Geographies of Digital Exclusion
Data and Inequality
Mark Graham author Martin Dittus author
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Pluto Press
Published:20th Jan '22
Should be back in stock very soon
This paperback is available in another edition too:
- Hardback£85.00(9780745340197)
This insightful exploration of digital landscapes highlights how Geographies of Digital Exclusion reveals the inequalities embedded within our data-driven environments.
In Geographies of Digital Exclusion, the authors explore the intricate relationship between our digital environments and the pervasive inequalities that often accompany them. They pose critical questions about who shapes our digital landscapes and why so many individuals find themselves excluded from these spaces. Today's urban environments, rich with data and algorithms, significantly influence our experiences and interactions. However, the book argues that these digitally dense environments may actually exacerbate existing inequalities, rather than alleviating them.
The text delves into the concept of information inequality, examining the various factors that contribute to the exclusion of certain groups. It highlights how platforms like Google Maps and Wikipedia serve as essential tools for navigating our world yet are plagued by significant gaps and biases. These platforms often reflect a skewed perspective, showcasing only select aspects of reality while neglecting others, thus reinforcing existing disparities. The authors emphasize the importance of recognizing these biases in our digital interactions and the broader implications they have on societal understanding.
Despite the challenges presented, Geographies of Digital Exclusion offers a hopeful perspective on the potential for more equitable futures. By analyzing the intersections between our digital and physical worlds, the authors provide a roadmap for envisioning alternative digital geographies that prioritize inclusivity and fairness. Their insights encourage readers to consider how we might reshape our digital landscapes to be more representative and accessible for all.
'Conceptually rich and well-illustrated, this is a valuable analysis of data power at the global scale'
-- Prof. Rob Kitchin, Maynooth University'An enlightening and accessible introduction to digital geographies and why they are important to our understanding of digital exclusion'
-- Alex Singleton, Professor of Geographic Information Science, University of Liverpool'Demonstrates how so much digital data is sourced from a very limited range of geographical locations and laboured over in various ways, and what difference this makes to the information about places on platforms like OpenStreetMap, Google Maps and Wikipedia'
-- Gillian Rose, Professor of Human Geography at the School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford'Systematic, sobering, yet uplifting, this volume makes the convincing case that digital transformation is not the end of geography, nor is it an equaliser for the diverse cultures and peoples across the globe'
-- Jack Linchuan Qiu, Professor at the Department of Communications and New Media, National University of Singapore'An important and insightful book. Graham and Dittus eloquently map, measure and critically interrogate digital geographies in a way that forces us to reckon with their power and politics, the injustices they incur, and how we might imagine alternatives.'
-- Professor Lina Dencik, Co-Director of the Data Justice Lab, Cardiff University, UK'A must read for those deeply concerned about long hidden people and places who have been marginalised in the politics of place-making, including within digital worlds like Wikipedia and Google'
-- Payal Arora, author of the 'Next Billion Users' and Co-Founder of FemLaISBN: 9780745340180
Dimensions: 215mm x 135mm x 16mm
Weight: 220g
208 pages