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iDEA: DREXEL LIBRARIES E-REPOSITORY AND ARCHIVES

iDEA: DREXEL LIBRARIES E-REPOSITORY AND ARCHIVES

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Societal Impacts of Inequality of Information Resource Distribution

Details
Title
Societal Impacts of Inequality of Information Resource Distribution
Author(s)
Khazraee, Emad; Townes, Adam; Grubesic, Tony
Date
2011-04-08
Abstract
This study explores the equality of distribution and access to information and the possible social impacts it may reflect in different areas. It focuses on the city of Philadelphia and various identifiable digital divide factors. The degree to which people have access to cultural and information resources varies quite widely and we are interested in seeing what if any correlations there might be between the level of resource access and socio-economic factors. It should go without saying that issues such as low income, low literacy and so on form a cyclical relationship or even a certain causality with high crime rates, alcoholism and a whole host of other social problems. In this project we are not seeking to determine a causal explanation among these factors, but the literature suggests that information poverty and digital divide issues are related to and influential of social welfare, education rates/literacy rates and may contribute to the cycle of poverty and may even indicate an information poverty penalty on those with little or no access. The prime question that inspired this research project was whether or not there appears to be any societal impact of digital divide factors in Philadelphia. This study applied geographic analysis techniques to investigate this issue. Different types of social and economic factors analyzed in a geographic information system to achieve a better understanding of digital divide in Philadelphia. The study revealed that the city clusters into five areas, according to median family income, level of higher education, crime rate, broadband internet access and total population by census block group. Results also suggest that racial dispersion patterns follow the same clustering pattern. Whether excluded or included as a statistical variable, the clustering results are virtually the same. Spatial analysis indicates that at least two branches of the Free Library of Philadelphia act as information access gateways. These gateways act as an information access channel, that is used by members of a poor low broadband access community and generally higher income and higher access communities.
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/1860/3634
In Collections
Drexel Research

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