We aim to gather a wide scholarship interested in understanding and addressing the disparities in access to and use of digital technology, as well as the impact of digitalisation on economic, social, and political inequalities.
Inequality is a complex phenomenon that can be defined and measured through various dimensions and characteristics, depending on the specific questions to be asked: Inequality of what? Inequality between whom?
While economic analysis primarily focuses on income, wealth, and consumption inequalities, other social and political dimensions of inequalities also deserve attention. This perspective shifts the focus from merely examining outcome inequality to including and addressing inequality of opportunities and capabilities.
When examining differences among individuals, the issue of inequality in the digital realm has been categorised as the 'digital divide', originally focusing on the technical ability to access the internet. However, over the past two decades, a new body of literature has developed that addresses various aspects of the digital divide, including individual skills and operational capabilities. These factors can influence all levels of individual agency in economic, social, and political activities. When we understand the digital divide in this broader context, the analysis of digital inequality goes beyond just economic dimensions; it has significant implications for society as a whole and the functioning of the digital public sphere.
For these reasons we decided to organise a scientific conference to analyse the impact of digitalisation on our democracy through the lens of equality/inequality, and to explore the policy tools that can bridge the digital divide and empower the democratic potential of digital technologies.
Professor Ellen Helsper from the Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics and Political Science will deliver the keynote lecture, titled 'Inequalities in power and participation in a rapidly changing digital world'.
We invite researchers to contribute to this discussion by submitting an extended abstract (minimum 1,000 words) by 30 June 2025 at this link (preference will be given to unpublished papers).