Technology and Inequality: The Promise of Access Why do we keep trying to solve poverty with technology? A new book by Dan Greene, The Promise of Access, shows why it is so hard to get rid of the idea—which he terms the access doctrine—that the problem of poverty can be solved with the right tools and the right skills. He argues that as libraries and schools pursue technological solutions, they win praise and funding but also marginalize and alienate the populations they serve. Learn more about how this plays out in Washington, DC, where Greene examined organizational change in technology startups, public libraries, and a charter school, and begin thinking about our path forward. The session covers how this access doctrine emerged; why it continues to appeal to policymakers; how it impacts communities and organizations here in DC; and how we can form new political alliances that can change the terms on which we understand technology and fight poverty. This session will be led by Dan Greene, an assistant professor at the University of Maryland’s College of Information Studies.

You can buy his book, The Promise of Access: Technology, Inequality, and the Political Economy of Hope, here.

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This event is open to both DSA Members and supporters.

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