dorothea kleine at the unesco chair/centre in ict4d royal holloway university of london technologies...
TRANSCRIPT
Dorothea Kleine
at the UNESCO Chair/Centre in ICT4DRoyal Holloway
University of London
Technologies of Choice?ICTs, development and the capabilities approach
www.ict4dc.org
Masters in Practising Sustainable Development (ICT4D specialism) at Royal Holloway, University of London
www.rhul.ac.uk/msc_psd
Technology is not neutral
„technology is society“ (Castells 1996:5) mindsets and political agendas can be embedded in technology
Norms and values are written into code (Lessig 1999)
People‘s access to the Internet is mediated by framing institutions with specific norms and expectations (Wajcman 2004)
ICT4 …. What kind of development?
Means vs. ends
Economic resources
… yet currently the dominant measure of development is economic growth
The need for a different approach to development:
Econocentric Holistic
Linear Systemic
Top-down dialogue with citizen-users
Supply-led Choice-led
Development can be seen as “a process of expanding the real freedoms that people enjoy” (Amartya Sen 1999:3)
Focusing on the “substantive freedom – of people to lead the lives they have reason to value and to enhance the real choices they have.” (Sen 1999:293)
Capabilities: things people have reason to value doing or being CA is key alternative to growth-focused development approaches
The capabilities approach: development as freedom
Operationalising the Capabilities Approach
the journey so far: steps towards CA operationalisation for the field of ICT4D
(Garnham 1997, Mansell 2002, Madon 2003, Gigler 2004, Alampay 2006, Smith 2006, Johnstone 2007, Kleine 2007, Zheng 2007, Zheng & Walsham 2008; Oosterlaken 2009; Fernandez-Baldor, Hueso & Boni 2009; Spence & Smith 2010; Buskens 2010; Grunfeld 2011; Toboso 2011; Vaughan 2011; Zheng & Stahl 2011; Birdsall 2011; Coeckelbergh 2011; Seth et al. 2011; Srinivasan & Gagliardone 2011; Oosterlaken, Grimshaw & Janssen 2011 …)
Forthcoming: Sammia Poveda on Sen, Freire & digital inclusion in BrazilTony Roberts on capabilities, critical agency & participatory video in Zambia
STRUCTURE
DEVELOPMENT OUTCOMES
• institutions and organisations• discourses• policies and programmes• formal and informal laws including: - Norms on usage of space - Norms on usage of time• technologies and innovations including: access to ICTs - availability of ICTs - affordability of ICTs - skills needed for ICTs
AGENCY
SR
PsR MR
ER
FRIn
NR
CR
GR
Key: ER = Educational Resources SR = Social ResourcesPsR = Psychological Resources NR = Natural Resources In = Information MR = Material ResourcesFR = Financial Resources GR = Geographical Resources CR = Cultural Resources He = HealthTi = Time
He
DEGREES OF EMPOWERMENT
• existence of choice
• sense of choice
• use of choice
• achievement of choice
Age
Gender
Ethnicity
etc.
Primary: Choice
Secondary, as chosen
by individual, e.g.:
• easier communication
• increased knowledge
• better/more social relationships
• healthy environment
• increased income
• increased mobility
• more voice
• more autonomy
• etc.
CA
PA
BIL
ITIE
S
Ti
AC
HIE
VE
D F
UN
CT
ION
ING
S
(Kleine 2007, 2011, based on Alsop & Heinsohn 2005, DFID 1999)
The Choice Framework
Ways of applying the Choice Framework
a) Systemic mapping of development processes
b) Designing and planning for choice
ICT policies in Chile
Chile
continued economic growth low levels of corruption High literacy level Good IT infrastructure
Potential for ICT-assisted development
High level of social inequality High level of regional
inequality
Risk of digital divides along existing divides
Chile’s Agenda Digital
Regulatory Framework Network of Infocentros E-government (e.g. E-procurement, Chilecompra) IT/digital literacy training
Supporting use of digital technologies in enterprises Promoting digital innovation Adapt judicial norms Efficient funding for digital development
Deputy Director of the Chilecompra e-procurement system, Santiago de Chile, August 2005:
The important thing is that people are proactive and are interested in doing better than others. We have to create the conditions and the tools in which they can do that […] This all has to do with the economic model in which Chile is developing itself. Yes, in the end this is a neoliberal market economy in which the lances all point in one direction so that the most efficient will win. [...]
I believe that essentially one has to invest much in education in the regions as well. Especially the rural sphere – how to include it in the wagon of productivity, in the engine of development. But at the same time this is difficult because there are also, obviously, the values of those communities - values that can be from another planet, even other spiritual beliefs!
Deputy Director of the Chilecompra e-procurement system, Santiago de Chile, August 2005
Red Communitaria/ Telecenters (Infocentros)
Goals: SOCIAL INCLUSION and EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Public computer and internet access points across the country
Free access
Small fee for printing etc.
Free IT-courses run by the digital literacycampaign
access
Availability, affordability, skills (Gerster & Zimmermann 2003)
also: (gendered) norms on the use of space
also: (gendered) norms on the use of time
Gendered norms on the use of time
In the beginning it was difficult [with the women] because the men come home in the evening and when things [at the IT training courses] take a bit more time, the men come home and the food is not ready. So [...] we told the women: you go do all the housework first and leave it ready and then you come here.
(infocentro director, ID 20, F1)
Meeting people: Marta Castillo
Marta Castillo, microentrepreneur
• single mother, head of household (3 children, 1 grandmother) • low income• basic education • used to be a „nana“ (cook/maid) in Santiago, excellent cooking skills
• Took free IT-course at the Infocentro• Uses the Internet in the Infocentro to research recipes to diversify
her production (diabetics etc.)• hopes to organize women so they can provide jam etc. for local
schools and hospitals
Marta Castillo’s media usage (Kleine 2007)
Marta Castillo, microentrepreneur
As of March 2005, Marta had never used the public e-procurement system Chilecompra
Meanwhile (March 2005), the local hospital in Algún started using Chilecompra and regularly sourcing 24 jars of jam from a large distributor in Santiago (together with other food supplies) who offered the lowest prices. This brought costs down.
STRUCTURE
DEVELOPMENT OUTCOMES
• institutions and organisations• discourses• policies and programmes• formal and informal laws including: - Norms on usage of space - Norms on usage of time• technologies and innovations including: access to ICTs - availability of ICTs - affordability of ICTs - skills needed for ICTs
AGENCY
SR
PsR MR
ER
FRIn
NR
CR
GR
Key: ER = Educational Resources SR = Social ResourcesPsR = Psychological Resources NR = Natural Resources In = Information MR = Material ResourcesFR = Financial Resources GR = Geographical Resources CR = Cultural Resources He = HealthTi = Time
He
DEGREES OF EMPOWERMENT
• existence of choice
• sense of choice
• use of choice
• achievement of choice
Age
Gender
Ethnicity
etc.
Primary: Choice
Secondary, as chosen
by individual, e.g.:
• easier communication
• increased knowledge
• better/more social relationships
• healthy environment
• increased income
• increased mobility
• more voice
• more autonomy
• etc.
CA
PA
BIL
ITIE
S
Ti
AC
HIE
VE
D F
UN
CT
ION
ING
S
(Kleine 2007, 2011, based on Alsop & Heinsohn 2005, DFID 1999)
The Choice Framework
STRUCTURE
DEVELOPMENT OUTCOMES
• institutions and organisations
• discourses• policies and programmes• formal and informal laws including: - Norms on usage of space - Norms on usage of time• technologies and
innovations including: access to ICTs - availability of ICTs - affordability of ICTs - skills needed for ICTs
AGENCY
SR
PsR MR
ER
FRIn
NR
CR
GR
Key: ER = Educational Resources SR = Social ResourcesPsR = Psychological Resources NR = Natural Resources In = Information MR = Material ResourcesFR = Financial Resources GR = Geographical Resources CR = Cultural Resources He = HealthTi = Time
He
DEGREES OF EMPOWERMENT
• existence of choice
• sense of choice
• use of choice
• achievement of choice
Age
Gender
Ethnicity
etc.
Primary: Choice
Secondary, as chosen
by individual, e.g.:
• easier communication
• increased knowledge
• better/more social relationships
• healthy environment
• increased income
• increased mobility
• more voice
• more autonomy
• etc.
CA
PAB
ILIT
IES
Ti
AC
HIE
VED
FU
NC
TIO
NIN
GS
ecological limits
Conclusion
Conclusions
- think development not as growth, but as freedom of people to live the lives they have reason to value
- Individuals and communities may have very different values => radical pluralism of the capabilities approach
- using the Choice Framework as a living tool – see what works for you
Conclusions II:
Recognising multiple resources of income-poor people, respecting their agency
never underestimating the agency of people in development, but also recognising that structures are powerful and need to be adjusted to support people’s agency
Seeking out mechanisms to allow people to express choice e.g. Open and malleable technology participatory design of technology
recognising and negotiating ecological limits and social challenges voucher schemesparticipatory budgets/procurement
THINKING DEVELOPMENT BEYOND THE GROWTH PARADIGM
PLANNING AND DESIGNING FOR CHOICE
Thank you!
Comments & feedback welcome:[email protected]
@dorotheakleine
Masters in Practising Sustainable Development (ICT4D specialism) at Royal Holloway, University of London www.rhul.ac.uk/msc_psd
Reviews:
“landmark volume”
“intellectually exciting, ethnographically rich, compelling, compassionate”
“a most welcome new approach to ICT4D studies”
www.ict4dc.org