TY - GEN
T1 - Is it the great equalizer? a social class based longitudinal analysis of technology diffusion
AU - Wattal, Sunil
AU - Hong, Yili
AU - Mandviwalla, Munir
PY - 2010/12/1
Y1 - 2010/12/1
N2 - Technology in general and the Internet in particular have often been seen as the "great equalizer" in that it provides a level playing field for all individuals in the society in terms of competing for social and economic opportunities. However, technology philosophers such as Andrew Feenberg have argued that technology diffusion mirrors the existing social order. Which of these worldviews actually holds is an open question, and in this research, we try to answer it using data on adoption of multiple technologies by individuals in the US over different time periods. Our results suggest that technology diffusion largely takes place along existing social class lines, and that the arrival of newer technologies ensures that the digital divide perpetuates.
AB - Technology in general and the Internet in particular have often been seen as the "great equalizer" in that it provides a level playing field for all individuals in the society in terms of competing for social and economic opportunities. However, technology philosophers such as Andrew Feenberg have argued that technology diffusion mirrors the existing social order. Which of these worldviews actually holds is an open question, and in this research, we try to answer it using data on adoption of multiple technologies by individuals in the US over different time periods. Our results suggest that technology diffusion largely takes place along existing social class lines, and that the arrival of newer technologies ensures that the digital divide perpetuates.
KW - Critical theory of technology
KW - Digital divide
KW - Information technology diffusion
KW - Social classes
KW - Technology diffusion lifecycle
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M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84870959112
SN - 9780615418988
T3 - ICIS 2010 Proceedings - Thirty First International Conference on Information Systems
BT - ICIS 2010 Proceedings - Thirty First International Conference on Information Systems
T2 - 31st International Conference on Information Systems, ICIS 2010
Y2 - 12 December 2010 through 15 December 2010
ER -