Affirmative Action: Re-visited -  Outlook

Increasingly, the government and technology corporations have worked to combat the issues of lack of access with the implementations of digital divide policies.  These have been quite successful in extending computers and network connectivity to different people.  The effects of these policies can be seen in places such as public libraries, schools, and programs such as the Capital Area Training Foundation and Austin Free Net which seek to rectify they disparities between the haves and have nots.  The digital divide is definitely a problem, but the real problem must be recognized as one that is pre-existing and embedded in hierarchical structures previously set in place.  For example, without literacy, computers will do no good.  In addition, it seems suspicious to trust there are no ulterior motives of private companies that provide free labs and equipment to the underprivileged.  On that note, another social critic D'Souza found, "The lack of access to technology on the part of the poor and minorities is a problem that is taken very seriously in the high-tech world." (D'Souza, 45).  Of course, high tech companies are concerned, they need most of society to have access for their business plans to work well, in terms of profit.  In terms of ownership, simply providing access points does not necessarily provide real gains for those disconnected, but actually could be seen as simply creating more nodes of consumption.  The digital divide policies, even though important are only a part of what should be added to further affirmative action policies.  Re-examining underlying problems is a necessity first. Lack of access is an important part of equality needed for future policies but, without knowledge in a deeper sense through a combination of education and access, power and ownership will never be rectified or equalized.   

 

    

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