As you read in your textbook, the Kuznet’s curve predicts that stratification will decline
as modernization takes place. And this is true. However, as the dotted lines indicate,
stratification may be on the rise again in Post Industrial America.
One dramatic indication of the increase in stratification is the so called
"digital divide." The National Telecommunications and Information Administration,
an agency of the Department of Commerce, has studied computer ownership and Internet
access for several years. You can access the studies at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ Its
latest study, "Americans in the Information Age: Falling Through the Net"
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/digitaldivide/ notes that Native Americans,
African Americans, Hispanics, and lower income households regardless of race/ethnicity
are increasingly being left behind as they lack access to computers and the internet.
As they note, "Income level is a strong determinant of a person or household's Internet
access. While a predictor of overall Internet use, income level also influences where and
how a person uses the Internet. Persons with incomes of less than $35,000 more often use
the Internet outside the home, while those making over $75,000 predominantly use the Internet
at home...however, public resources available to date have not alleviated the significant
Internet use gap between rich and poor."
