Journal of Digital Convergence (디지털융복합연구)

The Society of Digital Policy and Management (한국디지털정책학회)
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A Study on Digital Divide from Socio-Technical Convergence: With Focus on Korean Women's Travel Activities

사회기술융합적 관점에서 살펴본 디지털기기 이용한계에 대한 연구: 한국 여성의 관광유형을 중심으로

  • Received : 2015.03.05
  • Accepted : 2015.05.20
  • Published : 2015.05.28
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Abstract

The gender difference in social roles affects digital devices' utilization differences in man and woman even in the 21st Century. Prior studies analyze the digital divide (genders, ages, etc.) from the assessment perspectives of digital equipment, such as PCs. In the area of high speed internet, most functions of PCs have been replaced with smartphones, and around 80% of the mobile phone users adopt smartphones. Subsequently the inequality of physical access to the digital devices is no longer a criterion for digital divide. The focus on digital divide should be shifted from the physical access to other factors, such as socio-technical or socio-cultural ones. This paper examines utilization of women's digital equipment, in particular, preparing for tourism activities, which is popular but sensitive to the technology. A survey was conducted with participants of [Suncheon Garden Expo] 2013. The results of this study capture the inactive use of digital devices particularly women over 50s. This phenomenon (high utilization of the digital devices for social or informative purposes, but low utilization of the digital payment) implies other aspects of Korean women (economic independence, low self-assertion, technical difficulties, etc.), which is considered from the socio-technological convergence perspective. This study also has a practical implication on the side of the digital device developers as well as marketing, where the qualitative communication is likely to be incorporated for the women over 50s.

사회적으로 규정된 성별 역할차이는 디지털기기가 일상화된 21세기에도 디지털기기 활용의 성별차이로 이어지고 있다. 디지털기기 활용에 대한 성별, 연령대별 차이에 대한 종전연구가 디지털기기 접근성을 중심으로 발생한 격차를 다루었다면, 초고속 인터넷과 모바일의 급속한 성장으로 열린 스마트시대는 휴대전화이용객의 80%이상이 언제 어디서나 물리적으로 디지털기기에 접근가능한 상태이므로 전시대의 물리적 접근격차로서는 중장년 여성의 디지털기기 미활용 현상을 설명하는 데 한계가 있다. 본고에서는 여성의 디지털기기 활용을 사회기술융합적인 관점에서 접근하여 가장 보편적인 여가활동이며 디지털화에 민감한 관광이라는 목적적 활동을 중심으로 2013년에 열린 순천 정원박람회 참가객을 대상으로 중년여성의 디지털기기 활용을 살펴보았다. 본 연구의 결과는 인터넷과 디지털 기술 선진국에서 보여지는 여성의 디지털기기 활용의 이중적인 양상으로 해석될 수 있으며, 중년여성의 디지털기기 활용의 비활성화는 기술적 요인과 융합된 사회적, 정서적 요인으로 파악되어 한국사회에서 여성의 사회적 경제적 위치를 함의적으로 시사하며 동시에 생산자 측면에서는 향후 디지털기기 마케팅에 정성적 커뮤니케이션의 필요성을 환기시킨다.

Keywords

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