The digital divide and employment

It is argued that poor and marginalized communities, such as in the Global South, perpetuate their poverty through closed networks and low levels of trust in weak social ties, which limit the ability of people to trade, form new business connections, and access useful market information. However, the rapidly increasing use of the Internet coupled with liberalizing economies has been seen as a way for people to participate in networks relevant to employment that would be unreachable through traditional networks. Using case studies from the Sudanese labour market, the findings question whether new technologies can level the playing field in ways many have expected. A range of barriers remains, including access, technological proficiency and literacy, class, tribe and gender, that all play a role in restricting social equality for the traditionally marginalized. Internet initiatives focused on development need to deal with this larger range of issues if they are to succeed.