[Air-L] New Book: Digital Capital. A Bourdieusian Perspective on the Digital Divide

Tue Jan 28 07:24:59 PST 2020

--- *apologies for cross-posting *---

Dear colleagues,

We are happy to announce the publication of the book DIGITAL CAPITAL. A
BOURDIEUSIAN PERSPECTIVE ON THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, by Massimo Ragnedda
(Northumbria University) and Maria Laura Ruiu (Northumbria University).

More info here:
https://books.emeraldinsight.com/page/detail/Digital-Capital/?k=9781839095535

We are happy to provide review copies to relevant journals. Any book
reviews editor interested in seeing the book can request a digital review
copy here:
http://emeraldinsight.ereviews.eb20.com/Requests/Step1/9781839095535

or email BooksandSeries at emeraldinsight.com  to request a print copy.

*The Blurb: *

Starting from the assumption that digital capital is a capital in its own
right, and can be quantified and measured as such, the authors of this book
examine how digital capital can be defined, measured and impact policy.
Using the Bourdieusian lens, this book makes a critical contribution to the
field by examining in depth the notion of digital capital and by
introducing a new theoretical toolkit in order to fully conceptualise it.
Against this theoretical background, the authors propose a set of
indicators that can be used to measure digital capital at an individual
level.

*Review:*

As digital communications becomes ever more central to everyday life, work
and leisure, their impact on inequality becomes increasingly profound. Is
there a new ‘digital capital’ acquired by those who gain most from these
technologies? The authors, established experts in this field, address this
problem with a thorough and informed analysis of the concept, and its
implications for policy and understanding.’ - *Peter Golding, *Professor,
Northumbria and Newcastle Universities, UK

‘Taking their inspiration from Bourdieu’s analysis of capital, Ragnedda and
Ruiu extend the concept theoretically to the digital. Digital capital is
operationalised through the creation of an index that accounts for
differences in digital skills and competencies. Digital capital is then
related to other forms of capital – economic, social and cultural – showing
how digital capital works as a bridging capital allowing those with
economic and cultural resources to use the digital to acquire ever greater
advantage. This speaks to an important new wave of research on the ‘third
level of the digital divide’ that seeks to measure outcomes. This is a
highly cogent and important book both theoretically and empirically that
should be of interest to sociologists of class and inequality as well as
communication scholars seeking to understand the digital divide.’ - *John
Downey*, Professor of Comparative Media Analysis and Head of Communication
and Media, Loughborough University; Vice-President, European Communication
Research & Education Association

‘Ragnedda and Ruiu’s build the field of Bourdieusian analysis of digital
inequalities in their timely scholarship that speaks to key issues in the
emergent field of digital divide studies: theory, methodology, and
implications. The authors push the field forward by conceptualizing and
operationalizing digital capital, thus integrating important theoretical
insights with replicable empirical examination. Meeting this challenge
allows their work to make real impact concerning the implications of
digital inequalities for theorists, academics, policymakers, and
practitioners.’ - *Laura Robinson*, Associate Professor, Santa Clara
University

______________

*Massimo Ragnedda* <http://northumbria.academia.edu/MassimoRagnedda>

Senior Lecturer in Mass Communication

Squires Building 306f, Northumbria University, NE1 8ST  Newcastle (UK)

Tel: 01912437444

Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Journalism, Lomonosov Moscow State
University <http://www.journ.msu.ru/eng/news/27610/>

Most recent books:

Bruce Mutsvairo and Massimo Ragnedda eds (2019) Mapping the Digital Divide
in Africa. A Mediated Analysis.
<https://www.aup.nl/en/book/9789462986855/mapping-the-digital-divide-in-africa>
Amsterdam University Press

Massimo Ragnedda and Bruce Mutsvairo, eds (2018) *Digital Inclusion. An
International Comparative Analysis
<https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781498562126/Digital-Inclusion-An-International-Comparative-Analysis>*,
Lexington Books.

Massimo Ragnedda and Glenn Muschert, eds (2018) *Theorizing Digital Divide*
<http://bit.ly/2y9WSLm>, Routledge

Massimo Ragnedda (2017) *The Third Digital Divide: A Weberian approach to
digital inequalities* <http://bit.ly/2f8FObg>, Routledge.