scholarly journals Closing the Digital Divide in Low-Income Urban Communities: A Domestication Approach

10.28945/3885 ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 117-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Kanyi Wamuyu
Keyword(s):  
Urban Communities ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Digital Inclusion ◽  
Marginalized Communities ◽  
Low Income Households

Aim/Purpose: Significant urban digital divide exists in Nairobi County where low income households lack digital literacy skills and do not have access to the internet. The study was undertaken as an intervention, designed to close the digital divide among low income households in Nairobi by introducing internet access using the domestication framework. Background: Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have the potential to help reduce social inequality and have been hailed as critical to the achievement of the Sustainable Development goals (SDGs). Skills in use of ICTs have also become a prerequisite for almost all forms of employment and in accessing government services, hence, the need for digital inclusion for all. Methodology: In this research study, I employed a mixed methods approach to investigate the problem. This was achieved through a preliminary survey to collect data on the existence of urban digital divide in Nairobi and a contextual analysis of the internet domestication process among the eighteen selected case studies. Contribution: While there have been many studies on digital divide between Africa and the rest of the world, within the African continent, among genders and between rural and urban areas at national levels, there are few studies exploring urban digital divide and especially among the marginalized communities living in the low-income urban areas. Findings: Successful domestication of internet and related technologies was achieved among the selected households, and the households appreciated the benefits of having and using the internet for the first time. A number of factors that impede use of internet among the marginalized communities in Nairobi were also identified. Recommendations for Practitioners: In the study, I found that use of differentiated costs internet services targeting specific demographic groups is possible and that use of such a service could help the marginalized urban communities’ access the internet. Therefore, ISPs should offer special internet access packages for the low-income households. Recommendation for Researchers: In this research study, I found that the urban digital divide in Nairobi is an indication of social economic development problems. Therefore, researchers should carryout studies involving multipronged strategies to address the growing digital divide among the marginalized urban communities. Impact on Society: The absence of an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) inclusion policy is a huge setback to the achievement of the SDGs in Kenya. Digital inclusion policies prioritizing digital literacy training, universal internet access and to elucidate the social-economic benefits of internet access for all Kenyans should be developed. Future Research: Future studies should explore ways of providing affordable mass internet access solutions among the residents of low-income communities and in eliminating the persistence urban digital divide in Kenya.

Determinants of Digital Divide in Africa and Policy Implications

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-79
Author(s):  
Stephen Kwamena Aikins
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
The Internet ◽  
International Telecommunication Union ◽  
International Telecommunication

This article investigates the reasons most African households are not using the internet and discusses the policy implications for bridging the digital divide. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) reports that at the end of 2014, only 7 percent of households in LDCs, most of whom are in Africa, had Internet access. This study analyses data from the ITU database and other sources to identify the determinants of the digital divide in Africa. Results show that peculiar challenges such as affordability and digital literacy do influence the percentage of African households who do not use the internet.

Residential mobility and the geography of low-income households

Urban Studies ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 004209802092212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Schouten
Keyword(s):  
Urban Communities ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Central City ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Suburban Communities ◽  
Household Resources ◽  
Suburban Poverty ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Low Income Households

In contrast to the traditional image of suburban communities as stable and secure enclaves surrounding a more volatile urban core, scholars have noted considerable increases in suburban poverty over the past several decades. Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) from 1999 to 2015 and a seven-category neighbourhood typology, this analysis seeks to better understand the growing economic distress of suburban areas in two stages: first by examining the degree to which low-income residents have left urban communities for suburban neighbourhoods; and second by identifying the types of low-income households that have made urban-to-suburban moves. Results show that although low-income households rapidly suburbanised during the study period, higher-income households left urban areas for suburban neighbourhoods at nearly the same rate. This finding suggests that while the overall number of economically disadvantaged residents in the suburbs has grown, population flows have had only a modest impact on the income composition of suburban neighbourhoods. Results also highlight important differences between low-income households that suburbanised during the study period and those that remained in urban communities. In particular, urban-to-suburban movers were more likely to be white, had more household resources and lived in origin neighbourhoods with fewer urban characteristics than the origin neighbourhoods of those who relocated within central-city areas.

scholarly journals Family Conditions and the Accessibility of Online Education: The Digital Divide and Mediating Factors

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8590
Author(s):  
Jiafeng Gu
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
Broadband Internet ◽  
Low Income Families ◽  
The Impact ◽  
At Home

This study is an exploration of the digital divide between urban and rural areas, and it was conducted to assess the impact of the minimum living guarantee system on online education in China. The results of the research showed that 83.38% of students in low-income families have been able to participate in online education at home during the pandemic, while 16.62% of students in low-income families have been unable to do so. The absence of computers, smartphones, and broadband Internet access in low-income households reduces the likelihood of children being able to participate in online education at home. In terms of accessing online education at home, students from urban areas have obvious advantages over those from rural ones, and students from minimum living guarantee families have obvious advantages over those from marginal minimum living guarantee ones. This study also showed that the presence of online education-related amenities, including computers, smartphones, and Internet access, mediates the relationship between the subsistence allowance system, Hukou, and accessibility of online education. To address this issue, this paper includes suggestions for bridging the digital divide in online education.

scholarly journals Bridging Indonesia’s Digital Divide: Rural-Urban Linkages?

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aulia Hadi
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Information And Communication Technology ◽  
Communication Technology ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Digital Skills ◽  
Information And Communication

While Indonesia is recorded as one of the greatest social media republics in the world, the gap of rural-urban internet access remains a great challenge. As reported in the 2016 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Indicators, the number of households with internet access in rural areas is nearly half of those in urban areas; 26.3% and 48.5% in a consecutive way. Rather than simply seeing the internet as a medium, this paper discusses the internet as material culture; therefore, it goes beyond the access and focuses on the ways people use the internet to define their culture. From this perspective, this paper draws the two levels of the digital divide of Indonesian rural-urban dwellers. Lack of motivation and limited material access due to social inequality is at the very base of the digital divide. Subsequently, digital skills and usage deepen the digital divide. While splitting people into either rural or urban categories often produces misleading policies, this paper proposes the rural-urban linkages to bridge the digital divide in Indonesia. The rural-urban linkages particularly incorporate the flow of people and information across space as well as the interconnection between sectors, such as agriculture and service.

scholarly journals Digital divide and digital inclusion in Chile: the challenges of a new literacy

Comunicar ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 77-84
Author(s):  
Francisco-Javier Fernández-Medina
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Digital Inclusion ◽  
New Literacy ◽  
Public Areas ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Made In ◽  
Alfabetización Digital

Digital divide in Chile is not as large as it seems. Last figures obtained from a research made in aproximately twenty countries shows that at least 65% of the Chilean people are users of the Internet and have access to this technology. Therefore, digital literacy should focus on activities which would help to surpass the lack of access either by own decision or lack of skills. The following paper shows the situation of the digital divide in Chile and the activities developed in order to surpass it in both private and public areas. La brecha digital en Chile no es tan grande como parece. Los últimos datos obtenidos por una encuesta que también se realiza en casi una veintena de países indican que al menos un 66% de los chilenos es usuario directo o indirecto de Internet y por lo tanto, tiene acceso a esta tecnología. De esta manera, la alfabetización digital debiera centrarse en iniciativas que ayuden a superar la falta de acceso por decisión propia o por falta de destrezas. En el presente artículo se dará cuenta del estado de la brecha digital en Chile y las iniciativas que se han desarrollado para superarla, desde el ámbito público y el privado.

scholarly journals Impact of the Digital Divide on Computer Use and Internet Access on the Poor in Nigeria

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omolara Tayo ◽  
Randall Thompson ◽  
Elizabeth Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Computer Use ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
Local Government Area ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Ogun State ◽  
Information And Communication

<p>We recruited 20 community members in Ido Local Government Area, Oyo state and Yewa Local Government Area, Ogun state in Nigeria to explore experiences and perceptions of Internet access and computer use. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using open-ended questions to collect qualitative data regarding accessibility of information and communication technology. Twenty low-income community members volunteered to participate in the study. The results centered around affordability of computers and Internet access, exposure to information on the Internet, increasing access to the Internet, training on computer use, benefits for job searching, and networking. The results indicated the lack of Internet access, affordability of computers and Internet usage, poverty, lack of computer skills, and poor infrastructures were contributors to the digital divide.</p>

The Digital Divide and K-12 Student Computer Use

10.28945/2926 ◽  
2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
James N. Morgan ◽  
Craig A. VanLengen
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Computer Use ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Limited Basis ◽  
K 12 ◽  
The Impact

The divide between those who have computer and Internet access and those who do not appears to be narrowing, however overall statistics may be misleading. Measures of computer availability in schools often include cases where computers are only available for administration or are available only on a very limited basis (Gootman, 2004). Access to a computer and the Internet outside of school helps to reinforce student learning and emphasize the importance of using technology. Recent U.S. statistics indicate that ethnic background and other demographic characteristics still have substantial impact on the availability and use of computers by students outside of the classroom. This paper examines recent census data to determine the impact of the household on student computer use outside of the classroom. Encouragingly, the findings of this study suggest that use of a computer at school substantially increases the chance that a student will use a computer outside of class. Additionally, this study suggests that computer use outside of the classroom is positively and significantly impacted by being in a household with adults who either use a computer at work or work in an industry where computers are extensively used.

scholarly journals Adapting the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) to engage poor urban communities in Ghana: protocol for a participatory action research study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. e049564
Author(s):  
Mary Abboah-Offei ◽  
Akosua Gyasi Darkwa ◽  
Andrews Ayim ◽  
Adelaide Maria Ansah-Ofei ◽  
Delanyo Dovlo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Urban Communities ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Health Planning ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Key Stakeholders

IntroductionWith rapid urbanisation in low-income and middle-income countries, health systems are struggling to meet the needs of their growing populations. Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) in Ghana have been effective in improving maternal and child health in rural areas; however, implementation in urban areas has proven challenging. This study aims to engage key stakeholders in urban communities to understand how the CHPS model can be adapted to reach poor urban communities.Methods and analysisA Participatory Action Research (PAR) will be used to develop an urban CHPS model with stakeholders in three selected CHPS zones: (a) Old Fadama (Yam and Onion Market community), (b) Adedenkpo and (c) Adotrom 2, representing three categories of poor urban neighbourhoods in Accra, Ghana. Two phases will be implemented: phase 1 (‘reconnaissance phase) will engage and establish PAR research groups in the selected zones, conduct focus groups and individual interviews with urban residents, households vulnerable to ill-health and CHPS staff and key stakeholders. A desk review of preceding efforts to implement CHPS will be conducted to understand what worked (or not), how and why. Findings from phase 1 will be used to inform and co-create an urban CHPS model in phase 2, where PAR groups will be involved in multiple recurrent stages (cycles) of community-based planning, observation, action and reflection to develop and refine the urban CHPS model. Data will be managed using NVivo software and coded using the domains of community engagement as a framework to understand community assets and potential for engagement.Ethics and disseminationThis study has been approved by the University of York’s Health Sciences Research Governance Committee and the Ghana Health Service Ethics Review Committee. The results of this study will guide the scale-up of CHPS across urban areas in Ghana, which will be disseminated through journal publications, community and government stakeholder workshops, policy briefs and social media content. This study is also funded by the Medical Research Council, UK.

scholarly journals Smart cities IOT & Digital network connectivity devices: Optimization on business in Africa

2021 ◽  
pp. 064-071
Author(s):  
Makeri Yakubu Ajiji ◽  
Xi’an Jiaotong Victor Chang ◽  
Targio Hashem Ibrahim Abaker ◽  
Uzorka Afam ◽  
T Cirella Giuseppe
Keyword(s):  
Internet Of Things ◽  
Urban Communities ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Smart City ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Smart Cities ◽  
The Internet ◽  
City Development ◽  
Short Article ◽  
The Internet Of Things

Today the world is becoming connected. The number of devices that are connected are increasing day by day. Many studies reveal that about 50 billion devices would be connected by 2020 indicating that Internet of things have a very big role to play in the future to come Considering the perplexing engineering of Smart City conditions, it ought not to be failed to remember that their establishment lies in correspondence advancements that permit availability and information move between the components in Smart City conditions. Remote interchanges with their capacities speak to Smart City empowering advancements that give the open door for their fast and effective execution and extension as well. The gigantic weight towards the proficient city the board has triggered various Smart City activities by both government and private area businesses to put resources into Information and Communication Technologies to discover feasible answers for the assorted chances and difficulties (e.g., waste the executives). A few specialists have endeavored to characterize a lot of shrewd urban areas and afterward recognize openings and difficulties in building brilliant urban communities. This short article likewise expresses the progressing movement of the Internet of Things and its relationship to keen urban communities. Advancement in ICT and data sharing innovation are the drivers of keen city degree and scale. This quick development is changing brilliant city development with the beginning of the Internet of Things (IoT). This transformation additionally speaks to difficulties in building (Kehua, Li, and Fu ,Su et al.1). By knowing the attributes of specific advances, the experts will have the occasion to create proficient, practical, and adaptable Smart City frameworks by actualizing the most reasonable one.

scholarly journals METODE DAKWAH PADA KOMUNITAS MARJINAL

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 265
Author(s):  
Sayuthi Atman Said ◽  
Finsa Adhi Pratama
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Urban Communities ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Standard Measure ◽  
Economic Empowerment ◽  
Marginalized Communities ◽  
Unique Character

Globalization flow getting stronger forces each individual to adjust to social life, especially in urban areas. In general, urban communities have begun to classify themselves into communities, both cultural and structural, both small and large communities. One of the communities that was born was a marginal community. This community has a very unique character and orientation and is rarely touched by preaching. Starting from here, this research aims to formulate Islamic preaching method that is suitable for the marginalized communities in Indonesian society. The research method used is qualitative research. In fact, qualitative research does not have a standard measure, the framework that is built can still be reconstructed and adapted to the objective conditions in the field. The approach used is phenomenology. This approach allows researchers to describe experiences as best as possible, understand and apply fairly to phenomena as they appear and are felt by experiences. The conclusion of this research is that the Islamic preaching method that is considered suitable for marginalized communities is da'wah bil hal, study centers, open houses, mentoring and advocacy, economic empowerment, educational scholarships, distribution of Zakat Infaq Sodaqoh (ZIS), library parks, health packages, compensation social and educational skills work.

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