"This paper examines intersections between social disadvantage and digital inequality in low-income household settings using situational analysis. Partnering with social service organisations, we conducted qualitative fieldwork research over 12 months with low-income households in disadvantaged subu ... rbs in Tasmania, Australia. The research involved home visits, phone interviews, technology tours, and learning biographies with members of households. Findings emphasise the way outcomes of digital connectivity and internet use are not only individual – they are also shared and collective, and this has been a blind spot for digital inequality research framed by methodological individualism. We emphasise the need to shift attention from individual digital skills to collective digital capabilities, emphasising sociotechnical functions embedded in networks of shared resources and practices. Situational analysis revealed digital capabilities as collective investments and workarounds, as participants responded to expanding digital and life management demands. The study contributes to understanding the interaction between digital and social inclusion in low-income household contexts. It highlights the way collective capabilities and ‘digital bootstrapping’ operate in resource-scare environments, providing potential points of intervention beyond individualised notions of digital self-reliance." (Abstract) more

"This book explores the complex and contradictory relationships between communication and information technologies and social movements by drawing on different case studies from around the world. The contributions analyse how new communication and information technologies impact the way protests are ... carried out and controlled in the current information age. The authors focus on recent events that date from the Arab Spring onwards and pose questions regarding the future of protests, surveillance and digital landscapes." (Publisher description) more