Academic Papers of Curtis M. Kularski

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The Digital Divide as a Continuation of Traditional Systems of Inequality

Pro-Seminar: Social Problems and Social Policy SOCY 5151
Master of Arts in Sociology Fall 2012

Abstract

The Internet has become a global community for those that are able to access it and utilize it effectively. Those individuals who are not among those that fall into that category are considered to be in a “gap” known as the digital divide. The digital divide mimics structural inequality that is found in traditional systems that result in social inequality. Individuals who fall into this divide are not engaged in the same social experience as those who are more privileged. The lessened engagement promotes the continuation of inequality in other spheres such as social status and access to social resources. The ubiquity of the Internet blinds the casual observer of the existence of the digital divide.

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