This book presents new perspectives on current development policy against the background of the Covid-19 pandemic. The author applies new methodological, disciplinary, and analytical approaches to examine specific major contemporary policy issues. The topics covered include the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in developing countries, an anomaly in the digital divide, Internet connectivity differences in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the domination of India in the spread of new, low-cost smart feature phones.

This book is a must-read for a general audience interested in the current development policy in the light of the current Covid-19 pandemic, as well as for students and researchers of development economics and development studies who are interested in issues involving the digital divide and state policy towards the internet in the Global-South.

Autorentext
Jeffrey James is Emeritus Professor of Development Economics at Tilburg University (The Netherlands). Prior to that, he worked at Boston University (USA) and Oxford University (UK). His primary research interest is in information technology and development. He has conducted field research in East Africa and Latin America. James has written or edited various books and numerous peer-reviewed articles.

Inhalt
Chapter 1. Introduction.- Chapter 2. Cognitive Dissonance Theory and Policy Towards the Corona Epidemic in Developing Countries.- Chapter 3. Digital Divide Reversal: Evidence, Explanations and Implications.- Chapter 4. Why is India so Dominant in the Demand for New Smart Feature Phones that are Internet Connected?.- Chapter 5. Interregional and Intercountry Analysis of Mobile Internet Connectivity in Sub-Saharan Africa.- Chapter 6. Mobile Use of the Internet Among the Poor in the Global South: Preferences, Theories and Policies.