[Air-l] Scholars Question the Image of the Internet as a Race-Free Utopia

[D. Silver]

Folks,

In my mind, Jeff Young, a writer for the Chronicle for Higher Education,
is by far one of the best journalists covering our beat.  I'm including
the first few paragraphs and URL of an article on race and cyberspace he
wrote for the Chronicle.  Lots of AIR'ers mentioned!

david silver
http://faculty.washington.edu/dsilver

---------- Forwarded message ----------

  Friday, September 21, 2001

  Scholars Question the Image of the Internet as a Race-Free
  Utopia

  By JEFFREY R. YOUNG

  The Internet has often been touted as a utopia where racial
  differences are erased and people are judged by their ideas
  rather than their skin color. But rather than curbing racism,
  cyberspace may be perpetuating racial stereotypes for some
  users, a growing number of scholars say.

  And until recently, they say, few researchers have studied
  issues of racial identity online -- even though so much
  attention has been paid to economic studies of the "digital
  divide."

  A recent batch of conferences and books are helping to fill
  the research gap, however.

http://chronicle.com/free/2001/09/2001092101t.htm