Cookies?
Library Header Image
LSE Research Online LSE Library Services

The digital divide and employment

Mann, Laura (2014) The digital divide and employment. In: Society and the Internet: how networks of information and communication are changing our lives. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. ISBN 9780199661992

Full text not available from this repository.

Identification Number: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199661992.003.0019

Abstract

It is argued that poor and marginalized communities, such as in the Global South, perpetuate their poverty through closed networks and low levels of trust in weak social ties, which limit the ability of people to trade, form new business connections, and access useful market information. However, the rapidly increasing use of the Internet coupled with liberalizing economies has been seen as a way for people to participate in networks relevant to employment that would be unreachable through traditional networks. Using case studies from the Sudanese labour market, the findings question whether new technologies can level the playing field in ways many have expected. A range of barriers remains, including access, technological proficiency and literacy, class, tribe and gender, that all play a role in restricting social equality for the traditionally marginalized. Internet initiatives focused on development need to deal with this larger range of issues if they are to succeed.

Item Type: Book Section
Official URL: http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/
Additional Information: © 2014 Oxford University Press
Divisions: International Development
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
Date Deposited: 02 Nov 2017 15:18
Last Modified: 24 Oct 2023 14:34
URI: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/85054

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item