Over the past few decades, Austin, Texas, has made a concerted effort to develop into a “technopolis,” becoming home to companies such as Dell and numerous start-ups in the 1990s. It has been a model for other cities across the nation that wish to become high-tech centers while still retaining the livability to attract residents. Nevertheless, this expansion and boom left poorer residents behind, many of them African American or Latino, despite local and federal efforts to increase lower-income and minority access to technology. This book was born of a ten-year longitudinal study of the digital divide in Austin—a study that gradually evolved into a broader inquiry into Austin’s history as a segregated city, its turn toward becoming a technopolis, what the city and various groups did to address the digital divide, and how the most disadvantaged groups and individuals were affected by those programs. The editors examine the impact of national and statewide digital inclusion programs created in the 1990s, as well as what happened when those programs were gradually cut back by conservative administrations after 2000. They also examine how the city of Austin persisted in its own efforts for digital inclusion by working with its public libraries and a number of local nonprofits, and the positive impact those programs had.

Over the past few decades, Austin, Texas, has made a concerted effort to develop into a “technopolis,” becoming home to companies such as Dell and numerous start-ups in the 1990s. It has been a model for other cities across the nation that wish to become high-tech centers while still retaining the livability to attract residents. Nevertheless, this expansion and boom left poorer residents behind, many of them African American or Latino, despite local and federal efforts to increase lower-income and minority access to technology. This book was born of a ten-year longitudinal study of the digital divide in Austin—a study that gradually evolved into a broader inquiry into Austin’s history as a segregated city, its turn toward becoming a technopolis, what the city and various groups did to address the digital divide, and how the most disadvantaged groups and individuals were affected by those programs. The editors examine the impact of national and statewide digital inclusion programs created in the 1990s, as well as what happened when those programs were gradually cut back by conservative administrations after 2000. They also examine how the city of Austin persisted in its own efforts for digital inclusion by working with its public libraries and a number of local nonprofits, and the positive impact those programs had.

The way we talk, work, learn, and think has been greatly shaped by modern technology. These lifestyle changes have made digital literacy the new written literacy, where those who are not able to use computers are unable to function and perform everyday tasks. The Handbook of Research on Comparative Approaches to the Digital Age Revolution in Europe and the Americas explores the new ways that technology is shaping our society and the advances it is bringing, along with potential drawbacks, such as human jobs being replaced by computers. This expansive handbook is an essential reference source for students, academics, and professionals in the fields of communication, information technology, sociology, social policy, and education; it will also prove of interest to policymakers, funding-agencies, and digital inclusion program developers. This handbook features a broad scope of research-based articles on topics including, but not limited to, computational thinking, e-portfolios, e-citizenship, digital inclusion policies, and information literacy as a form of community empowerment.

One of the major tools of attaining proper development all around the world is creating wealth and economic inclusion, such that all classes of people can secure their lifestyles through access to financial services from formal sectors. Expanding access to resources and increasing self-employment opportunities help reduce poverty and improve social development. Wealth Creation and Poverty Reduction: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice examines trends, challenges, issues, and strategies related to the creation of livelihood options through the redistribution of resources, foreign aid, private sector activities, and other methods. Highlighting a range of topics such as microfinance, poverty alleviation, and socio-economic development, this publication is an ideal reference source for government officials, policymakers, executives, economists, analysts, researchers, academicians, professionals, and students interested in wealth creation in areas of extreme poverty.

People currently live in a digital age in which technology is now a ubiquitous part of society. It has become imperative to develop and maintain a comprehensive understanding of emerging innovations and technologies. Information and Technology Literacy: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications is an authoritative reference source for the latest scholarly research on techniques, trends, and opportunities within the areas of digital literacy. Highlighting a wide range of topics and concepts such as social media, professional development, and educational applications, this multi-volume book is ideally designed for academics, technology developers, researchers, students, practitioners, and professionals interested in the importance of understanding technological innovations.

Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) exert a great influence on global activities. ITC has affected the structure of governments, economies, cultures, and even human health. Another area in which ICT has had a tremendous impact is within the developing world and nations where women face repression and fewer opportunities. Overcoming Gender Inequalities through Technology Integration is a critical source for understanding the role of technology adoption within female empowerment and equality in developing nations and beyond. This publication examines the strategies applicable to the use of technology in the purist of societal recognition of women in addition to the trajectory and visibility of women in developing as well as developed countries in which they have access to ICTs. This book is an essential reference source for students and teachers of gender studies or information technology, women’s advocacy groups, policy makers, NGOs, and technology developers.

The book addresses the main media channels in society, their interdependence in light of emergent technologies, foundation theories, and traditional concepts. This book has been revised to offer increased coverage of culture and media and the political economies of media.