Digital inequalities and social media: Experiences of young people in Chile

Purpose – This paper aims to report the findings from a survey of secondary school students in Chile by exploring their use of social networking services for information-seeking purposes. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was distributed via Chile’s Ministry of Education and 12,354 responses were received. Findings – The results indicate that young people in Chile extensively use SNSs, but there are differences in the ways in which they use these services, specifically for information purposes. When considering schoolrelated activities, there are differences in the use of SNSs by students in different types of schools. Those in academic-focussed institutions are more likely to use SNSs for school-related information purposes and are more likely to publish most types of information on SNSs than their counterparts in vocational schools. Research limitations/implications – The sample was self-selecting and excluded students without online access to the survey. Practical implications – The findings indicate more needs to be done in schools serving lower socioeconomic communities to support students’ use of SNSs for information-seeking, especially for academic purposes. Social implications – The findings suggest that school-associated social capital may have a role in shaping students’ use of SNSs for information and learning purposes and, potentially, in exacerbating digital inequalities. Originality/value – The focus on the use of social media specifically for information-seeking distinguishes this research. The findings challenge possible assumptions about the links between social media use and social class and suggest that differences may be exacerbated by school practices

Comparing policies to tackle ethnic inequalities in health: Belgium 1 Scotland 4

Ethnic-minority health is a public health priority in Europe. This study compares strategies for tackling ethnic inequalities in health from two countries, Scotland and Belgium. Methods: We compared the countries using the Whitehead framework. Official policy documents were retrieved and reviewed and two databases related to immigrant health policies were also used. Ethnic inequalities in health were compared using the UK and Belgian Censuses of 2001. We analysed the recognition of the problem, the policies and the services and described ethnic health inequalities. Results: Scotland has recognized the problem of ethnic inequalities in health, thanks to better data and the Scottish Government has come up with a bold strategy. Belgium is a later starter, unable to properly monitor ethnic inequalities. In addition, there is no clear government commitment to tackling either health inequalities or ethnic inequalities in health. Both countries provide health-care services to ethnic minority groups through the mainstream services, although ethnic minority groups have more choice in Belgium than in Scotland. Overall, ethnic heath inequalities are lower in Scotland than in Belgium. Conclusion: Scotland has provided a more advanced and comprehensive response to tackling ethnic inequalities in health than Belgium. It has acknowledged that discrimination exists and that ethnic minority groups may have different needs. Belgium still assumes non-discrimination in health care and effectively denies the need for policy to tailor services to meet these needs. In Scotland, public organizations have been made accountable for promoting equality in health. This is an important contribution to European health policy