Ákos Jakobi
Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest
Space and virtuality:
new characteristics of
inequalities in the
information society and
economy
Presentation for the 2nd International Symposium
“Advancing socio-economic research”
24th-25th May 2013, Bucharest, Romania.
Overview
• Introduction
• Theoretical considerations on principal
factors of ICT inequalities
• Regional inequality characteristics: the
first order disparities of information
society and economy
• Socio-economic inequalities in the virtual
space: the second order disparities
Introduction
• In the 21st century alongside of traditional factors of
competitiveness some new ones seem to emerge.
• Information and communication technologies (ICTs) has
changed our opinion on social differences or on economic
advantages and disadvantages.
• There is an increasing demand on clarifying what reasons are in
the background of disparities.
• An increasing role is believed to be played by space (geography)
– Why space and virtuality should be stressfully emphasized?
– Why is it important to deal with spatial questions in a world, where
information are available theoretically everywhere?
Is there „geography” in the information world?
Bits, not atoms
Spaceless space
anything,
anytime,
anywhere
End of
Geography
Cyberspace
is everywhere
and nowhere
Borderless
world
friction-free
economy
Cities dissolve
Weightless
World
Frances Cairncross, ‘death of distance’ theory
• distance will no longer determine the costs of communicating
electronically
• ‘the fate of location’, no longer will location be key to most
business decisions. Companies will locate any screen-based
activity anywhere on earth, wherever they can find the best
bargain of skills and productivity
• ‘global peace’, people will communicate more freely … the effect
will be to increase understanding, foster tolerance...
Nicholas Negroponte
“The digital planet will look and feel like the head of a pin.
As we interconnect ourselves, many of the values of a
nation-state will give way to those of both larger and small
electronic communities. We will socialize in digital
neighbourhoods in which physical space will be irrelevant
and time will play a different role”
(Being Digital, 1995)
1995. September 30.
Is geography important or not?
Geography is not important
• the everyday troubles originated from spatiality disappear
• overcoming on space may become reality
• possibility of the „destruction” of space through time;
global, everywhere accessible networks
• restructuring of company activities, location is less
dependent from the place of consumption
• global market systems, discontinuance of the role of nation
states
• cyberspace completely liberate the users from physical
bounds of human body
Is geography important or not?
Is geography important or not?
Geography is still important
• Real spatial, social and economic bounds are still existing
• Possibilities of information communication network
connections and infrastructural grounds of bandwidth, which
determine the speed of communication connections, are still
unequally distributed in space
• Access points are geographically determined
• No bit can proceed via the Net without passing through
kilometres of wires and optical fibres or tons of computer
hardwares, which are all in physical space indeed.
Is geography important or not?
Geography is still important
• cyberspace has a material geography of supporting
infrastructure which is vital to understand
• cyberspace is not universally accessible socially or evenly
distributed across space
• there are still significant socio-geographical differences
(„digital divide”)
Is geography important or not?
Geography is still important
• ICT can not transfer all kind of information (codified vs.
tacit knowledge)
• The rapid diffusion of information and codified knowledge
does not mean that tacit knowledge and understanding are
also so freely available
• Depth of communication interactions is also important
• Strength of personal, face-to-face contacts
Theoretical considerations on ICT inequalities
• Phases of digital accessibility (according to van Dijk, 2005)
– Digital accessibility
– Material or physical accessibility
– Accessibility originated from different digital skills
– Usage accessibility