The global digital divide: a sociological assessment of trends and causes

Abstract

This article concerns the comparative dimension of the digital divide, the global digital divide, assessing processes of various sorts that shape this differentiating feature and mapping its trends of change. The authors (a) map the global digital divide with multiple indicators to find patterns of varying degrees of differentiation between countries worldwide and between blocs of countries and (b) assess the various national characteristics that contribute to the level of IT connectedness. The authors compare the effects of these various social national conditions on the pervasiveness of IT. Their preliminary results indicate that it is neither political nor economic national characteristics that are the determinants of IT connectedness but that cultural features are the prime causes. In this sense, the global digital divide is more a product of networking into global society than it is a mere reflection of local economic capabilities.