The Deepening Divide: Inequality in the Information Society (Paperback)

by Professor Jan A G M van Dijk (Author) "At the end of the 1990s, the issue of the so-called digital divide was suddenly put on the agenda of public, political, and scholarly debate,..." (more)
Key Phrases: motivational access, broadband elite, digital divide research, United States, Third World, African Americans (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Deepening Divide: Inequality in the Information Society explains why the digital divide is still widening and, in advanced high-tech societies, deepening. Taken from an international perspective, the book offers full coverage of the literature and research and a theoretical framework from which to analyze and approach the issue. Where most books on the digital divide only describe and analyze the issue, Jan van Dijk presents 26 policy perspectives and instruments designed to close the divide itself.

About the Author

Jan A.G.M. van Dijk is an internationally recognized expert in the field of communication, his specific interest being new media studies.  Van Dijk is the author of The Network Society: Social Aspects of the New Media (SAGE, 1999) and co-editor of Digital Democracy: Issues of Theory and Practice (SAGE, 2000).  He is an advisor of the European Commission in the Information Society Forum.  As a professor of Communication Science at Twente University, van Dijk teaches and develops the sociology of the information society, in particular the social-cultural, political, and organizational aspects. 

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Sage Publications, Inc; 1 edition (February 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 141290403X
• ISBN-13: 978-1412904032
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #807,757 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars The Gulf Between, October 12, 2006

By	doomsdayer520 (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

Mr. van Dijk is one of the world's leading authorities on the digital divide - the phenomenon that may or may not be leaving people behind as society becomes computerized and connected. Here van Dijk rewardingly adds to our understanding of the many possible nuances of the digital divide, which goes far beyond physical access to computers. Despite the pronouncements of politicians and idealists who believe that everyone around the world will be zooming down the information superhighway as soon as they get a connection, van Dijk proves that things are not so simple. In fact, the divide might be closing if one only looks at the physical aspects, but the divide is actually deepening for those who are still unable (or unwilling) to get on board. This is due to many unappreciated social, cultural, political, economic, and motivational factors faced by those who might even have physical access, and van Dijk tackles all of these with great insight and complexity. This book is held back by a repetitive writing style in which van Dijk keeps introducing what he's going to talk about later, then almost before you know it he's summarizing his findings. But van Dijk redeems the book by closing with specific policy recommendations for different areas of the globe, even if they are a little wishful politically. [~doomsdayer520~]