Applying Nancy Fraser’s Framework on Three Dimensions of Justice in the Understanding of Justice in the Use of Technology with Older Adults with Moderate to Severe Dementia in Care Settings: Closing the Digital Divide

Abstract

Access to technology is getting more important in human services with older adults. However, the digital divide exists between older adults and younger people, as well as among older adults from different social groups. To close the digital divide, we need to consider justice in technology for older adults. This article aims to understand how justice is involved in the use of technology with older adults. It conducted a secondary analysis by looking into the data of a larger study about using dementia-friendly videos with older adults living with moderate to severe dementia in care settings, one of the most marginalized older adult populations in Vancouver, Canada. It refers to Nancy Fraser’s framework on the three dimensions of justice, including redistribution, recognition, and representation, as the guiding framework of analysis. It suggests that different dimensions of justice are intertwined with each other. It also suggests that future researchers may consider this framework to guide their understanding of justice in the use of technology with older adults.

Keywords:

• Digital divide
• justice
• Nancy Fraser
• older adults
• recognition
• redistribution
• representation

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to send thanks to Professor Miu Chung Yan of School of Social Work, the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, for the inspiration of writing this paper.

Ethical statement

This study has ethics approval from the Ethics Board of the University of British Columbia.

Disclosure statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Mitacs Accelerate Fund [number IT27862].