The workshop presentation will summarize selected materials from a new book, Digital Divide , addressing the widespread concern that the explosive growth of the Internet is exacerbating existing inequalities between the information rich and poor. Digital Divide sets out to examine the evidence for access and use of the Internet in 179 nations across the world. A global divide is evident between industrialized and developing societies. A social divide is apparent between rich and poor within each nation. And within the online community, evidence for a democratic divide is emerging between those who do and do not use Internet resources to engage, mobilize and participate in public life.
Chapters examine who is online worldwide and among social groups.
Part II examines the virtual political system and the way that representative institutions around the globe have responded to the new opportunities available on the Internet, including government departments, parliaments, political parties, the news media, interest groups and new social movements. Part III analyzes how the public has responded to these opportunities in Europe and the United States and develops the civic engagement model to explain patterns of participation via the Internet emphasizing the importance of the structure of opportunities, resources and motivation. The conclusion considers the policy implications including what can and is being done to mitigate and shrink inequalities in the digital world. The Digital Divide 2. Theories of Digital Democracy 6.