Browse Books

Reviewer: Cecilia G. Manrique

The digital divide has been frequently discussed. The term, which has become part of conventional wisdom, refers to the gap between those who do, and those who do not, have access to computers and the Internet. We do not commonly delve into what this actually means, however. This book takes a closer look at what comprises the so-called digital divide. It examines the relationship between information and communication technology (ICT) and social inclusion, and presents the notion that the logical implication of a digital divide is that there are social problems associated with the computer revolution, and that the mere provision of computers and Internet accounts is not a solution to the problem. Several examples of initiatives that tried to bridge this divide are covered in the book. The case of a slum "hole-in-the-wall" (an outdoor five-station computer kiosk set up in one of the poorest areas of New Delhi) is one of the examples discussed. Internet access was of little use here, because it seldom worked. Although some viewed this as a welcome initiative, many expressed concern that the lack of organized instruction took away from its value. Another example is that of Ireland's national telecommunications company, which held a national competition to select and fund an "information age town." Towns of at least 5,000 people across the country were invited to compete, by submitting detailed proposals of their visions of what information age towns should be, and how they could become one. The winning proposal was a plan to give an Internet-ready personal computer to every family in the town. A visit to the winning town, Ennis, by a university researcher three years later indicated that the town had little to show for the money. In Egypt, an international donor project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) decided to donate a computer laboratory to the college of education at a major university, in order to establish a model teacher training program in computer-assisted learning in one of the departments of the college. Other departments within the college that had access to only a handful of computers became envious that a single department would have such modern and expensive equipment: they attempted to block the university's support for the lab. These types of problems occur again and again in technology projects around the world, and the author tries to provide explanations for their existence. The text starts with the premise that focusing on providing hardware and software, and paying insufficient attention to the human and social systems that must also change for technology to make a difference, is a major issue. Thus, after analyzing the disparities between and within nations both rich and poor, the author offers the alternative framework of looking at the intersection of ICT and social inclusion. According to the author, social inclusion is not only a matter of an adequate share of resources. It also denotes the participation of everyone, rich or poor, in the determination of both individual and collective life chances. The author focused most of his research on countries, such as India, Brazil, Egypt, China, and the United States, that possess the following common characteristics: they all have extensive poverty; large gaps between rich and poor; substantial, but unequally distributed ICT resources; and a myriad of local and national programs attempting to use technology to promote social inclusion. The book is organized in such a way that the first two chapters provide a historical and theoretical framework of issues of technology and social inclusion. After identifying four types of technology-associated resources that are essential to access and inclusion (physical, digital, human, and social), the author spends the rest of the book focused on these four resources. The last chapter draws together the main arguments of the book, by examining theories of the social embeddedness of technology. Various interesting issues are raised in the individual chapters, with respect to the resources that are essential to access and inclusion. Foremost among them when it comes to the physical resources is the innovator's dilemma, which seems to cater to the rich who can afford, and which neglects the poor who cannot afford to signal their needs through the market because of their lack of purchasing power. The topic of digital resources takes into consideration issues of content and language. One of the major issues here is the global production of Web content that is in the English language. How long will the focus on English as the language of the Web be maintained, given the growth in non-English speakers on the Web, and the desire for more diverse cultural resources, including resources for the disabled__?__ The subject of human and social resources also includes a discussion of international social movements that have benefited from the use of the Internet, such as the anti-globalization movement and terrorist organizations. In the final analysis, the author suggests that scholars shift their attention from the digital divide to digital inequality, or the differences among people with regard to physical access to the Internet. This book is a great read because it focuses attention on the details of a concept: digital inequality. By the use of data, tables, graphs, and notes, the reader becomes educated in a topic that should warrant greater discussion and international attention: the benefits and shortfalls of information technology in a global society. Online Computing Reviews Service