Part V: Political Economy, Modernization, and Democratization

Required Readings

Study Questions

Ch. 13, "The Political Economy of Development" in Almond and Powell, Comparative Politics: System, Process, and Policy (Boston: Little, Brown & Co.,  1978).

"Fisherman on the Net" and "Fewer buffaloes, livelier democracy" in "A survey of technology and development", The Economist,, November 10^th, 2001.

Study Questions

Kalathil and Boas, "The Internet and State Control in Authoritarian Regimes: China, Cuba, and the Counterrevolution."

"The Enemies of the Internet" (Introduction plus any 3 country profiles).

Web guides:

Development or Development of Democracy? - Joshua Jackson

Anti-globalization and the Internet - Ben Onugwai

Freedom of Expression on the Internet

Globalization and the Individual - Susan Avar

Study Questions

Hammond, "Digitally Empowered Development" in Foreign Affairs, March/April 2001.

Benjamin,"Community development and democratization through information technology: Building the new South Africa" in Heeks, Reinventing Government in the Information Age (London: Routledge, 1999).

Web guides:

The Digital Divide -- Aniz Alani

The Internet as a tool for Development -- Ana-Maria Alvarado

Narrowing the Digital Divide Gap: Improving Accessibility -- Aileen Flores

Telecommunication Technologies in Africa -- Kim Huhn

Internet Accessibility – Keith Lau

Can Africa Bridge the Digital Divide? - Ken Matende

Important change: This is now a lab day, with classes meeting in the regular lab times and rooms. The 1pm lab meets in B114, the 2pm lab meets in B214.

Study Questions

Sanyal and Schön, "Information Technology and Urban Poverty: The Role of Public Policy" pp 373-93 in Schön, Sanyal et al., High technology and low-income communities : prospects for the positive use of advanced information technologies (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1999).

"Access and Opportunity," pp. 20-25 in Premier's Technology Council, First Quarterly Report, November 2001.

to Conclusion:

Policies

Additional Links

Political economy — political science resources

Modernization and democratization — political science resources

Asiaweek.com | Heroes of the Digital Divide |...

Article with profiles of 5 philanthropists who have led projects to increase Internet access and/or use the Net as a development tool.

Oneworld.net Digital Divide Campaign

Lots of resources on projects to close the gap between developed/developing world access to the Internet, and projects that use technology as an engine for economic development.

 

 

Net & International Relations

International Forum on Globalization - Posted by Susan Avar

This website aims to inform the reader about the negative effects of globalization.

The Pacific Institute - Posted by Susan Avar

The Pacific Institute is a non-profit center that conducts research and policy analysis in conjunction with other NGO’s to bring awareness about the condition of the global environment caused by increasing globalization.

Arab Network for Political Communication (ANPC) - Posted by Mohammed Ibahrine

This portal for political communition in the Arab World. aims to promote the democracy in the Arab World.

Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems(EOLSS) - Posted by elizabeth

EOLSS is a compendium of SIXTEEN ENCYCLOPEDIAS, dedicated to the health, maintenance, and future of the web of life on planet Earth, focusing on the complex connections among all the myriad aspects from natural and social sciences through water, energy, poverty, land, food, agriculture, environment, biodiversity, health, education, culture, engineering and technology, management, and development to environmental security

Internet and democratization

Democracy and the Information Revolution

A Democracy Forum report, 2001. Prepared for the international Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. Looks at opportunities for using IT as democratizing agent.

Global Internet Policy Initiative

GIPI "supports adoption in developing countries of the legal and policy framework for an open and democratic Internet."

Information Communications Technology for Development

UNDP report on essential lessons learned about the use of ICT for democratization.

Internet and economic development

E-commerce: Accelerator of Development?

A Sept 2002 briefing note from the Institute for Development Studies in the UK.

Satellife - Posted by Ana-Maria Alvarado

It's an international non-profit humanitarian organization that uses the internet to provide coaching in health related issues to developing countries through a global computer-based communications network called HealthNet.

Bridges.Org - Posted by Ana-Maria Alvarado

It's a international non-profit organization that promotes the use of ITC’s as tools to improve people’s standard of living.

The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) - Posted by Ana-Maria Alvarado

A Canadian public corporation created in the ‘70’s to bring sustainable solutions to developing countries in the social, economic and environmental arena . This organization strongly believes in the profitable effects of technology and therefore promotes the use of ICTs as a means of development.

Digital divide

Bridges.org

Bridges is an international non-profit focused on fighting the digital divide. Bridges "researches, tests, and promotes best practices for sustainable, empowering use of information and communication technology."

 

ConnectNet.org

A database that will direct users to the closest (usually free) Internet access points, and map them. Bilingual -- English/Spanish.

Levers -- An online magazine on the digital divide

A new magazine focused on closing the digital divide between HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) and other educational institutions. Supposed to go online Feb 2002.

NCAI Digital Divide Task Force Best Practices...

From the National Congress of American Indians: a database of best practices on how tribes are using IT as an economic development vehicle, providing training to tribe members, using technology policy to exercise tribal sovereignty, and developing native

The Digital Divide Network: DDN Home

"Knowledge to help everyone succeed in the digital age." A clearinghouse for reearch and articles on the digital divide. A project of the Benton Foundation.

Welcome to Indiantech.Org

National Congress for American Indians web site on promoting connectivity among Native Americans.

Improving Internet Access: The Canadian Approach

Paper by Philippa Lawson of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre in Ottawa, for the April 1999 conference on "Computers, Freedom and Privacy: The Global Internet."

Intel® Education: Intel Computer Clubhouse

A project aimed at setting up 100 computer access and learning sites for young people in different communities.

NGA Center for Best Practices

A few short examples of "best practices" in state strategies for combatting the digital divide.

PowerUp Home Page

PowerUp is a public-private partnership aimed at combatting the digital divide by helping young people acquire the skills for digital literacy.

The Digital Equity Toolkit

A Q&A compilation with answers to help educators get their classrooms and students connected to the Internet.

Virtual Opportunity Center

A database of best practices in fighting the digital divide, run by the state of Virginia's Digital Opportunities Task Force.

Community Technology Center's Network - Posted by Grant K. Wong

Community organization whose mission is to bring internet access to those with inadequate resources. Goal is to bride the digital divide of those who have access and those that do not.

World Resources Institute - Posted by

a nonprofit organization created to bridge the global digital divide through business solutions that bring connectivity and digital services to unserved populations in developing regions.

geekcorps - Posted by Ji young

nonprofit organization created to bridge digital divide through pairing and matching businesses in developing countries and volunteers with expertise in technology