Last week I handed in two abstracts for the upcoming IAMCR Conference in Leicester, UK from 27-31 July. This year's overarching theme is 'Memory, Commemoration and Communication: Looking Back, Looking Forward':
Abstract 1 - Who’s in, who’s out: 8 Profiles of Digital Inequalities
The traditionally defined dichotomous categories of
included versus excluded population groups – e.g. rich versus poor; young
versus old; or male versus female… – are no longer valid to identify the
groups-at-risk of being digitally excluded. A study by van Deursen and Helsper
(2015) shows that digital inequalities amongst older adults depend upon life
stage, social environment and psychological characteristics. Qualitative
research by Schurmans and Mariën (2013, 2015) highlights that a part of
socially excluded NEETs (young persons not in education, employment or
training) and people in poverty do master digital media, in contrast to their
peers. This implies that there no longer is a clear
view on the groups at-risk of being or becoming digitally excluded. New and
more contextualized approaches are needed. Several exercises in this regard
were realized by way of developing user typologies; see for example the work of
Rogers (2003), Livingstone and Helsper (2007), Selwyn (2003), Brotcorne et al.
(2010) and Verdegem and Verhoest (2009). These attempts are interesting and
valuable, but they are also subject to a number of limitations such as a lack
of theoretical framework, too much emphasis on the quantification of use, a
lack of contextual background information and the use of a limited number of
indicators. This paper addresses these main drawbacks and
describes the identification of eight profiles of digital inequalities: (a)
Digital Outcasts; (b) Hopelessly Undigital; (c) Digital Fighters; (d) Smoothly
Digital; (e) Digital All-Stars; (f) Unexpected Digital Masters; (g) Unexpected
Digital Drop-Outs; and (h) Digitally Self-Excluded. These eight profiles of
digital inequalities were constructed by way of three research activities,
grounded within theoretical and empirical research: (1) the identification of
the at-risk factors of social and digital exclusion; (2) an analysis of the
cause and effect relation between social and digital exclusion; (3) the
creation of a continuum for social and for digital inequalities that
distinguishes five main stages of inequalities: deep exclusion, wide exclusion,
concentrated exclusion/inclusion, wide inclusion, and deep inclusion. These
three research tracks led to the identification of thirteen indicators that
were subsequently placed and analyzed across the continuum of social and
digital inequalities. For social exclusion, the following at-risk indicators
were used: income, education; participation in life domains; agency; and
wellbeing. For digital exclusion the at-risk factors access, attitude, digital
skills, social and soft skills, autonomy, use patterns, media richness of
surroundings and social support networks were taken into account. The profiling exercise pinpoints that for The
Digital Outcasts and The Hopelessly Undigital a vicious circle exists through
which mechanisms of social exclusion are causing and reinforcing digital
exclusion and vice versa. The analysis also shows that three typologies
transcend existing mechanisms of social and digital exclusion, namely The
Unexpected Digital Masters, The Unexpected Digital Drop-outs and The Digitally
Self-Excluded. The profiling exercise has led to the insight that
participation, agency, social and soft skills and support networks have a
decisive influence on the autonomy of use and hence, define when, why and how
digital and social inequalities are intertwined.
Abstract 2 - Back to the drawing board: Towards a renewed conceptual framework for digital exclusion (in collaboration with Koen Salemink, RUGroningen)
The past years, theoretical and
empirical research has made clear that the digital divide is a complex
phenomenon that is caused by a vast number of ICT-related barriers such as lack
of physical access, low levels of digital skills, little to no opportunities of
use, a systemic lack of motivation to engage with ICTs, and a vast number of
additional factors such as life style, life stage, autonomy of use and support
networks (Brotcorne et al., 2009; Helsper, 2012; Tsatsou, 2011). Moreover, it
has been shown that digital exclusion is a multidimensional and structural
problem that is highly intertwined with social exclusion and as such, is
related to class and structural societal differences in economic, social and
cultural capital (Witte and Mannon, 2010). However, only a limited number of
theoretical models exist that describe and clarify the relation between digital
and social inequalities. This paper therefore entails a two-folded exercise that has enabled the
creation of a renewed framework for digital exclusion. First, an in-depth
inventory, analysis and comparison of the various determinants of digital and
social exclusion was realized, based upon a
systematic literature review of both theoretical approaches and empirical
studies grounded within different fields of research. Second, a
critical revision was realized of the premises,
determinants and influential relations as presented in existing digital
inequality frameworks; see for example van Dijk’s model on resources and
appropriation (2003), Gilbert’s model on the interconnectedness of urban and
digital inequalities (2010), and Helsper’s correspondings fields model for
digital exclusion (2012). The paper reviews which ICT-related determinants and
social inequality indicators are taken into account and analyses to what extent
these are sufficient to support the analysis of the cause and effect relation
between digital and social exclusion. The paper also addresses on what premises
and hypothesis these models are built and how these relate to an individual’s need,
choice, or even ‘obligation’ to engage or disengage with ICTs. Ultimately, the paper provides and clarifies a renewed
and comprehensive framework for digital exclusion, grounded within this two-folded
critical analysis. This renewed framework for digital exclusion moves beyond
the merely user-centred and skills-based debate, and places access, digital
skills and socio-spatial opportunities at the centre of the debate.
Furthermore, it highlights how these three factors are influenced by
educational, financial and personal characteristics at micro-, meso- and
macrolevel.
