whether the four facets are interrelated, and the third one is to explore the factors contributing to the four facets empirically. After reviewing various literatures, the potential factors are categorised into three groups: students’ personal factors, environmental factors, and ethics-related factors. A survey has been conducted to achieve the objective. A pilot test was carried out first to check the reliability and validity of the designed questionnaire. 825 valid responses were obtained from a set of random samples taken from Secondary 2 students in Hong Kong. Statistical methods are employed for investigating the relationship between the four facets and also the factors of each facet. The analysis results indicate that the latter three facets are the main constituents of DDE, significantly affecting students’ academic performance. The facets are also interrelated in a sequence. There is a significant effect of skill disparity on the other two disparities, and there is also a significant effect of usage disparity on ethical disparity. A number of key factors were also found for the facets, including students’ gender, SES, ICT experience, and also their parents’ parenting styles and ICT abilities. Their peers’ behaviour also plays an important role in affecting their appropriateness of using ICT. A number of policy implications are then proposed according to the results, in terms of financing approach of government (e.g. direct subsidy scheme), revision of curriculum, and enhancement of parenting skills.
published_or_final_version
Education
Doctoral
Doctor of Philosophy

There is always a gap between student learning and classroom teaching in Hong Kong education. The use of information and communication technology has made the situation even worse. It is a common practice for students to work together through digital media like Instagram, WhatsApp, opening online Chat Room and Facebook by using elements like video, music, texts and artistic photography to reflect and discuss ideas for project assignment. During the process, students can further investigate what they have learnt in lessons and construct new knowledge. However, our schools are still concentrating on text-based presentation software for teaching. Schools have been reacting slowly to the appearance of this new popular participatory culture. Therefore it is interesting to study schools’ ICT infrastructure, the digital literacy in classrooms as well as students’ individual usage behavior in digital media. From the study, we are able to realize the reasons for choosing those multimodal elements in the students’ learning as well as posting them online. Then, we can determine the relationship between the participatory culture in creating multimodal artifacts and digital divide in education among students; as well as finding out those factors which lead to the gap and enhance participatory culture in academic purpose for students. Thus, we can improve the situation of students’ learning outcome gap during the use of digital media in teaching and studying. My thesis will employ qualitative research method in case study approach. It consists of 6 students’ interviews as well as teacher’s focus group interviews of three teachers from two schools. The results show that there are different forms of technology and usage gap among the students in using digital tools. Certainly, there are several ways to overcome the barriers.
published_or_final_version
Education
Master
Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

In this dissertation, I report findings from three case studies of rhetoric about the internet based on a rhetorical theory of the internet as physical and digital hybrid. I understand digital and physical hybridity as connections between physical and digital objects enabled by the internet that trouble a delineation between digital and physical space. I begin my study by tracing the history of the internet and its relationship with materiality. While the vastness of the internet is not something that can be readily understood, it is something that spreads across space and time, resulting in effects that demand rhetorical response. I describe rhetorics of purification as rhetorical responses to the internet that isolate physical and digital objects and ascribe to these objects different qualities. These rhetorics can be productive in rendering the internet and its effects salient within different discourses, but they can also be limiting in terms of aspects of the internet that they elide. To situate my work, I review literature in the field focused specifically on the emergence of digital rhetoric and its theories, methods, and objects of inquiry. I describe a primary method of rhetorical analysis for locating rhetorical strategies used to account for internet technology in different discourses, with supplementary methods including distant reading and interface analysis. In the first case study, I consider a social media app that leveraged smartphone geolocation technology to situate anonymous online discourse within physical locations and analyze responses to the service and posts on the app. In the second case study, I consider legal decisions in the United States focusing on the rhetorical moves that make internet interactions matter within the context of internet surveillance and privacy rights. In the final case study, I consider online-only writing courses and the impact of online platforms on pedagogy through a procedural interface analysis. In conclusion, I focus on the relevance of these studies to ongoing conversations in digital rhetoric concerning social media, internet privacy, and pedagogy.
Doctor of Philosophy
This dissertation considers the internet from the perspective of rhetoric, which is the study of the theory and practice of written, spoken, and other modes of communication and debate. I report findings from three case studies about the internet in terms of digital and physical hybridity and rhetorics of purification. Digital and physical hybridity refers to the internet in terms of connections between physical objects (like people, buildings, and the environment) and digital objects (like data and computer code) that make a distinction between the two kinds of objects difficult. This means that the internet itself cannot be completely reduced to physical or digital components, even though it sometimes is in communication. Rhetoric where this distinction between digital and physical occurs can be understood as a rhetoric of purification because digital and physical objects are separated, or purified, from the deeper network of relationships between physical and digital objects which makes up the internet and the common reality both kinds of objects share. Rhetorics of purification can make the internet easier to understand and communicate about, but they can also overlook the deeper effects of the internet and its relationships with places, people, and communities. This dissertation takes up three different case studies related to rhetorics of purification. To demonstrate how this theory relates to the field, I review literature in rhetoric that considers digital texts, interfaces, and the internet in different ways in response to changes in technology. To study rhetoric surrounding the internet, I used a method of rhetorical analysis applied to different texts related to the internet. I combined this method with several methods of computer-assisted analysis including analysis of large bodies of text and interface analysis. I applied these methods within three different case studies. Each case study considers examples of rhetoric that represents the internet as distinct physical and digital components. In my first case study, I consider a social media service that used location information from users’ devices to situate anonymous online discourse within physical communities and analyze responses to the service. In my second case study, I consider legal decisions in the United States about internet surveillance and privacy rights. My analysis focuses on the rhetorical moves that are used in the legal decisions that relate the internet to the privacy of individuals and groups. In my final case study, I consider online-only writing courses and the impact of online platforms on teaching. In conclusion, I focus on the findings from these case studies and their relevance to ongoing conversations in the field concerning social media, internet privacy, and online teaching.

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to examine African American community college students’ availability to technological resources and how that availability affects their success. In this study, technological resources include access to the internet, software, hardware, technology training, technology support, and community resources. This study included six community college professors and six African American community college students enrolled in a Midwest community college. A major tenet of Critical Race Theory, storytelling, was used to give voice to students who lack sufficient access to technological resources referred to as the digitally denied. Data from this study can create an awareness of students that lack technological resources at community colleges, universities, and community libraries. This study could also be useful to community college leadership who set policies and procedures and determine curriculum requirements that call for technological resources. The findings suggested that access to technological resources is a key factor that impacted the success of African American students in the community college.

The purpose of this study was to ascertain if conditions or combinations of conditions existed within Oklahoma public schools that created inequities in the availability of classroom Internet connections. A stratified random sample of the 471 school districts was used to identify 300 specific schools for the purpose of data analysis. Data was gathered utilizing a database provided by the Oklahoma State Department of Education and a researcher developed questionnaire. The database provided data relating to four independent variables (region, district size, school type, and school size,). The dependent variable, percentage of classrooms connected to the Internet, was obtained by the researcher designed questionnaire. The state database also provided percentage information relating to students who qualify as minorities and qualify for free or reduced lunches. The data was tested using a series of ANOVAs and a Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient. The findings of the study are as follows: (a) The analysis of variance showed that none of the independent variables had a significant effect upon the percentage of classrooms connected to the Internet; (b) The Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient revealed little or no correlation between the percentage of disadvantaged or minority students and the percentage of classroom Internet connections.

Abstract. Technologists, designers and researcher are constantly working towards digitization of physical materials. Consumers today can read and display books on virtual bookshelves; access news from around the world instantly on their smartphone; archive and share photos with their friends on social media platforms. This represents both a gain and a loss for the consumers: losing the joy and meaning of physical objects but gaining the immediacy, dynamism, and accessibility of the digital. Users have to constantly navigate between their physical environment and digital objects. The industry treats these the physical and the digital experiences separately and this creates a tension for interaction and complicated user’s understanding of products and services rooted in the physical. Designers end up designing disjointed experiences for their users as there is no existing framework in the community to help designers span this divide. In this master’s thesis project I seek to understand if Critical Design can be used as a design method to investigate the digital–physical divide. Further, I use critical design to explore the design opportunities associated with the digital–physical divide by creating and deploying a probe in two libraries in Pittsburgh. Library patrons were interviewed post interaction with the probe. Findings are presented in this document.

Internet is viewed as the most vital digital technology in the globe. Eastern Africa has the least penetration of ICT per capita in the world. Internet is a valuable resource that has propelled enormous economic growth in many developed countries. In order for Eastern African governments to narrow the socio-economic divide between developed countries and themselves, there is need to overcome this digital handicap. Enormous investments in ICT infrastructure are essential. The governments must participate in making crucial decisions to wisely allocate the limited resources to improve the current infrastructure.This thesis investigates Internet use, access and penetration in Eastern Africa. Theoretical research has been carried out to elaborate on the subject matter. Through empirical study, we will come up with a fresh way to verify and understand the Internet situation in the region.
Program: Magisterutbildning i informatik

This dissertation explores the persistent gap between rural and urban areas in the percentage of households that access the Internet at home (a discrepancy commonly known as the "digital divide"). The theoretical framework underlying a household's Internet adoption decision is examined, with emphasis on the roles that household characteristics, network externalities, and digital communication technology (DCT) infrastructure potentially play. This framework is transferred into a statistical model of household Internet access, where non-linear decomposition techniques are employed to estimate the contributions of these variables to the digital divide in a given year. Differences in Internet access rates between years are also analyzed to understand the importance of temporal resistance to the continuing digital divide. The increasing prevalence of "high-speed" or broadband access is also taken into account by modeling a decision process where households that choose to have Internet access must decide between dial-up and high-speed access. This nested process is also decomposed in order to estimate the contributions of household characteristics, network externalities, DCT infrastructure, and temporal resistance to the high-speed digital divide. The results suggest that public policies designed to alleviate digital divides in both general and high-speed access should focus more on the broader income and education inequities between rural and urban areas. The results also imply that the current policy environment of encouraging DCT infrastructure investment in rural areas may not be the most effective way to close the digital divide in both general and high-speed Internet access.
Ph. D.

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Este estudo analisa a relevância da Internet para a inclusão digital dos cidadãos, na sociedade da informação, sobretudo a viabilidade como canal de retorno do Sistema Brasileiro de TV Digital (SBTVD). Apresenta, também, uma revisão bibliográfica, no que se refere às tecnologias que, hoje, permitem a comunicação entre os usuários e os serviços interativos disponíveis pelas emissoras de TV Digital aberta, ou seja, o canal de retorno. o trabalho analisa a eficácia do Plano Nacional de Banda Larga brasileira, frente aos planos e estratégias nacionais de banda larga. Adotados por países como Argentina e Estados Unidos. Estas experiências relativas ao desenvolvimento da oferta e na garantia da universalização do acesso a essa tecnologia, serviram de base para a análise e ao final de forma sistematizada destaca-se suas características, objetivos e contribuições para a implementação no Brasil
This study analyzes the digital inclusion fo citizens in the information society, mainly its viability as a return channel of the Brazilian Digital TV System (SBTVD). It also presents a literature review, concerning the technologies which, today, enable communication between users and the interactive services available through the open Digital TV stations, in the other words, the return channel. The article also analyzes the effectiveness of the National Brazilian Broadband Plan heading the national broadband plans and strategies adopted by other countries like Argentina and the United States. Some international experience from different countries in the development of supply and in the guarantee of universal access to this technology, provided the basis for the analysis, and in the end, in a systematized way, it highlights its characteristics, objectives and its contributions to implementing it in Brazil

Orientador: Eduardo Martins Morgado
Banca: Vânia Cristina Pires Nogueira Valente
Banca: Sérgio Amadeu da Silveira
Resumo: Este estudo analisa a relevância da Internet para a inclusão digital dos cidadãos, na sociedade da informação, sobretudo a viabilidade como canal de retorno do Sistema Brasileiro de TV Digital (SBTVD). Apresenta, também, uma revisão bibliográfica, no que se refere às tecnologias que, hoje, permitem a comunicação entre os usuários e os serviços interativos disponíveis pelas emissoras de TV Digital aberta, ou seja, o canal de retorno. o trabalho analisa a eficácia do Plano Nacional de Banda Larga brasileira, frente aos planos e estratégias nacionais de banda larga. Adotados por países como Argentina e Estados Unidos. Estas experiências relativas ao desenvolvimento da oferta e na garantia da universalização do acesso a essa tecnologia, serviram de base para a análise e ao final de forma sistematizada destaca-se suas características, objetivos e contribuições para a implementação no Brasil
Abstract: This study analyzes the digital inclusion fo citizens in the information society, mainly its viability as a return channel of the Brazilian Digital TV System (SBTVD). It also presents a literature review, concerning the technologies which, today, enable communication between users and the interactive services available through the open Digital TV stations, in the other words, the return channel. The article also analyzes the effectiveness of the National Brazilian Broadband Plan heading the national broadband plans and strategies adopted by other countries like Argentina and the United States. Some international experience from different countries in the development of supply and in the guarantee of universal access to this technology, provided the basis for the analysis, and in the end, in a systematized way, it highlights its characteristics, objectives and its contributions to implementing it in Brazil
Mestre

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 34-37).
The digital divide is largely seen as the main problem that developing economies and societies must overcome to gain economic productivity and social welfare. In this document we state that modern western perception of the digital divide lured advancement of lCT into developing countries especially in Africa. lCT must not be seen as a goal in itself but as a means to service human needs. This study attempts to analyze the willingness of people to adopt existing lCT infrastructures and the factors impeding its use in the DRC's cities of Kinshasa and Kananga.

In today's knowledge-based economy, issues concerning equitable access to telecommunication services and their quality remain an important public policy focus. Wireline broadband Internet brings a significant expense of installation and maintenance, especially in less densely populated rural and remote areas. The rural, sparsely populated areas of southern Illinois are considered the broadband periphery and are underserved in terms of equitable access to high speed Internet. This study explores utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a tool to identify relevant local obstructions ("clutter") in the development of a more reliable, cost effective metrics for the deployment of wireless towers. After performing extensive quality control on tower coordinates obtained from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which were only 47% accurate, a spatial model to represent and analyze wireless broadband infrastructure and demand in the twenty-one county southern Illinois study region was developed. The key factors extracted for wireless broadband propagation are the land cover surrounding the tower, elevation and slope of the terrain, and tower height. Geographically weighted regression analysis was used to determine typical characteristics of users of wireless technology, with income, age, and education having the most significant effect. According to Census data for the year 2000, 33,910 of the 174,959 households in southern Illinois have poor or no wireless coverage. Based on the results of the study and policy recommendations, wireless broadband technologies are viable solutions to help bridge the broadband gap in southern Illinois and rural America.

This African feminist ethnography examines how gender's incorporation into political and economic imaginaries and gender equality's promotion through current national digital inclusion policies and major initiatives aiming to reduce the digital gender divide in South Africa could contribute to deepening, rather than reversing, this problem. The study evaluated South African digital inclusion policies and major initiatives against gender and development theoretical trends over time. The study recommends that to address the digital gender divide more effectively, research, policy, and digital gender inclusion initiatives should focus much more closely on the contributions of activists and community-based organisations in this area.

Thesis (M.S.)--East Tennessee State University, 2004.
Title from electronic submission form. ETSU ETD database URN: etd-0318104-184456. Includes bibliographical references. Also available via Internet at the UMI web site.

The failure of the trade negotiations at Seattle, and the collapse of the negotiations at Doha have bought increased attention to the issue of development, aid, and the implementation of special and differential rights in favour of developing countries. This thesis looks to examine one aspect of the many issues facing developed and developing countries in the negotiations that lie ahead, specifically how international economic law can be used in the application of technological processes to help address the Digital Divide. At present, there is an emphasis on development and the needs of developing countries, and that such development needs to be sustainable. Research reviewed in Chapter 2 indicates that growing information technology levels leads to growth of GDP. Importantly the use of ICT‘s will foster growth in the trade of electronic goods and services (electronic intangibles). By making positive attempts to reduce the Digital Divide, DCs and LDCs will be in a better position to access the necessary ICTs required to help grow GDP and facilitate sustainable development. The thesis sets out various measures to help reduce the digital divide and founded in international economic law. Central to the thesis is a new Layering Theory that the Author argues will assist operators (both incumbents and Independent Service Providers) in the developing world to gain access to international backbone Internet networks at cost price, one of the main impediments to reducing the international digital divide. The Layering Theory sets out a procedure for accurately identifying the relevant market for providers of Next Generation Networks (NGNs) and services so that those operators who abuse their dominance by refusing to supply an interconnection service or access to a digital network can be compelled to interconnect their networks to those smaller domestic or third country Internet Service Providers (ISP) operators who require access. By gaining access/interconnection in this way, operators in DCs and LDCs will be in a much better position to take advantage of cheaper production costs to export electronic intangibles overseas. Also, the thesis sets out recommendations for reform of international telecommunications, new provisions on technology transfer to help DCs and LDCs access the ICTs needed to address the Digital Divide, including provisions on technology transfer found in the increasing take-up of bilateral and regional trade agreements—and if there is to be free trade in e-commerce—recommendations for reform of current WTO rules on the classification of electronic goods and services. However, the thesis also argues that the digital divide cannot be addressed without strengthening the human capital base in developing and least developed countries, and that this cannot happen without such states also giving greater effect to the enforcement of civil and political, and economic, social and cultural rights ―at home‖. The thesis asks whether it is possible to define a relationship in IEL between civil and political, and economic social and cultural rights as a collective for example in the form of the much debated and somewhat controversial Right to Development (the ―RTD‖ as defined in this thesis) on the one hand, with economic indicators, such Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on the other? And if so, how the RTD can be operationalised.

This thesis reports on a study that investigated the role of public libraries in addressing the digital divide in South Africa. The study started in 2006. This study addressed the main research question: "How should a theoretical model look for South African public libraries to contribute to bridging the digital divide?" The central research problem was further addressed by asking the following questions: • What are the scope and implications of the digital divide? (These include the meaning of the concept, the dimensions and the factors leading to the digital divide.) • What has been reported on the role of libraries (including information services) in bridging the digital divide? • What have libraries in South Africa done to address the digital divide, and which possibilities are foreseen? • How can South African libraries be positioned to contribute to bridging the digital divide? The study followed a survey method using interviews with directors of Provincial Library Services (or their representatives), which are the controlling bodies of public libraries in South Africa, questionnaires distributed to representative staff members of participating public libraries in Gauteng, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal and individual interviews with selected heads/representatives of public libraries in Gauteng, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal. Data collected through the questionnaires were both quantitative and qualitative. Data was collected between 2011 and 2012. Quantitative data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), while qualitative data from interviews were analysed by content analysis and thematic categorising of information. In October 2015 a follow-up study of limited scope was conducted with three representatives from the three provincial library services to establish developments since the first round of data collections. Seven out of nine directors of Provincial Library Services in South Africa participated in the study. Furthermore, 247 public libraries from Gauteng, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal out of 463 public libraries and 18 heads/representatives of public libraries participated in this study. Findings on the opinions expressed on the role of public libraries in bridging the digital divide include the following: providing access to information and communication technologies (ICTs), offering information literacy and ICT literacy training, providing information to reduce the gap between "haves" and "have-nots", providing communities with equal, free access, reaching out and spreading ICTs to those who may not have online access and support and facilitating and promoting information exchange and communication between citizens and the government. The overall findings from the study were that although provincial library services have documents containing information on their mission and vision, their mission and vision statements do not address the digital divide or shed any light in this regard. The study found that provincial library services aimed to support public libraries to provide information resources, services to communities and access to information through ICT via targeted fund transfers to municipalities. None of the provincial library services included in the study had an explicit policy and strategies aligned to its vision and mission to guide and enable it in addressing the digital divide. Although all provincial library services included in the study had access to computer facilities in their headquarters, there were still disparities in the number of computer facilities available. It was also found that none of the provincial library services had its own website at the time of the study. They depended on the websites of their parent organisations. The study found that very few provincial library services had information technology (IT) units/departments charged with the responsibility of taking care of ICT facilities. They depended on external ICT service providers or the IT departments of their parent organisations to maintain the library's ICT infrastructure.
Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2016.
Information Science
PhD
Unrestricted

Developing countries are often said to suffer the disadvantages created by a ‘digital divide’ – the gap between the digitally advantaged and the digitally disadvantaged. This study examines the phenomenon of the digital divide in the context of Jordan as an example of a developing Arab country. The research question for the study is: How can digital libraries assist universities in Jordan to bridge the digital divide?This research question is addressed by using the established method of a document availability test to measure the availability of randomly selected documents at Yarmouk University, Jordan; and conducting a comparison with Curtin University as an example of an established university in a developed country. This test serves as the basis for a survey and interviews undertaken with academic and library staff from Yarmouk University, and senior government policy makers in Jordan.A focus of the study is on assessing the particular challenges and frustrations facing Arabic-speaking researchers in their use of digital information services. That is, while the term digital divide is often used as a means of expressing the technology gap between developed and developing countries, it may well be that a further divide is created because of the domination of the languages and content of the developed world in the digital environment.The findings of the research make recommendations regarding the digital scholarly environment in Jordan. These include the need to: 1. develop a more mature research culture, 2. enhance professionalism and skill development in academic library staff, 3. increase collaboration in the creation and delivery of digital scholarly content, 4. develop open access publishing and archives, 5. improve advocacy and training roles of academic librarians.

The ubiquity of Web 2.0 technologies has led to a seismic shift in the way educational services are delivered. It comes as no surprise then that e-tutoring—otherwise known as electronic or online tutoring—is quickly supplanting face-to-face tuition for reasons of both cost and convenience. While e-tutoring is an effective form of academic support for many students, its efficacy remains tenuous for those confronted with a digital divide that figures predominantly around geographic barriers, socio-economic status, and educational levels. Premised on diffusion research, this master's dissertation explores the implementation of an e-tutoring service known as Homework Help that has effected relatively low adoption rates. It uses a concurrent mixed-methods approach—including surveys, interviews, and focus groups—to examine the factors that have led to this low adoption rate. The results are presented via two journal articles situated within a larger meta-talk: The first article contrasts the adoption patterns apparent between rural and urban students, while the second article looks at the utility of diffusion research in examining educational technologies, as it explores the use of e-tutoring for applied stream students. The findings of this study suggest that rural and urban, as well as applied and academic student subgroups, differ in terms of their perception and adoption of e-tutoring. Implications for educational policy, especially in regards to rural education, are discussed.

Gender plays an important role in access to the ICTs and Internet. Even when both genders have almost equal access to the ICTs and online services, or similar literacy rates, women have a lower rate in technology related education, employment, income, and in social activities than men.This thesis focuses on the existing digital gender gap by identifying its key factors and trends and studying the role of Internet and ICTs in bridging this gap. In addition, to suggest improvements to empower women in the developing countries and especially in Iran. A qualitative research method was adopted and semi-structured interview with 5 Internet users who were purposely chosen, was conducted. The data were analyzed and interpreted with the help of Lichtman's 3C method. This research study has examined the possible gender digital divide among users of ICTs and Internet in Iran and by making use of the existed secondary data. The empirical findings are discussed and compared to the reviewed literature, which resulted to an arising framework for a better understanding of digital gap among women.This research gives an overview about the digital divide, with a focus specifically on the challenges women face in accessing the ICTs and Internet in this region. Current gender disparities and discrimination in Internet use are outlined and the obstacles hindering women’s access to the technology world are described. At the later stage, the research has a look at the potential opportunities for women’s participation in a global digital society along with a consideration of the initiatives that have been developed in order to mitigate the gender inequity in Iran.

Allt fler samhällstjänster digitaliseras och människor måste anpassas efter samhällets digitala utveckling. Detta är en fallstudie där syftet är att undersöka hur verksamheten Skånetrafiken arbetar för att motverka digitalt utanförskap, samtidigt ge ökad förståelse för begreppet digitalt utanförskap. Teorin som använts i denna studie hämtades från litteratur inom digitalt utanförskap. Den bygger på forskaren Jan Van Dijks forskning om digitalt utanförskap, där teorin syftar till att förklara de olika nivåerna i digitalt utanförskap. Undersökningen bygger på en kvalitativ intervjustudie där fem intervjuer har utförts med anställda från Skånetrafiken. Utifrån detta har flera faktorer identifierats i Skånetrafikens arbetssätt som främjar digital inkludering. Vidare har ett teoretiskt bidrag utvecklats fram för hur organisationer bör arbeta för att motverka digitalt utanförskap. Det teoretiska bidraget är ett resultat framtaget utifrån det konceptuella ramverket och studien om Skånetrafiken.
More and more community services are being digitized and people must adapt to society's digital development. This is a case study in purpose to investigate how Skånetrafiken works to counter digital exclusion, while at the same time trying to increase understanding of the concept digital exclusion. The theory used in this study was derived from literature on digital exclusion. It is based on Jan Van Dijk's research on digital exclusion, where the theory aims to explain the different levels of digital exclusion. The case is based on a qualitative interview study where five interviews have been conducted with employees from Skånetrafiken. Based on this, several factors have been identified in Skånetrafiken's working methods that promote digital inclusion. Furthermore, a theoretical contribution has been developed for how organizations should work to counter digital exclusion. The theoretical contribution is a result derived from the conceptual framework and the study of Skånetrafiken.

É propósito da dissertação examinar as definições dos conceitos eGovernment e Digital Divide e a forma como o debate sobre o conceito de Digital Divide tem vindo a chamar a atenção para diferentes Digital Divides. Em seguida, olharemos para o que o eGovernment implica em relação ao fenómeno do Digital Divide. Quais são as desvantagens e vantagens da administração em linha? Poderá a implementação de serviços de eGovernment significar o surgimento de novas desigualdades em termos de acesso a serviços públicos? Uma série de cenários são considerados, que incluem reflexões sobre a forma como podem surgir diferenças entre países e intra-países. Tentaremos identificar quais os indivíduos que utilizam e os que não utilizam serviços de eGovernment. Através de análise de estatísticas oficiais sobre Portugal e Reino Unido, tentaremos rastrear evidências de novas divisões (Digital Divides) no que respeita ao eGovernment. Iremos também refelectir sobre a evolução da Web 2.0, de modo a mostrar como os governos estão a usar as novas potencialidades da Internet para o desenvolvimento do eGovernment. Sugere-se ainda a necessidade de novas pesquisas que possam mostrar com maior detalhe o relacionamento entre eGovernment e Digital Divide, incluindo uma chamada de atenção para a necessidade de monitorizar o desenvolvimento de novas formas de eGovernment que possam surgir com a evolução da Web 2.0, nomeadamente, no que ao Digital Divide diz respeito.
First we will examine definitions of the eGovernment and Digital Divide and the way the debate about the concept is drawing attention to different Digital Divides. Then we will look at what eGovernment entails. What are the disadvantages and advantages of eGovernment? Moreover, does eGovernment actually mean new inequalities in terms of access to public services? A number of scenarios are considered, which include reflections upon how cross-national differences may arise. Next, we try to identify those who use eGovernment services and those who do not. Through secondary analysis of official statistics for, mainly, the UK and Portugal, we will try to trace evidence of new Digital Divides. We will turn also to the evolution of web 2.0, showing how governments are using this as new arena for the development of eGovernment. We suggest also new researches for monitoring the development of web 2.0 eGovernment in relation to Digital Divide concerns.