Abstract
This chapter explores the recent scholarship on the digital divide in order to draw useful lessons for the analysis of the robotics divide. We pay special attention to the evolution of the research on the digital divide, from early approaches to more recent trends. First, the persistent nature of the digital divide and the main sources of inequality are discussed. Then, an overview of the multifaceted and complex nature of the divide is provided. Particular attention is paid to (a) a new understanding of access, considering not only material but motivational access, (b) the relevance of the skills involved, and the different typologies available and (c) the importance of usage and user profiles when exploring social inequalities: the digital divide tens to appear smaller when actual use is not taken into account. Finally, some usual conceptual and methodological assumptions underlying most research on the digital divided are discussed and criticized.
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Aibar, E. (2014). Lessons from the Digital Divide. In: López Peláez, A. (eds) The Robotics Divide. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-5358-0_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-5358-0_9
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