[Nettime-bold] call for papers -- Digital Divide

["Teri Harrison" <harrit@rpi.edu>]

                            CALL FOR PAPERS
             EJC/REC: Electronic Journal of Communication/
                 La Revue Electronique de Communication

            A Digital Divide? Facts, Explanations, Policies

    Interested scholars are invited to submit manuscripts for a special
issue of Electronic Journal of Communication/La Revue Electronique de
Communication (EJC/REC) that will focus on research and theory
concerning the so-called digital divide.  Presently, heated discussions
are taking place in America and Europe, in particular, about whether
there is such a digital divide or not.  And when it is deemed to exist,
the next question is whether it will close or widen in years to come.
Most of this discussion is politically charged.  Solid scientific
research and analysis are scarce.  In the meantime, official statistics
are beginning to appear, like those of the US Census Bureau, summarized
in the NTIA's reports Falling through the Net I, II, III, the
Eurobarometer and United Nations Development Reports.  However, research
and analysis based on these resources and other primarily descriptive
statistics does not take into consideration the multifaceted nature of
access, the social, cultural, and psychological causes for lack of
access, the need for theory to explain these problems and policy
measures to address them, and the contributions that a communicative or
psychological perspective can provide.

    We invite manuscripts that address the digital divide and any of the
problems associated with understanding its nature, its origins, and its
potential solutions.  In particular, we welcome:

    * Empirical studies related to the existence of a digital divide
(clearly defined) among one or more of the categories of income,
education, occupation, age, sex, race and ethnicity.  Multivariate
analyses are preferred.

    * Summary statistics and other concise descriptions of distributions
of computers, networks, skills and uses around the world, including
Northern America, European Union, Eastern Europe, Eastern Asia and the
Third World.

    * Explanations of (in)equalities based on longitudinal data and/or
multivariate models, new conceptual distinctions, and/or theories of
(in)equality in the information and network society.

    * Studies highlighting problems of attitudes towards digital
technology, digital skills, usage styles and actual usage in different
social contexts, with special attention to the social categories
mentioned above.

    * Studies supporting or refuting popular claims about digital
technology and its opportunities to solve inequalities.  For example,
has digital technology enabled higher rates of political participation
in general or has it benefited the existing political elite and already
politically active with yet another instrument to increase their
advantage?

    * Descriptions and analyses of concrete policy measures pursued by
governments, corporations, union-, consumer- and user groups and civic
institutions.

    Manuscripts should be prepared following guidelines of the American
Psychological Association (4th ed.).  Authors should be careful to
remove all personal references from the manuscript to allow for blind
review.  Manuscripts must be submitted electronically.  After acceptance
both a hard copy and an electronic copy will be required.  Deadline for
the receipt of manuscripts is July 31, 2001.

    Notification of (non)acceptance within 5 weeks (receipts in June and
July 2 weeks longer).

Authors should submit manuscripts to the Guest Editor:

J.vanDijk@wmw.utwente.nl

Prof. Dr. Jan A.G.M. van Dijk
University of Twente
Department of Communication
Chair: Sociology of the Information Society

Post Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede
THE NETHERLANDS

    Contributions will be reviewed by the editorial board of this
special issue:  Jan A.G.M. van Dijk, University of Twente NL, Kenneth
Hacker, State University of New Mexico, Joe Straubhaar, University of
Texas, Austin and a fourth communication researcher from a third world
country, to be confirmed.

    The Electronic Journal of Communication/La revue electronique de
communication, one of the first five electronic refereed scholarly
journals ever created, has been in continuous publication since 1990.
For more information, see http://www.cios.org/www/ejcrec2.htm.

      Please forward this announcement to interested individuals.



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