Research projects
	Digital divide, social inclusion and exclusion - research projects for the Federal Science Policy Office (2008-2010) and the Federal Ministry for Social Integration (2007-2008)

(DD)² - The second order digital divide: a research project for the programme "Society and future" of the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (2008-2010)

The project aims at understanding the scientific scope, empirical foundations and societal issues of the “second order digital divide”, which concerns growing inequalities among ICT users as fast as the access gap is narrowing. The concept of second order digital divide is rather new in the agenda of social research about the Internet and its policy implications need an in-depth investigation, targeted to the Belgian context.

The overall goal is to anticipate future trends in the social differentiation of Internet usages, the associated risks of social inequalities and associated opportunities for improved social inclusion. The project will review hypotheses and research questions in this emerging research area, targeting them to the European context and the Belgian situation. Original empirical material will be collected through qualitative interviews, while existing survey results will be assessed from the angle of the second order divide. The prospective analysis will identify future trends and outline possible scenarios, leading to widening or narrowing the second order digital divide. Conclusions and policy recommendations will rely on these analyses and scenarios.

The dissemination strategy relies on interactive workshops at each step of the project methodology, involving the most concerned actors: the scientific community, the Internet facilitators, the concerned policy makers, the stakeholders of e-services developments and social inclusion policies. Presentation of results will be user-oriented: publishable final report, policy briefs, proposal for a conference after the end of the project.

Downloadable project presentation (PDF): English version, Dutch version or French version.
Project managers: Gérard Valenduc and Patricia Vendramin
Researchers: Périne Brotcorne, Véronique Laurent and Lotte Damhuis

Acting against the digital divide and building up digital skills: a study for the Federal Ministry for Social Integration (2007-2008)

This study is carried out within the framework of the national action plan against the digital divide. It focuses on the construction process of digital skills, referring to the second order digital divide, i.e. social inequalities resulting from differentiated use of internet services, once the access barrier is over. The study is carried outin close cooperation with field workers in the areas of e-inclusion policies. Three workshops (everyone splitted FR/NL) are organised between February and May 2008:

• Workshop 1: ICT training, beyond first steps of access and awareness
• Workshop 2: public digital spaces as learning spaces
• Workshop 3: online services and users' skills

The final report was delivered in July 2008 (in French and Dutch). It is downloadable from the web site of the Federal Ministry for Social Integration.

Reference: Brotcorne P., Valenduc G., Construction des compétences numériques et réduction des inégalités, SPP Intégration sociale, Brussels, July 2008 (88 pages).

• French version (PDF, 385 ko)
• Dutch version (PDF, 385 ko)

Contacts: Périne Brotcorne and Gérard Valenduc.

Selected publications (in French only)

	Patricia Vendramin, Gérard Valenduc Fractures numériques, inégalités sociales et processus d'appropriation des innovations Dans Terminal, n° 95-96, printemps 2006 L'Harmattan, Paris. This article draws an overview of a range of digital inequalities in the Belgian and European societies. Various theoretical interpretations of the concept of digital divide are reviewed, in the perspective of a dynamic process of diffusion and appropriation of innovations in society.
	Gérard Valenduc, Patricia Vendramin Les inégalités numériques en Wallonie dans la Lettre EMERIT n° 51 (septembre 2007). Téléchargeable. Femmes et internet: la fracture commence à se réduire dans la Lettre EMERIT n° 50 (juin 2007). Téléchargeable. La dimension européenne de la lutte contre la fracture numérique dans la Lettre EMERIT n° 46 (juin 2006). Téléchargeable. La technologie à travers les âges numéro spécial de la Lettre EMERIT, n°45 (mars 2006) Téléchargeable. De la fracture numérique à l'inclusion sociale numéro spécial de la Lettre EMERIT, n°39 (juin 2004) Téléchargeable
	Patricia Vendramin, Gérard Valenduc Internet et inégalités Une radiographie de la fracture numérique Editions Labor, collection Quartier libre, Bruxelles, 2003 One of the first publications on the digital divide in French-speaking Belgium - and still a reference. Only available in French by online ordering.

Participation in networks for digital inclusion in Belgium

The Work & Technology Research Centre of FTU takes an active part in the yearly REWICS (Walloon convention of Internet for citizenship and solidarity) and in the activities of the Internet festival. It is also involved in several working groups on the digital divide and e-inclusion which are set up by various institutions: the Walloon network of public digital spaces; the King Baudouin Foundation; the Social Movement of Seniors (UCP); the Rural Foundation of Wallonia.