[ecrea] Call for Chapters: Digital Inequalities in the Global South

Anna Gladkova and Massimo Ragnedda (both vice chair of the Digital 
Divide Working Group, IAMRC) are editing a book on the topic “Digital 
Inequalities in the Global South”.

We are organizing an edited volume which will examine how digital 
inequalities are affecting the cultural, economic and social development 
of the Global South. Contributions are invited for this edited 
international collection of original chapters engaging empirical case 
studies on digital inequalities in the Global South.

The book will be submitted to Palgrave and if all goes well will be 
includedinto the IAMCR/Palgrave Global Transformations in Media and 
Communication Research (*Palgrave and IAMCR Series*).

Please see the attached Call for Chapter Proposals for details on the 
scope, timing, and mechanics of this project.Also, please feel welcome 
to post this call for papers widely and to forward it to interested 
colleagues and students. We hope to see some proposals from many of you, 
and for now, please feel welcome to be in contact if you have any 
questions for us.

//////

**

*Call for Chapter Proposals for an Edited Volume on*

*“Digital Inequalities in the Global South”*

*Editors: *

*Massimo Ragnedda (Northumbria University, UK)***

*Anna Gladkova (Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia)*

This book will focus on the rising digital inequalities in countries 
from geographical areas insufficiently covered and underrepresented. 
While in the so called Global South (Mahler 2015) access to the Internet 
has risen tremendously in the last years (shrinking the first level of 
digital divide) new inequalities are emerging between those who have 
access to broadband Internet and those who do not, between gender, 
between different socio-economic backgrounds and between users with 
different levels of education. Furthermore, going beyond the first level 
of digital divide, new forms of inequalities also emerged in relation 
with different digital skills, digital competencies, different 
motivations in using ICTs and different support.Both limited access to 
and use of the Internet affect citizens’ existential opportunities (van 
Dijk, 2005) and negatively influence the process of social inclusion 
(Warschauer, 2003), and thus contributing to offline disadvantages 
(Chen, 2013). Finally, new forms of digital inequalities are related 
with the so called third level of digital divide (Ragnedda, 2017), 
namely the capacity/ability to fully exploit the Internet and to 
transform its use into tangible outcomes. Such inequalities in the 
returning social benefits of using the Internet, are growing everywhere 
but especially in the Global South. This book, therefore, fits in the 
lively debate, opened by the advent of ICTs, on inequalities in access 
(first level of digital divide), uses (second level of digital divide) 
and outcomes generated online and valuable in the social realm (third 
level of digital divide).

/Digital inequalities in the Global South /will focus on the social, 
cultural and economic consequences of digital inequalities where the 
majority of the world’s internet users now live (Asia, Africa and Latin 
America). These communities are a distinct disadvantage when digital 
technologies are introduced (Boas, Dunning & Bussell, 2005). The main 
idea, therefore, is to underline, with specific case studies, how 
marginalized communities are now attempting to participate in the 
information age, despite high costs, the lack of relevant content and 
technological support. How these barriers are preventing (or limiting) 
disadvantaged communities in using computers and the Internet? Is the 
Global South still risking to being left behind? How has the Global 
South changed in the last years? How is the Global South facing these 
challenges?

The rapid progress of the digital technologies infrastructure is crucial 
for countries seeking to combat poverty, exclusion, and guarantee basic 
services. The development of ICTs opens new opportunities to attain 
higher levels of progress and growth, and may help in creating an 
environment that fosters innovation, nurture science, empowers active 
citizens and spurs business growth and//has become a priority for 
developing countries. However, these advantages are often overemphasised 
and seem the reflection of the Western’s gaze in relation to peripheral 
societies. The Global South is caught in a growing paradox. On the one 
hand, the rapid technological advancement is fostering economic 
prosperity, creating greater communication and information 
possibilities, helping in fighting for democracy. On the other end, not 
everybody is enjoying the possibilities offered by the digital 
technologies, and digital inequalities are increasingly hindering 
economic and social development, exacerbating already existing 
inequalities. There is, therefore, a need to go beyond this 
techno-evangelist and western centred approach that sees the development 
of ICTs as the main leading force able to drive economic, cultural and 
social development, by adopting a critical approach that underlines also 
the disadvantages that digital inequalities are bringing to the Global 
South.

In order to expand both the theoretical and the empirical perspectives 
brought to bear on digital inequalities in the global context, we are 
inviting scholars from different research fields (e.g., Sociology, (New) 
Media Studies, Communications, etc.) to apply social theories of 
stratification, inequalities, postcolonialism, poststructuralist and 
post-development theories etc. to develop new perspectives on the rise 
and persistence of digital inequalities in the Global South. These 
approaches would question the assumptions of development and progress 
that underlie the discourse on digital technologies as a panacea for 
solving poverty and shrinking inequalities. Authors are invited to 
investigate how different axes of power and privilege – income, 
ethnicity, age, gender – are intertwined with digital inequalities. We 
intend to stimulate innovative ways to study digital and social 
inequalities in developing countries.

Potential contributors are invited to explore the importance of social 
theories in analysing the development of digital inequalities and how 
these inequalities, if not addressed, slow the achievement of the 
Sustainable Development Goals. Our aim is to connect this collection to 
a critical review of inequalities that may interact with /have some 
impact on the 2030 agenda, Sustainable Development Goals.

Chapters must contain illustrative empirical evidence or examples and 
must be theoretical based. Submissions are welcome from scholars at all 
stages of their careers, and from various relevant disciplines.

*Proposed structure*

The aim of this edited volume is to bring together perspectives and 
areas in digital inequalities that are under-explored. The book will 
explore a range of empirical case brought to the fore by the digital 
revolution. Each chapter should detail its theoretical trajectory and 
provide at least one case study exemplar. We therefore welcome chapters 
that focus, but are certainly not limited,tothe following issues:

//

·Who and why benefits and who does not from the development of digital 
technologies?

·What have been done so far and what could be done to bridge digital 
inequalities in the Global South?

·Which rolethe development of digital technologiesmay play for health 
and education in the Global South?

·Which rolethe development of digital technologiesmay play for 
agriculture and water?

·Which rolethe development of digital technologiesmay play for 
democracy, online activism and civic participation?

·Which rolethe development of digital technologiesmay play for reducing 
and preventing conflict?

·How the development of digital technologies may help during 
humanitarian emergencies?

·Which rolethe development of digital technologiesmay play for the 
economic growth and financial inclusion?

·Do new digital jobs offer opportunities for the Global South and how 
marginalized communities are taking advantage of these opportunities?

·How to create a democratic and inclusive digital economy?

//

The specific case studies may also:

·Propose a theoretical framework to critically understand the role of 
information and digital technologies in the development process.

·Critically discuss the potential disruption caused by access to digital 
communications;

·Generate evidence on digital inequalities issues facing citizens among 
marginalized communities.

·Promote evidence-informed policy change for improving access, use, and 
application of ICTs for social and cultural development and economic growth.

Abstracts should include the following information:

·         Proposed article title

·         Proposed author names and affiliations

·         Theme being addressed

·         Purpose/aim of the chapter

·         Principal body of literature/theoretical framework

·         Indicative case study


Submission Procedure

You are invited to submit a word document with a brief author or authors 
CV (no more than 250 words with titles, affiliations, and contacts), 
title of the proposal and the abstract (500-700 words). All proposals 
should be submitted to the following addresses: 
(massimo.ragnedda /at/ northumbria.ac.uk) 
<mailto:(massimo.ragnedda /at/ northumbria.ac.uk)>and (gladkova_a /at/ list.ru) 
<mailto:(gladkova_a /at/ list.ru)>

*Deadline is 20 September 2018.*


The final decision will be notified to the authors by *30 September 
2018*. Authors will be invited to send a full text *by 20 February 
2019*. The chapter’s length will be 6000 words, including references. 
Submitted chapters should not have been previously published or sent to 
another editor.

Abstracts will be judged on criteria of relevance and originality of 
topic. Notification of initially-approved abstracts will be announced in 
mid-September, after which contributors will be asked to move forward to 
the peer-review submission phase. We will submit the book proposal to 
Palgrave.

Contributions of 6000 words (maximum including abstract, footnotes, 
tables/figures with captions, references, and appendices, if any) will 
be *due 20 February 2019.*Chapterswill be subject to double-blind peer 
review, and to encourage coherence in the special section, 
all contributors will be requested to act as a peer reviewer for one 
other article.

Also, please feel welcome to post this call for papers widely and to 
forward it to interested colleagues and students. We hope to see some 
proposals from many of you, and for now, please feel welcome to be in 
contact if you have any questions for us.

Our tasks and the proposed timeline are as follows:

•           30 September 2018 – Completion of Proposal and Submission to 
Palgrave

•           20 February 2019 – Manuscripts Due to Editors from All 
Contributors

•           30 March 2019 – Review of Manuscripts Completed & 
Manuscripts Returned to Contributors

•           30 May 2019 – Revised Manuscripts Due from Contributors

•           30 June 2019 – Final Manuscript Delivered to Publisher

•           X/XX/XX – Final Appearance in Print Will Depend on 
Publisher’s Timeline





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