Predrag Cveticanin (p), Inga Tomic Koludrovic, Mirko Petric

Svetlana Rastvortseva

Socio-Digital Inequalities in the Cultural Field: Towards a Unified Research Framework in Cultural Participation Studies
In this paper, we propose a unified research framework for studying the impact of social and digital inequalities on four types of cultural practices: offline art-related practices, offline everyday cultural practices, online art-related practices, and online everyday cultural practices. Based on empirical evidence of cultural participation from a large-scale research project carried out in nine European countries, we demonstrate the benefits of sidestepping what we see as a strange disconnect between the research traditions studying inequalities in the offline and online spheres separately. We propose the term “socio-digital inequalities” and explain the methodology used to study it in the case at hand. The results of our comprehensive survey and qualitative research indicate that only the inclusion of both online and offline practices and socio-digital inequalities in the analysis does justice to the complexity of contemporary cultural participation and provides a reliable basis for policymaking.
Keywords: socio-digital inequalities, online and offline cultural participation, policymaking, Europe

Svetlana Rastvortseva (p), Ekaterina Kadochnikova

Pedro Fierro

The concept of catch-up development, known as the hypothesis of absolute convergence, suggests that poorer countries can reduce income disparities by adopting the experience of more developed economies. However, technological convergence appears to be more significant, as the diffusion of technologies serves as a key driver of economic growth (Grossman & Helpman, 1991; Aghion & Howitt, 1992). This study aims to identify the conditions and factors of technological convergence in Russian regions to develop policy recommendations accordingly.
The scientific novelty lies in the econometric analysis of factors influencing catch-up technological development, considering spatial interactions. Two hypotheses are proposed: technological convergence and divergence vary depending on the absorptive capacity of regions, as well as their financial conditions and spatial effects. The k-median clustering method was divided all regions into four clusters based on technological potential. The dynamics of technological development were assessed using the conditional β-convergence model (Barro & Sala-i-Martin, 1992) with temporal and spatial lags (Griliches, 1979). A positive correlation between innovation activity and economic development was identified, with leading regions concentrated in the European part of Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg and Tatarstan), while regions with low technological potential were found in resource-extracting areas of the Asian part of the country.
A comparison of centroid values of technological potential indicators revealed significant disparities in innovation activity and socio-economic conditions, particularly in European regions. The positive spatial correlation of labor productivity confirms the impact of "breakthrough" regions on their neighbors. The absence of σ-convergence in labor productivity and financial conditions from 2010 to 2022 indicates persistent technological inequality, while the identified β-divergence suggests that disparities between regions with high and low levels of technological innovation are being reinforced. This finding aligns with previous studies (Badunenko & Tochkov, 2010; Kadochnikova et al., 2022; Mikhailov et al., 2020).

Pedro Fierro (p), Ellen Helsper , Teresa Correa, Sergio Toro

Benedetta Coluccia

The digitalisation of local governments is often seen as a tool to enhance transparency, improve service efficiency, and increase civic engagement. However, its effects are not uniform, as digital tools can either reduce spatial inequalities or reinforce existing patterns of exclusion. This paper examines the relationship between local government digitalisation and political engagement in Chile, focusing on both attitudinal and behavioural dimensions.

Using a sequential research design, the study first analyses the structural determinants of municipal digitalisation based on the Digital Municipality Index, complemented with official municipal data. It then explores how digitalisation shapes political engagement through survey data from Fundación P!ensa, comprising 9,924 face-to-face interviews conducted in the Valparaíso region between 2018 and 2023.

Findings suggest that municipal digitalisation is strongly associated with income levels, while factors such as workforce professionalisation and rurality have less predictive power. Regional differences also emerge: in southern Chile, population size and municipal income are the primary drivers of digitalisation, whereas in central Chile, workforce qualifications and municipal income play a more significant role.

At the individual level, digitalisation appears to influence both online political efficacy and local engagement. Living in a digitalised municipality is associated with greater awareness and use of municipal websites, suggesting that digital tools can foster engagement. However, municipal wealth exhibits a negative relationship with online political efficacy in multiple measures, indicating that individuals in marginalised areas perceive the Internet as a more potent tool for political empowerment.

The study also examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly influenced digital engagement. The negative relationship between municipal income and online political efficacy was stronger before the pandemic, while the positive association between digitalisation and local website use intensified post-pandemic. These findings underscore the evolving role of digitalisation in political engagement, particularly in highly centralised and unequal contexts.

Overall, the study highlights how municipal digitalisation interacts with broader structural inequalities, shaping patterns of political inclusion and exclusion. While digital tools can enhance engagement, their effects depend on local conditions, raising important considerations for policymaking in the Global South. Understanding these dynamics is crucial as digitalisation continues to reshape local governance and citizen participation.

Benedetta Coluccia (p), Valentina Cattivelli, Roberta Barbieri

Predrag Cveticanin

Digitalization in the public sector is often promoted as a means to enhance administrative efficiency and improve citizens' quality of life, ultimately fostering Perceived Public Value (PPV). However, the extent to which e-Government policies effectively contribute to public value remains uncertain, particularly in contexts characterized by economic inequalities. This study aims to assess whether e-Government can foster PPV despite disparities in wealth and resources, focusing on 41 member countries of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM).
To achieve this, we develop a scalable model to measure PPV using the Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach, integrating the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and TOPSIS. This model systematically evaluates public policy effectiveness across different national contexts, ranking countries based on their ability to generate public value. The analysis reveals significant disparities in PPV among UfM countries, with Northern and Western European nations outperforming their Southern and Eastern European counterparts, while MENA region countries experience substantial challenges due to political instability, corruption, and inadequate infrastructure.
To further examine the role of e-Government in shaping PPV, we apply a Weighted Least Squares (WLS) regression analysis, incorporating both a basic model (assessing the direct impact of e-Government on PPV) and an extended model (including an interaction term between e-Government development and economic inequality). The results confirm that e-Government policies positively influence PPV, improving citizens’ perceptions of public services. However, economic inequality significantly moderates this effect, meaning that in countries with higher levels of inequality, the benefits of digitalization are less pronounced. This underscores the role of the digital divide in exacerbating disparities, as access to and effective use of digital government services remain uneven. Our findings have important theoretical, practical, and policy implications. Theoretically, the study contributes to public administration literature by providing a comprehensive measurement framework for PPV and testing the combined effect of e-Government and socioeconomic inequalities. Practically, it offers policymakers a scalable assessment tool to evaluate governance performance and design inclusive digital strategies. From a policy perspective, the study calls for targeted interventions that address digital exclusion, ensuring equitable access to e-Government services to maximize their public value potential. Overall, while digitalization holds great promise for improving public governance, its effectiveness is contingent upon addressing economic inequalities and ensuring broad accessibility to digital services. Without such efforts, e-Government risks reinforcing, rather than reducing, existing disparities