Beyond Access: Bridging the Digital Divide
نویسندگان
چکیده
This paper describes the theoretical underpinnings of an ongoing research project that is examining the relationship between e-Democracy and the ‘digital divide’. The literature surrounding the Digital Divide is reviewed, and the importance of equitable physical access to ICTs in the drive to bridge the issue of social exclusion examined. It is argued that any discussion of the phenomenon of the digital divide must look beyond equitable physical access and take into consideration issues mentioned separately in the literature – ‘real access’, ‘reach’ and ‘socially responsible connectivity’.
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