Informatization Policy (정보화정책)

National Information Society Agency (한국지능정보사회진흥원)
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A Critical Review of 'Digital Divide' Research: Trend, Shortcomings and Future Directions

'정보격차' 연구에 대한 검토와 미래 연구 방향

  • Received : 2021.11.01
  • Accepted : 2021.11.17
  • Published : 2021.12.31
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Abstract

The 'digital divide' is regarded as a latent dysfunction that impedes the intrinsic role of information to contribute to social equality. Therefore, it has drawn great attention inside and outside of academia. The growing interest in the digital divide has been driven by the realization that it can create a serious crisis that threatens a social system compounded by existing economic, social, and cultural inequality, rather than being limited to an uneven distribution of information. In this paper (1) studies on the digital divide published since 1970 are reviewed, (2) studies noteworthy of discussion are selected to assess their academic significance, and (3) the tasks and prospects of digital divide research are explored. Although meaningful achievements have been amassed through continuous interest and efforts of the academic community, two limitations are raised; the gap between pure research and policy research that hinders the working of synthetic imagination, and the intellectual lag falling behind a rapidly changing society. In addition, it is suggested that the operation, curation, and augmentation gaps would emerge as new agenda for digital divide research in the intelligent information age.

'정보격차'는 공유성, 이전성 및 복제성과 같이 평등화에 기여함직한 정보의 내재적 속성에 반하는 정보화 시대의 예기치 않은 역기능으로 간주되어 학술적으로나 사회적으로 주목받아 왔다. 더구나 그것이 정보의 불균등한 분포로 그치는 것이 아니라 경제적, 사회적, 문화적 불평등과 맞물려 사회체계의 안정성을 해치는 요소가 될 수 있다는 문제의식은 정보격차에 관한 연구를 촉진시켜 왔다. 따라서 본 논문에서는 (1) 1970년 이후 국내외에서 수행된 정보격차 연구들을 총괄적으로 일람하고, (2) 상론할 가치가 높다고 판단되는 연구물들을 섭렵해 정보격차 담론의 성과와 한계를 검토한 후, (3) 정보격차 연구의 새로운 과제와 방향을 탐지하였다. 그 결과, 학계 안팎에서 의미 있는 성과가 축적되어 왔음이 확인되었으나, 순수연구와 정책연구 간의 괴리 및 시대 변화에 뒤진 '지적 지체' 현상이 한계점으로 드러났다. 아울러 지능정보화 시대에는 운용격차, 선정격차 및 증강격차가 정보격차 연구의 새로운 의제로 대두할 것임을 밝힐 수 있었다.

Keywords

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