UNDERSTANDING THE FACTORS AFFECTING DIGITAL INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION : A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE UNITED STATES AND INDONESIA

Research on the digital divide and digital inequality is often descriptive. The coexistence of a multitude of theoretical frameworks limits our knowledge to explain and/or predict the phenomenon. This dissertation tries to fill a gap in the literature about digital divides by proposing an integrative framework to explain digital outcomes in addition to access and uses. Informed by Giddens’ structuration theory, the framework conceptualizes the digital divide as social practices that reflect the interplay of structures and human agency. This dissertation seeks to develop improved measures of digital outcomes and digital skills that can capture current digital practices. Furthermore, it aims to understand three issues that have not been explored in depth. First, it examines the relationships and interactions between social structures, human agency, access, internet use, and digital outcomes. Second, is asks which factors help individuals to improve their utilization of the opportunities offered by the Internet (digital inclusion) and which ones might contribute to falling behind relative to others (digital exclusion). A comparative research design, based on surveys in two countries, enables examining the extent to which models of the digital divide are supported in nations with differing economic, political, and cultural conditions. Three important findings emerge from the dissertation: First, interconnections were revealed between social structures, elements of agency, internet use, and internet outcomes. Second, the research shows that actors are an important factor to predict the second and third level of digital divides. Third, the structuration model of the digital divide can inform studies of digital inclusion and exclusion, and agency remains a key element in understanding digital divides. The effect of agency in influencing internet use and outcomes is moderated by access sustainability in the United States. In Indonesia, the moderation only occurs among users who earn low internet outcomes. However, more research will be necessary to refine the approach and findings developed in the dissertation. In sum, this dissertation provides insights for the future direction of digital divides research and for decision-makers seeking to narrow digital divides.Keywords: access divide, digital capital, digital divides, digital inclusion, digital exclusion, digital outcomes divide, digital skills divide, Giddens, Indonesia, internet use divide, structuration, structural equation modeling, the United States.