Abstract
Despite increasing recognition that the world's social and environmental problems cannot be addressed solely by business, government or society in isolation, the role of partnerships in rural development has only recently started to attract the interest of rural studies scholars. The study adds to the growing stream of research by investigating how the information age's emerging social challenge - the digital divide - influences rural partnerships and development. Burgeoning literature evidences that the digital divide encompasses not one but many discontinuities. This paper reconceptualises the digital divide concept and explores exactly how its shocks and tensions impact rural partnerships and development. Results of this research indicate that the digital divide is a threat to the performance of rural partnerships, which consequently renders rural development outcomes unsustainable, lopsided and non-participatory. This paper recommends the need for a more responsive and localised approach to rural development partnerships that can enable disadvantaged groups to participate in today's digitally connected economy and society.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 214-224 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Journal of Rural Studies |
| Volume | 43 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Feb 2016 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We would like to thank the University of Southern Queensland, Australia for funding this research mainly through the Postgraduate Research Scholarship as well as partly through the Collaborative Research Network Program. We also acknowledge the valuable comments and suggestions made by the participants in the Symposium on Broadband-enabled Communities and Regional Development held at the University of South Queensland, Toowoomba during November 10–11, 2014. The authors are grateful to Clare Harris, who assisted with the proof reading of this article. Thanks also to the anonymous referees of Journal of Rural Studies and Dr. David E. Beel, member of the guest editorial team for this special issue, for insightful comments on earlier drafts of the paper.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier Ltd.
Copyright:
Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.