Theorising Digital Inclusion and Inequalities in ICT4D: Insights and Implications for Future Research

Even though the field of ICT4D has had a long-standing interest in understanding the relationship between ICTs, inclusion, and inequality, the topic has not yet been reviewed systematically. Key knowledge gaps exist with respect to understanding what constitutes inclusion and inequality, the extent to which binary notions of the digital divide persist, the emerging contestations in this space, and the implications they have for future research and practice in the area of equitable digital futures. In response to this gap, this paper aims to provide a systematic and comprehensive review of the ICT4D literature on digital inclusion and inequalities, via a review of 71 articles on this topic.

Its main contribution is the development of a matrix through which the dominant conceptualisations of digital inclusion as they exist in ICT4D can be understood, their implications for knowledge and practice can be discussed, and priorities for future research can be identified. The matrix and the conceptualisations are expected to enable scholars, academics, and practitioners to reflect on where their work fits in relation to the contestations and debates that surround inclusion and inequalities, and to offer pathways to consider and develop alternate theorisations. Overall, the paper encourages a critique as well as a constructive re-imagination of what constitutes inclusion, and the practice of deploying ICTs for positive socio-economic impacts.