Measuring Digital Capital: An empirical investigation

Рагнедда, Массимо; Ruiu, Maria Laura; Addeo, Felice

doi:10.1177/1461444819869604

Cited by 120 publications

(143 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…It would be valuable to analyze the success of initiatives transitioning during the pandemic and their success at reducing digital isolation and boosting competencies. Research could examine existing initiatives such as "Future dot now U.K." and #DevicesDotNow that provide both devices and training to vulnerable populations (Ragnedda, Ruiu, and Addeo, 2019). These issues are also salient to work needed on older adults (Quan-Haase, et al, 2017) in light of the widening gap between younger and older people around the world (Schumacher and Kent, 2020).…”

Section: Implications Of Unequal Risks and Costs Of Cerps: Taxonomiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Digital inequalities in time of pandemic: COVID-19 exposure risk profiles and new forms of vulnerability

Robinson¹,

Schulz²,

Khilnani³

et al. 2020

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In this article, we argue that new kinds of risk are emerging with the COVID-19 virus, and that these risks are unequally distributed. As we expose to view, digital inequalities and social inequalities are rendering certain subgroups significantly more vulnerable to exposure to COVID-19. Vulnerable populations bearing disproportionate risks include the social isolated, older adults, penal system subjects, digitally disadvantaged students, gig workers, and last-mile workers. Therefore, we map out the intersection between COVID-19 risk factors and digital inequalities on each of these populations in order to examine how the digitally resourced have additional tools to mitigate some of the risks associated with the pandemic. We shed light on how the ongoing pandemic is deepening key axes of social differentiation, which were previously occluded from view. These newly manifested forms of social differentiation can be conceived along several related dimensions. At their most general and abstract, these risks have to do with the capacity individuals have to control the risk of pathogen exposure. In order to fully manage exposure risk, individuals must control their physical environment to the greatest extent possible in order to prevent contact with potentially compromised physical spaces. In addition, they must control their social interactional environment to the greatest extent possible in order to minimize their contacts with potentially infected individuals. All else equal, those individuals who exercise more control over their exposure risk — on the basis of their control over their physical and social interactional environments — stand a better chance of staying healthy than those individuals who cannot manage exposure risk. Individuals therefore vary in terms of what we call their COVID-19 exposure risk profile (CERPs). CERPs hinge on preexisting forms of social differentiation such as socioeconomic status, as individuals with more economic resources at their disposal can better insulate themselves from exposure risk. Alongside socioeconomic status, one of the key forms of social differentiation connected with CERPs is digital (dis)advantage. Ceteris paribus, individuals who can more effectively digitize key parts of their lives enjoy better CERPs than individuals who cannot digitize these life realms. Therefore we believe that digital inequalities are directly and increasingly related to both life-or-death exposure to COVID-19, as well as excess deaths attributable to the larger conditions generated by the pandemic.

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Section: Implications Of Unequal Risks and Costs Of Cerps: Taxonomiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Digital inequalities in time of pandemic: COVID-19 exposure risk profiles and new forms of vulnerability

Robinson¹,

Schulz²,

Khilnani³

et al. 2020

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Given the importance of digital technologies and given the fact that social and digital exclusion are deeply intertwined, more and more initiatives and strategies implemented in African countries to tackle social inequalities and social exclusion, are focusing on implementing ICTs. However, to foster individuals' engagement with civic and political institutions, it is not only important to improve access to ICTs, but it is vital to reflect on inequalities in usage patterns (Selwyn 2004), the reasons why the individual uses the Internet (Anderson 2005) and the different levels of e-inclusion (van Dijk 2005), gradation of technology use (Livingstone and Helsper 2007), and enhance individual digital capital (Ragnedda, Ruiu, Addeo 2019). Indeed, if these digital inequalities are not addressed the risk to reinforce already existing social inequalities remains notably high, potentially alienating those who are already socially e-marginalized from the digital arena.…”

Section: The Rapid Growth Of Digital Technologies In Africa: Risks Anmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does Digital Exclusion Undermine Social Media’s Democratizing Capacity?

Mutsvairo

Рагнедда

2019

New Global Studies

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Claims have been made that the advent of social media and its assumed ability to fuel social strife and organize anti-government protests has empowered people around the world to successfully challenge repressive authorities. However, in an era in which several issues ranging from digital colonialism to digital exclusion among other challenges, have become so dominant, it is our role as researchers to question some of these claims especially when they seem unsubstantiated. Sharing or finding solidarity is something that can be done on social media platforms but nothing is as critical as being part of the digital community. In that regard, questions surrounding digital exclusion are critical especially when discussing the extent to which social media influences democracy, questions that several scholars from every corner of the world are currently seized with. In this article, we not only identify social media’s potential but we also probe problems associated with beliefs that digital networks have the capacity to support democratization. Contemporary societies should be asking what the real gains of the fall of the Berlin Wall are in the work of these fundamental digital shifts, which have left both negative and positive outcomes on all countries including established Western democracies.

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“…O capital digital pode ser compreendido como um conjunto de recursos internos, imateriais (competências digitais) e externos (tecnologias) que são acumulados e transferidos de uma área para outra (Ragnedda, 2018, Ragnedda, Ruiu & Addeo, 2019. Este conceito pode ser reduzido a uma forma de capital específico (Bourdieu, 1986).…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

Sociological analysis of Montenegrin teachers’ digital capital

Cortoni

Perović

2020

revistacomsoc

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Starting with the concept of digital capital in social sciences, this article presents the key findings of the “Global Kids Online” nationally representative survey of primary and high school teachers’ digital skills and practices that was conducted in Montenegro with Unicef’s support in 2018. Digital capital, as any other form of capital within Bourdieu’s perspective, has a sociological validity only in correlation with other forms of capital – such as economic, cultural and social – in a limited context and according to a multi-dimensional approach which goes from a macro- to a micro-social perspective (Pandolfini, 2016). This article identifies and discusses three perspectives of digital capital – macro, meso-social and micro – and their material (technologies, digital services and school experiments with devices) and non-material resources (digital competencies). Analysis of data from the Montenegrin research relating to this perspective shows that the daily practice of using digital technology in classrooms seems to be marginal, even though most teachers have access to the internet in their schools. Currently the majority of teachers are using the internet at school mostly just for checking information online. Their digital competencies are not generally advanced: on average, social and operational skills are the most developed, while their creative skills are least developed. Therefore, to support the development of children’s media literacy through formal education, further investments towards the strengthening of teachers’ digital competencies need to be made and the research shows that the demand for digital pedagogy courses already exists among most teachers. In other words, the Montenegrin research points to the need to invest more in education and experimentation related to the meso- and micro-social perspectives of digital capital.

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Measuring Digital Capital: An empirical investigation

Cited by 120 publications

References 79 publications

Digital inequalities in time of pandemic: COVID-19 exposure risk profiles and new forms of vulnerability

Digital inequalities in time of pandemic: COVID-19 exposure risk profiles and new forms of vulnerability

Does Digital Exclusion Undermine Social Media’s Democratizing Capacity?

Sociological analysis of Montenegrin teachers’ digital capital

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