The digital divide

    AQA
    GCSE

    The digital divide represents a multifaceted stratification in the access to, proficiency with, and utility derived from digital technologies. It is not merely a binary of 'haves' and 'have-nots' regarding hardware ownership, but a complex hierarchy involving the 'usage divide' (skills and cultural capital) and the 'democratic divide' (political participation). Sociological analysis must interrogate how this divide reinforces existing inequalities based on social class, age, gender, and ethnicity (stratification), and how it manifests globally between the information-rich Global North and the information-poor Global South (globalisation).

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    Objectives
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    Exam Tips
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    Key Terms
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    Mark Points

    What You Need to Demonstrate

    Key skills and knowledge for this topic

    • Credit explicit use of sociological terms such as 'material deprivation', 'cultural capital', and 'globalisation'.
    • Award marks for linking the digital divide to educational underachievement (e.g., the homework gap).
    • Candidates must distinguish between access (hardware/connection) and usage (skills/literacy).
    • Reward application of theoretical perspectives; Marxists view the divide as reinforcing class inequality, while Functionalists may view it as a temporary lag.

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • Credit explicit use of sociological terms such as 'material deprivation', 'cultural capital', and 'globalisation'.
    • Award marks for linking the digital divide to educational underachievement (e.g., the homework gap).
    • Candidates must distinguish between access (hardware/connection) and usage (skills/literacy).
    • Reward application of theoretical perspectives; Marxists view the divide as reinforcing class inequality, while Functionalists may view it as a temporary lag.

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡Always refer to the Item provided in the question paper to secure AO2 application marks.
    • 💡Use the 'PERC' structure for paragraphs: Point, Explanation, Reference (Sociological Evidence), Criticism/Conclusion.
    • 💡Ensure 12-mark answers conclude with a judgment on the significance of the divide relative to other factors.
    • 💡Contrast the 'democratic' potential of the internet with the reality of the 'digital underclass'.

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Providing anecdotal evidence (e.g., personal family experiences) rather than sociological trends or studies.
    • Confusing the digital divide with general poverty without explicitly linking it to technological exclusion.
    • Failing to address the 'generational divide' when discussing age as a factor.
    • Describing the divide solely as a lack of computers, ignoring the 'skills gap' or 'information poverty'.

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