Empowerment and ICT
The analytical processing of my data is going well and so far I have been making some interesting discoveries.
In this entry I will be focusing on the issue of interest, which keeps appearing in my data. I am getting a more and more clear idea about how technology is much more than just putting up a few computers. From governmental side ICT is seen as very important in developing South Africa and especially to empower previously disadvantaged communities and give these people an opportunity to actively take part in the South African democracy. In this case ICT is an important component and is regarded as such in the alleviation of those fields, that are regarded as the most imperative in a South African context: Democracy, AIDS and poverty. There is a central idea that an area having ICT would stand a better chance of getting of becoming ‘developed’.
From community side there seems to be a difference in the perception of this matter. Returning to the issue of ‘interest’ this seems to be an important component especially in the communication between the sites and the state. Empowerment of communities seems to be based on a wish for receiving interest, in order to ensure growth. All though agreeing that economical growth is a natural part of development there seems, however, to be a difference in how ICT is believed to be able to contribute to this. It seems as if ICT, when regarded from government side, automatically is being regarded as this artifact that is to ensure the undoing of past time lack of democracy and as a means of empowering these communities to be actively involved in the information society. But when being out in the areas, the democratic ideals of technology seem to vanish or at least translated into only being a matter about obtaining employment. There is a consciousness about ICT as something one needs to learn about, in order to be more attractive on the working market. A woman mentioned that for her it was like acquiring another license. The employment aspect is central and seems to be stimulating the interest in ICT at community level. At community leadership level the interest seems to be more directed towards political aims, such as receiving this attention from national/provisional government, in order to be prioritized min the decision-making. I think the indication are suggesting very well, how technology works politically as a part of the transformation in South Africa and in my work I am interested in focusing on this matter. One could reflect about whether ICTs in this context would politically be different than if a community would be offered other means of development, as long as this political attention is obtained and that the argumentation for specific means of development are successful. The perceived, urgent need of becoming a part of the western Information Society would serve well for arguing for the need of this specific artifact, and as such political attention.I think the important thing here is to understand the term Empowerment, and especially how it is being translated.
In this entry I will be focusing on the issue of interest, which keeps appearing in my data. I am getting a more and more clear idea about how technology is much more than just putting up a few computers. From governmental side ICT is seen as very important in developing South Africa and especially to empower previously disadvantaged communities and give these people an opportunity to actively take part in the South African democracy. In this case ICT is an important component and is regarded as such in the alleviation of those fields, that are regarded as the most imperative in a South African context: Democracy, AIDS and poverty. There is a central idea that an area having ICT would stand a better chance of getting of becoming ‘developed’.
From community side there seems to be a difference in the perception of this matter. Returning to the issue of ‘interest’ this seems to be an important component especially in the communication between the sites and the state. Empowerment of communities seems to be based on a wish for receiving interest, in order to ensure growth. All though agreeing that economical growth is a natural part of development there seems, however, to be a difference in how ICT is believed to be able to contribute to this. It seems as if ICT, when regarded from government side, automatically is being regarded as this artifact that is to ensure the undoing of past time lack of democracy and as a means of empowering these communities to be actively involved in the information society. But when being out in the areas, the democratic ideals of technology seem to vanish or at least translated into only being a matter about obtaining employment. There is a consciousness about ICT as something one needs to learn about, in order to be more attractive on the working market. A woman mentioned that for her it was like acquiring another license. The employment aspect is central and seems to be stimulating the interest in ICT at community level. At community leadership level the interest seems to be more directed towards political aims, such as receiving this attention from national/provisional government, in order to be prioritized min the decision-making. I think the indication are suggesting very well, how technology works politically as a part of the transformation in South Africa and in my work I am interested in focusing on this matter. One could reflect about whether ICTs in this context would politically be different than if a community would be offered other means of development, as long as this political attention is obtained and that the argumentation for specific means of development are successful. The perceived, urgent need of becoming a part of the western Information Society would serve well for arguing for the need of this specific artifact, and as such political attention.I think the important thing here is to understand the term Empowerment, and especially how it is being translated.
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