This chapter discusses the success and failure of initiatives which provide access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) as a means of promoting social inclusion. We believe that there is often a disparity between the supposed and the true needs and desires of the minority groups at the receiving end of digital divide initiatives. Observation of practices towards ICTs which are s...

In this chapter, we examine how people of African descent are using an online discussion forum as a site for interrogating the existential question of “who am I?”. Contrary to the typical formulations of the digital divide as a measure of disparity in access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), we make a case for how and why ICTs are being effectively used to enable and advance...

The term “Digital Divide” refers to the gap between people and communities who have access to the information resources and those who have not. As with any complex issue, there are several approaches to the problem, and several stakeholders trying to design interventions to close the gap. The present paper uses a combination of the conceptualization tools proposed by Soft Systems Methodology an...

Despite the widespread adoption of new information technologies, a “digital divide” still exists, excluding many from enjoying the benefits, especially those who live in developing countries. A digital divide is defined as an access gap that is measured by the disparities in subscriber penetration levels and technological gaps reflected in technological discrepancies between countries and regio...

Most discussions on the digital divide have predominantly focused on social disparities in the physical accessibility of information and communication technologies (ICT), and the proposed solutions are related to providing low cost access to the underprivileged. The mobile phone has been considered as a good solution due to its relatively low cost. This paper, based on an empirical study in Sri...