Digital divide and marginalized women during COVID-19: a study of women recently released from prison
Digital divide and marginalized women during COVID-19: a study of women recently released from prison
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DOI：
10.1080/1369118x.2021.1963462
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发表时间：
2021-08-05
影响因子：
4.2
通讯作者：
Nwachukwu, Maxine
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Blomberg, Matt;Altschwager, Darcey;Nwachukwu, Maxine
2019冠状病毒病大流行凸显了弥合数字鸿沟的紧迫性，因为当最重要的活动转移到网上时，那些没有可靠互联网、充足设备和数字扫盲技能的人处于严重不利地位。本研究考察了大流行病对最近从监狱或监狱释放的妇女的影响，这一群体甚至在大流行病之前就已经在数字获取和技能方面处于不利地位。我们对45名转型期妇女的采访表明，疫情期间她们无法稳定地访问互联网和数字设备，这影响了她们入狱后的监管要求、工作申请、教育机会等。这些妇女通过与社会关系（例如朋友和邻居）合作，并依靠当地机构在大流行期间部署的应急资源，应对了这些挑战。那些在被完全释放到社区之前住在过渡性住房的人表示，由于他们在这些设施中上网有限，他们经常依赖设施工作人员或社区的家人/朋友获取与大流行有关的信息。这项研究的这些发现和其他发现为了解公共卫生危机期间边缘化妇女的技术挑战和需求提供了见解。
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the urgency to bridge the digital divide, as those without reliable internet, adequate devices, and digital literacy skills were severely disadvantaged when most essential activities moved online. This study examines how the pandemic has affected women recently released from jail or prison, a group that was already at a disadvantage in terms of digital access and skills even before the pandemic. Our interviews with 45 women in transition show that their lack of stable access to the internet and digital devices during the pandemic influenced their post-incarceration supervision requirements, job applications, educational opportunities, and others. These women navigated the challenges by working with their social connections (e.g., friends and neighbors) and relying on emergency resources deployed by local institutions during the pandemic. Those staying in transitional houses before being fully released into communities indicated that they often depended on facility staff or family/friends in the community for pandemic-related information due to their limited access to the internet in those facilities. These and other findings from this research provide insights into the technological challenges and needs of marginalized women during the public health crisis.