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Journal article

Comparing digital divides: internet access and social inequality in Canada and the United States

Abstract:
What is the best way to measure and track the digital divide, in a comparative manner, over time? What impact have differing policy interventions had on the digital divide in Canada and the United States? We offer a way of benchmarking equality in Internet access using Gini coefficients and demonstrate that overall the digital divide has been closing in both countries. We find that in terms of income, the digital divide in Canada has closed most dramatically, and that in terms of education, the digital divide remains most pronounced in the United States. We suggest that Canada has been more successful in reducing the concentration of Internet access among wealthy educated populations, in part due to the active role of the state in supporting the production of culturally relevant digital content.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.22230/cjc.2010v35n1a2192

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Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
SSD
Department:
Oxford Internet Institute
Role:
Author


Publisher:
Canadian Journal of Communication Corporation
Journal:
Canadian Journal of Communication More from this journal
Volume:
35
Issue:
1
Pages:
109-128
Publication date:
2010-01-01
Acceptance date:
2010-01-01
DOI:
ISSN:
1499-6642


Keywords:
Pubs id:
pubs:631464
UUID:
uuid:3bf7fbe9-417d-4fb6-9372-29f04e052814
Local pid:
pubs:631464
Source identifiers:
631464
Deposit date:
2016-07-01

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