Amire of controversy surrounds the topic of the impact of technology, free market capitalism, and globalization on social welfare. In some quarters these forces are considered anathema to social equity and are interpreted as tools of oppression, domination, and a means of establishing and promoting the hegemony of the developed economies over the developing world. In the context of technology, the term `Digital Divide' is often invoked to refer to the differences between technology-haves and technology-have-nots.
The contribution of Digital Divide to differential benefits of technology is relatively clear and straightforward. As Genus and Nor (2005) point out, it contributes to a "marked disparity between developed and developing countries in their take-up and ability to use the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) central to the creation of information societies, the growth of e-business and e-commerce, and thence economic development."
Robert Jensen, a Development Economist at Harvard University (2007), in a recent article, provides empirical evidence to question this line of arguments against technology and free-market capitalism. This study provides the context for examining the impact of decentralized and small-scale technology on the economic status of the financially disadvantaged and on market efficiency. |
