The Unconnected: Social Justice, Participation, and Engagement in the Information Society(69 Digital Formations)

Despite improvements to those affected by the digital divide, there are still many people who remain «unconnected» in todayʼs world. This volume examines the problems of addressing the digital divide by closely examining those who remain unconnected – the untouchables or untouched within the information society. Some remain untouched because of access or ability issues that also reflect race, disability, class, geography, and socio-economic status, but others may be prevented from participation by factors of religion, language, philosophy, culture, or simply disinterest. With noted experts from communication, public policy, civic engagement, urban planning, and political science, the authors collectively examine the social, economic, and political contexts of the failure to reach the unconnected and the importance of including them in a dynamic, engaged civic democracy.

Table of Contents:
Contents: Costas Panagopoulos: Connectedness and Political Attitudes and Behavior – J. Ramon Gil-Garcia/Natalie C. Helbig/Enrico Ferro: Understanding the Multi-Dimensionality of the Digital Divide: Empirical Evidence from Italy – Gerard Goggin: Connecting Disability: New Modes of Participation and Engagement – John C. Bricout/Abiy Agiro/Alex Casiano: Systematic Considerations for Addressing «Online Dead Zones» Impeding the Social Engagement of Persons with a Disability: Policy and Practice Implications – David Jensen/James W. Harrington Jr.: Placing Connectedness: Libraries Virtual and Proximate – Douglas Noonan: The Reach of Open Source Software – Jeremy Hunsinger: Locus Communis: The Unconnected in and Within Virtual Worlds – Thomas Jacobson/Susan L. Jacobson: The Study of Digital Connectedness: A Case for Public Informatics – Paul M. A. Baker: Attachment, Connectivity, and Virtual Belief Communities – Andrew C. Ward: Democracy to Technocracy: Tyranny of the Majority in the Information Age – Jarice Hanson: The New Minority: The Willfully Unconnected – Martha Fuentes-Bautista: Redistributing the Wealth of Networks: Digital Community Media and Social Inclusion – Barry Vacker/Agreen Wang: Black Holes in the Electronic Galaxies: Metaphor for Resistance in the Information Society?

About the Author :
Paul M. A. Baker (PhD, George Mason University) is Associate Director at the Center for 21st Century Universities (C21U) at Georgia Institute of Technology and Adjunct Professor at the Centre for Disability Law & Policy at the National University of Ireland, Galway. He has published numerous journal articles dealing with issues of e-accessibility, disability policy, and virtual communities. Jarice Hanson (PhD, Northwestern University) is Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is the author, co-author, editor, and co-editor of 24 books and the author of numerous articles about the social impact of digital technology. Jeremy Hunsinger (PhD, Virginia Tech) is Assistant Professor in Communication Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University. He recently co-edited a special issue on learning and research in Virtual Worlds for Learning, Media, & Technology. He co-edited the International Handbook of Virtual Learning Environments and the International Handbook of Internet Research and has edited or contributed to several other volumes.